[DCAD] Call for Input: Comments on the WSIS+20 Elements Paper

[Sarah kekeli Akunor]

Hello Dr Shabbir,
Thanks for your email. You are really doing a great work. I will take my
time and go through, then I will revert soon.
Best,
Sarah Kekeli Akunor

On Fri, 4 Jul 2025 at 6:20 PM, Muhammad Shabbir Awan via DCAD <
dcad at lists.igf-dcad.org> wrote:

>
>
> Dear DCAD Members,
>
>
>
> Please find below my draft comments on the WSIS+20 Elements Paper, titled
> From Margins to Mainstream: Comments on the WSIS+20 Elements Paper. These
> comments aim to ensure that accessibility and the inclusion of persons with
> lived experience of disability are prioritized in the WSIS+20 process.
>
>
>
> I warmly invite you to review the text and share any comments, additions,
> or suggestions you may have by Tuesday, 8 July 2025 at 00:08 UTC, so we can
> finalize and submit a strong, collective response reflecting the
> perspectives of our community.
>
>
>
> My apologies in advance for a lengthy document, but to me it seemd
> necessary to cover all the issues. the paper being reviewed is linked below.
>
>
>
> Many thanks in advance for your valuable input.
>
>
>
> Warm regards,
>
>
>
> Dr. Muhammad Shabbir
>
> Coordinator, IGF Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability (DCAD)
>
>
>
> *Draft Comments:*
>
> *From Margins to Mainstream: Comments on the WSIS+20 Elements Paper*
>
> Dr. Muhammad Shabbir
>
>
>
> On 20 June 2025, the WSIS+20 Elements Paper
> <https://publicadministration.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/2025/WSIS%2B20_ElementsPaper_20June.pdf>was
> published as part of the WSIS+20 review process, outlining thematic
> priorities intended to guide negotiations ahead of the WSIS+20 High-Level
> Meeting in December 2025 and to inform the drafting of the forthcoming Zero
> Draft, which will consolidate stakeholder input into actionable proposals.
>
>
>
> The position of IGF-DCAD <https://igf-dcad.org/> (Internet Governance
> Forum – Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability) on the paper is
> that despite decades of advocacy, the persistent digital divide facing
> persons with disabilities is only mentioned tangentially throughout the
> WSIS+20 Elements Paper. Given that over 1.5 billion people globally live
> with disabilities, there must be a stronger, explicit commitment to digital
> accessibility woven into every thematic area, in line with the Convention
> on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development
> Goals. Moreover, inclusion must be explicitly defined to encompass
> accessibility for persons with disabilities as a non-negotiable component
> of people-centred development, recognizing that people with lived
> experience of disability bring essential insights and expertise to digital
> governance.
>
>
>
> In this context, outlined below are a set of specific comments from the
> perspective of IGF-DCAD, highlighting key areas where the Elements Paper
> must better address the needs and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
>
>
>
>    1. *Participation & Capacity Building (paras 4–5, 77–81)*
>
>
>
> While the document emphasizes capacity building for developing countries,
> it overlooks targeted programs for persons with disabilities, who often
> face compounded barriers due to inaccessible education, training, and
> digital tools. It is essential to:
>
>    1. Fund and develop accessible training materials co-created with
>    people with lived experience of disability.
>    2. Support organizations of persons with disabilities to deliver
>    digital skills programs.
>    3. Set diversity targets for disability representation in leadership,
>    including in the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group.
>    4. Create mentorship pathways for persons with disabilities,
>    leveraging the lived experience of disability to inform leadership
>    development and participation in Internet governance.
>    5. Integrate disability indicators into capacity-building monitoring
>    frameworks.
>
>
>
>    2. *Digital Divides (paras 28–35)*
>
>
>
> Persistent digital divides cannot be effectively bridged without
> addressing accessibility barriers as a core cause of exclusion for persons
> with disabilities. The Elements Paper should call for:
>
>    1. Adoption of international accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG
>    2.1/2.2).
>    2. Requirements for public and private digital service providers to
>    implement accessibility by design, informed by the perspectives of people
>    with lived experience of disability.
>
>
>
>    3. *Human Rights & Ethical Dimensions (paras 43–50)*
>
>
>
> The strong emphasis on protecting human rights online is commendable but
> must recognize the intersectionality of digital rights for persons with
> disabilities, including:
>
>    1. The right to accessible information and communication as
