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International Seminar on Environmental Accessibility, Beirut, 1999
Report Contents:
Resources:
 Design Manual for Environmental
Accessibility
  
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Accessibility
I. ORGANISATION OF WORK AND ATTENDANCE
Opening of the Seminar
The International Seminar on Environmental Accessibility; issues in planning and design
of accessible urban development in developing countries was opened with welcoming remarks
from the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia (ESCWA). Dr.Hazem. El-Beblawi, who noted the importance of
the Seminar in the context of international and regional action that seeks to accord the
issue of accessibility and people with disability its due importance. The Executive
Secretary added that the Seminar is timely since it will mark on its last day, 3 December,
observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons, whose theme this year is
"Accessibility for all in the new Millennium". ESCWA, in co-operation with other
international organisations, has been active in the field of disability for a long time,
engaging in a number of regional and national events and research projects. The Executive
Secretary stressed that the Seminar underscores a change in focus from a concern with
"assistance to persons with disabilities" to social integration and
participation in the process of development. This purpose can for instance be promoted
through modifications to the physical environment, as a means of equalisation of
opportunities for all. The challenge in reaching this objective remains high, however. The
built environment in many ESCWA member States has been designed without sufficient
consideration of the special needs of persons with disabilities, among others. Yet, the
biggest challenge remains breaking through the social, cultural and institutional barriers
to accessible environments for. With improved attitudes, increased public awareness and
greater attention to technical planning and accessible design principles and techniques -
such as those being discussed in both the Seminar and Workshop this week, social and
physical environments that are accessible for all can be efficiently designed, developed
and maintained.
The representative of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United
Nations Secretariat (New York) expressed appreciation to ESCWA for the opportunity to
partner with its Social Development Issues and Policies Division in the planning and
organisation of the Seminar. This co-operation responded to the priority of the
Secretary-General on strengthening relations with the regional commissions of the United
Nations in the economic and social sectors. The current co-operation focussed on an
international exchange to review and assess the important work by ESCWA in co-operation
with the Government of Lebanon and SOLIDERE, the Lebanese Company for the Planning and
Redevelopment of the Beirut Central District, related to environmental accessibility and
persons with disabilities. The initiative is significant in that it involves a scaling up
of the ESCWA environmental accessibility experience with SOLIDERE to study its policy and
programme implications at interregional level rather than a scaling down of international
instruments to examine their regional and national implications. As a partner with ESCWA,
DESA, its Division for Social Policy and Development in particular, had worked closely
with private sector specialists to publish the SOLIDERE design manual for the Beirut
Central District, Accessibility for the Disabled on the World Wide Web of the United
Nations Internet site (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/designm)
so that it would be easily accessible for study by all. The Department considered the
ESCWA-SOLIDERE experience important in that it results from regional and national-level
policy dialogue on socially-sensitive and disability responsive development; it is
moreover a product based upon technical resources solely available to ESCWA and SOLIDERE;
and it demonstrates that universal designs are both cost-effective and achievable in even
the most complex development setting.
Mr. Aref Daw, representative of the Ministry of Social Affairs of Lebanon
delivered welcoming remarks on behalf of H.E. Dr Michel Moussa, Minister of Social
Affairs. The representative of the Ministry stressed the importance that the
Government gives to the issue of disability, particularly that the civil war in Lebanon
has resulted, among other things in increasing the number of disabled persons. The Design
Manual on accessibility for the disabled and for barrier-free environments is the result
of a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Social Affairs and SOLIDERE and its
proposed accessible building codes, which were applied in the planning and redevelopment
of the Beirut Central District. The Ministry is proud, that this pilot exercise has
resulted in a proposed Law, which was prepared by the National Council for Persons with
Disability, to adopt the codes related to accessibility, within the national building
codes and regulations. The Law is also proposing as an interim measure to start modifying
public buildings, means of public transport and housing to make them accessible for all.
H.R.H. Prince Raad Bin Zeid graciously delivered the Opening Statement
to the Seminar. His Royal Highness noted the importance of stepping up public awareness
campaigns related to planning and development of accessible environments for all. These
campaigns should be organised and co-ordinated at national scale and have the necessary
political backing to succeed. His Royal Highness also stressed the importance of focusing
on accessibility for all, where freedom of movement, mobility, and barrier-free
environment, are means of empowerment. Freedom of movement does not only concern private
space; it needs to be introduced to the planning and design of public spaces, which often
is lacking in the region. His Royal Highness expressed the hope that the Seminar will lead
to identifying ways of integrating social, economic and institutional dimensions with the
planning and design of physical environments so that urban areas are widely accessible for
all.
Election of officers
The Seminar conducted its work by means of moderators and discussants for each
substantive session. Moderators and discussants are presented in the Schedule of Seminar
Activities, attached as Annex I (currently not available).
Adoption of the agenda
The following agenda was adopted by the Seminar:
- Review and discussion of environmental accessibility and universal design
- Review and discussion of norms and standards related to environmental accessibility
- Selected national experiences
- Political economy of environmental accessibility
- Social and cultural aspects of environmental accessibility
- Issues in training and research
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Priorities for action to promote environmental accessibility for all.
Study tour
On Thursday, 2 December 1999, Seminar participants together with participants of the
Workshop had a study tour to examine results of planning for a barrier-free Beirut Central
District, organised in co-operation with SOLIDERE, and the planning and redevelopment of
the American University of Beirut, organised in co-operation with the Office of the
President of AUB.
Documentation
Annex II (currently not available) contains the list of documents issued for
the Seminar.
Attendance
Annex III (currently not available) contains the list of persons participating
in the Seminar in their individual capacity.
Adoption of the report
The report of the Seminar, including recommendations formulated by its ad hoc working
groups, was adopted in plenary on Friday, 3 December 1999.
On 3 December, at 12.30 p.m., participants observed the International Day of Disabled
Persons. The Secretary General's message was read by Mr. Akil Akil, Chief of
Social Development Issues and Policy Division, ESCWA. With this observance, the
joint Seminar and Workshop were officially declared closed
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