Arab Digital Inclusion Platform

Digital technologies can play a vital role in people’s empowerment and in building more inclusive societies.

In the Arab region, the ICT sector has made positive strides towards digital inclusion throughout the region. However, effective national policies are needed to improve the e-accessibility of persons with disabilities. There is also a need to develop national technical guidelines to implement e-accessibility in public websites, e-services, ICT tools and devices, and the media channels.

The Arab Digital Inclusion Platform (ADIP) is linked to the Beirut Consensus on Technology for Sustainable development in the Arab region and the 2030 Agenda. ADIP also supports the fulfilment of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which aims to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms. ADIP supports this goal by providing decision makers and stakeholders with knowledge, toolkits, capacity-building and best practices to develop policies, guidelines and initiatives to strengthen e-accessibility and bridge the digital divide, and to implement e-accessibility in public websites and e-services.

Our approach

Our partners

Our activities

• ESCWA toolkit/template on e-Accessibility national policy for the Arab region, including a situational assessment.  

• ESCWA toolkit/template on guidelines to enhance e-Accessibility at the national level, including a situational assessment 

• Digital platform to host the developed toolkits, best practices, and other related material, and an online community of practice for disability focal points. 

• Online regional consultation for improving toolkits. 

• Regional workshop to adopt the final versions of the ESCWA toolkits. 

• Regional training of trainers workshops on the use and adaptation of the ESCWA toolkit/template on e-accessibility national policy as well as on the use of the ESCWA toolkit/template on guidelines to enhance e-Accessibility at national level. 

• Three national capacity-building workshops on the use and adaptation of the ESCWA toolkit/template on e-accessibility national policy and related guidelines 

• Three advisory missions to member States to support the development and implementation of e-accessibility national policy and/or guidelines. 

• ESCWA-ITU regional conference on an “Accessible Arab Region”.