>    foundational to freedom of expression.
>    2. The heightened risks posed by emerging technologies such as
>    artificial intelligence, which can exclude persons with disabilities
>    through biased datasets or inaccessible design.
>    3. The prevalence of technology-enabled abuse specifically targeting
>    persons with disabilities, including cyberbullying and exploitation.
>    4. The necessity of involving people with lived experience of
>    disability in designing ethical safeguards to ensure new technologies
>    respect and promote human rights.
>
>
>
>    4. *Internet Governance & IGF (paras 57–64)*
>
>
>
> The IGF has long been an essential platform for advancing accessibility,
> including the work of the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and
> Disability. The renewed IGF mandate must:
>
>    1. Explicitly include the promotion of accessibility and participation
>    of persons with disabilities as a core objective.
>    2. Prioritize practical measures such as travel fellowships, online
>    accessibility features, and hybrid meeting accommodations to enable active
>    participation of persons with disabilities.
>    3. Embed accessibility requirements into all IGF processes and
>    structures, ensuring disability-inclusive leadership across national and
>    regional Internet governance initiatives.
>    4. Encourage the appointment of people with lived experience of
>    disability to leadership positions within the IGF’s governance structures,
>    including NRIs, such as the Multistakeholder Advisory Group(s), to ensure
>    their authentic representation.
>
>
>
>    5. *Artificial Intelligence (paras 70–76)*
>
>
>
> Artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and serious risks for
> persons with disabilities. It is vital to:
>
>    1. Embed accessibility guidelines in artificial intelligence
>    development standards.
>    2. Include organizations of persons with disabilities and individuals
>    with lived experience of disability in governance discussions around
>    artificial intelligence to ensure inclusive design.
>    3. Support capacity building for persons with disabilities to engage
>    in artificial intelligence policy and technical development.
>
>
>
>    6. *Monitoring and Measurement (paras 82–84)*
>
>
>
> Digital policy monitoring often omits disability-disaggregated data. The
> WSIS+20 review must:
>
>    1. Incorporate indicators tracking accessibility progress—such as the
>    percentage of websites and apps meeting international accessibility
>    standards and the proportion of persons with disabilities with meaningful
>    internet access—into WSIS+20 monitoring frameworks, designed in
>    consultation with people with lived experience of disability.
>
>
>
>    7. *Recommendations for the Zero Draft*
>
>
>    1. Establish a cross-cutting principle that accessibility is integral
>    to all WSIS+20 objectives.
>    2. Require disability-disaggregated data collection in connectivity,
>    skills, and digital literacy indicators.
>    3. Strengthen international cooperation frameworks to support
>    accessible ICT development, especially in the Global South.
>    4. Allocate financial resources to specifically bridge the digital
>    accessibility gap.
>    5. Ensure proposals on artificial intelligence and data governance
>    explicitly address inclusive design for persons with disabilities.
>    6. Include organizations of persons with disabilities and people with
>    lived experience of disability in all multistakeholder consultations, from
>    capacity building to artificial intelligence governance.
>    7. Set measurable diversity targets for persons with disabilities in
>    Internet governance bodies and create mentorship pathways to build
>    sustainable leadership rooted in lived experience.
>
>
>
>    8. *Conclusion*
>
>
>
> The WSIS+20 review presents a historic opportunity to move beyond tokenism
> and enshrine digital accessibility at the heart of a truly inclusive
> Information Society. Without explicit commitments and concrete actions for
> persons with disabilities, and without the active leadership of people with
> lived experience of disability, the vision of universal, meaningful, and
> affordable access cannot be realized.
>
>
>
> As Coordinator of the IGF Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and
> Disability, I urge co-facilitators and all stakeholders to ensure that
> accessibility and the inclusion of people with lived experience of
> disability are not afterthoughts, but core priorities reflected throughout
> the WSIS+20 outcome documents and in the future mandate of the IGF. Only by
> doing so can we build a multistakeholder, inclusive governance model that
> serves the needs of all people and sets a precedent for equitable global
> digital policymaking.
>
>
>
>
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