The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) today presented its first accessible publication for people with visual disabilities, a launch that marks the beginning of a new institutional editorial line. This is the Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2022. Executive summary: accessible format, compatible with screen readers.
According to data from ECLAC, more than 13% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean has a disability, which is equivalent to more than 70 million people. In the world there are more than 1,000 million people with a disability.
“The launch of the accessible version of the Executive Summary of the Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2022 report is the beginning of a great learning process for ECLAC,” declared the Executive Secretary of the United Nations regional organization, José Manuel Salazar. -Xirinachs, during the hybrid event (face-to-face and virtual) at the organization’s headquarters in Chile.
“This milestone marks the kickoff of a new ECLAC editorial line, which will undoubtedly be a long journey with many challenges that we will overcome with our firm commitment to move towards the inclusion of people with disabilities,” said the senior official.
Since 2021, ECLAC has had a Strategy for the Inclusion of Disability (CEPALDIS), designed to cover the period 2021-2025. This responds to the mandate of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS)prepared in 2019, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
ECLAC has made progress in the implementation of CEPALDIS through different actions, explained José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs.
On the one hand, sign language interpretation was introduced in the activities of the subsidiary bodies and in the launch of the institution’s annual reports or flagships (among them, the Social Panorama).
Likewise, the institution’s facilities and offices have been adapted to make them physically accessible, and progress has been made in compliance with accessibility standards on ECLAC’s main website.
Consultants with disabilities have been hired for various tasks, and the recent participation of high authorities and panelists with disabilities in the Sixth Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Developmentheld at the end of April.
“However, there are still great challenges that we must face so that ECLAC is truly an inclusive institution, both internally and externally,” acknowledged José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs.
“One of these challenges is the accessibility of our knowledge production, which corresponds to an important part of the work we do. To include people with disabilities in our daily work, it is essential to move towards documents and publications that are accessible to people with visual impairments. That is why, within the framework of CEPALDIS, the commitment to advance in the accessibility of emblematic reports or flagships stands out”, he said.
After his presentation there were comments from María del Carmen Millán, Director of Personal Autonomy, Technology and Accessibility of the ONCE Social Group of Spain; Selene Caraballo, ECLAC consultant; and Juan Ángel de Gouveia, President of the Latin American Network of Organizations of People with Disabilities and their Families (RIADIS).
“On many occasions, people with a visual disability find ourselves with limitations when it comes to exercising the right to information and we do not have the same opportunities as the rest of the people in society. That is why it is essential that the administrations, both public and private, entities, companies and the entire disability associative movement work together so that these limitations disappear and there are no access barriers for vulnerable groups”, stated María del Carmen. Millán from the ONCE Social Group.
Selene Caraballo, a consultant with disabilities who supported the process of preparing ECLAC’s accessible publication, thanked the opportunity to have participated in the initiative, valued the commitment shown by the institution, highlighted the result and urged the creation of a work plan long term.
“It’s not easy working on accessibility, but not for the reasons most people think. It tends to be complex because accessibility is generally left to the end of the production chain. And when this happens, more resources are required, there is less time and the results are often compromised”, Caraballo explained and added: “I hope that this experience will be the basis for many more accessible documents and that it will serve as an inspiration for other organizations”.
“Accessibility lessens the impact that disability has on our lives. I invite you to start working today on the accessibility of the document that you are going to write tomorrow, ”she reflected.
Meanwhile, Juan Ángel de Gouveia from RIADIS pointed out that “this new publication (from ECLAC) that has been made accessible to people with visual disabilities is a milestone in history for us in Latin America.” “We hope that ECLAC is this model that generates an impact not only in the region, but throughout the world, for civil society, for all people. Let it be seen that accessibility, these accessible formats, are possible”.
Other speakers at the event were Raúl García-Buchaca, ECLAC’s Deputy Executive Secretary for Administration and Analysis of Programs (video); Alberto Arenas, Director of the Social Development Division (who acted as moderator); and Sally Shaw, Director of ECLAC’s Documents and Publications Division.
ECLAC is currently developing a guide for the preparation of accessible documents and publications and workshops will be held throughout the year to mainstream the issue within the institution, among other actions planned to continue advancing in terms of accessibility.
