Promoting Urban Accessibility in Ethiopia

1. Promoting Urban Accessibility in Ethiopia Ms. Yetnebersh Nigussie Molla Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) Ethiopia

2. Promoting Urban Accessibility Under “Promoting Accessibility in Ethiopia” project supported by Light for the World Austria, ECDD undertook accessibility surveys of over 1,500 establishments in Ethiopia to collect information on the accessibility of facilities and services for persons with disabilities living in the secondary towns of Ethiopia. Such towns include Adama, Arba Minch, Hawassa and Debre Zeit in southern Ethiopia, Axum, Bahir Dar, Gondar, Lalibela and Mekele in northern Ethiopia, Dire Dawa and Harar in eastern Ethiopia, and Jimma in western Ethiopia. It is the first Guide to provide accessibility information on buildings and services in Ethiopia Since these towns are tourist destinations, the collected accessibility information will be of interest to visitors and tourists with disabilities as well as to local residents with disabilities. ECDD also organized a public accessibility information seminars in each secondary town on the importance of accessibility and for architects, urban planners, builders and other interested students, faculty and individuals. There is now a commitment from the responsible government bureaus to ensure new building designs fulfil accessibility standards.

3. Promoting Urban Accessibility (cont.) ECDD provided technical information on accessibility standards to government, non-governmental organizations, universities and the private sector through a series of accessibility information seminars. Due to the survey exercise for the Guide and the information seminars, some government offices, business and building owners expressed a desire for technical information on how to make their buildings and services more accessible to persons with disabilities. ECDD personnel provided such information, but at the specific request of several organizations, also conducted “Accessibility Audits” of their premises and services.

4. WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED/IMPACT The ECDD surveyors of this project are now ECDD’s accessibility ambassadors in the target towns. Though the surveying is completed, they continued to support building owners improve the accessibility situation of their buildings. In the long run, the surveyors may start to generate income for themselves by providing technical support on accessibility to individuals and institutions seeking for their service. Key responsible government personnel from municipalities and town administration bureaus, responsible for approving architectural designs, accountable for monitoring and supervising all construction works in their respective towns and people in charge of giving permits to all newly constructed buildings have begun enforcing the accessibility requirements, as clearly stipulated in the Ethiopian building directive.

5. WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED/IMPACT-Cont. Because of ECDD’s information seminars and technical advices and support, different businesses and government offices are now undertaking accessibility modifications of their buildings, allocating their own budget to the task. 5 public inclusive primary and secondary schools allocated their own budget, sharing the cost of building modification with ECDD, to make their premises accessible to children and staff with disabilities.