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

Fri Jul 4 16:55:58 PDT 2025

Good morning Dear Dr Shabbir.
Thank you for this email. I will go through it and get back to you as soon
as possible.
Thanks and Regards
Fahad Ibrahim

On Sat, Jul 5, 2025, 12:46 AM Sarah kekeli Akunor via DCAD <
dcad at lists.igf-dcad.org> wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, 4 Jul 2025 at 11:42 PM, Sarah kekeli Akunor <
> keksarahlove at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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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