Transcript What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads?

PNG
Assembly of
Disabled
Persons
Travelling Together:
Disability Inclusive Road Development
in Papua New Guinea
ADDC Inclusive Research Symposium
28 August 2014
Benson Tegia, PNG
Assembly of Disabled
Persons
Kathryn James, CBMNossal Partnership for
Disability Inclusive
Development
What is ‘Travelling Together’?
DFAT funded participatory research project, from May
2010 - April 2013, addressing access by people with
disabilities to road infrastructure and road planning
processes in PNG.
Research partners:
• Unimelb Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning
• Nossal Institute for Global Health
• PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons
• Cardno Emerging Markets
Project Aims
1. Prioritize appropriate responses to access needs of
people with disabilities (PWD) in PNG
2. Contribute to the evidence base for disability
inclusive infrastructure development
3. Develop guidelines to support disability inclusive
infrastructure consultation, planning & development
4. Develop a training package on disability inclusive
road planning and development, for use by PNGADP
and other agencies.
5. PWD have ownership of the research and capacity
to use findings.
Why consider accessibility?
 Up to 15% of PNG population are people with disabilities
 Road are vital for accessing services, social networks,
economic opportunities
 People with disabilities often have additional access
needs to other road users:
 Do not get visual or aural cues from traffic
 Cannot move quickly or navigate obstacles easily
 Need space and ramps for wheelchairs
 Accessible roads are more accessible for everyone:
children, older people, pregnant women
Research: sites and tools
Stretches of roads in five sites: some completed roads and
some under maintenance/re-development
 2 urban sites (Port Moresby & Goroka)
 3 rural sites (Lae, Madang & New Ireland)
Research tools:
 Interviews with local road decision-makers
 Group discussions with people with
disabilities
 “Moveabouts” or access audits of
sections of roads
 Photographs and poster making
How do roads affect the lives of people with
disabilities?
Roads facilitate access to services for people with
disabilities, mainly by walking
BUT use of services is severely limited by inaccessible
and dangerous roads
 Improved roads bring more traffic and faster speeds,
and people fear being hit by vehicles
 Roads and infrastructure are often not accessible for
people with a variety of disabilities
What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads?
Footpaths are difficult to navigate
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Too narrow or steep for wheelchairs
Blocked by parked cars, people socialising, market stalls
Flooded due to blocked or absent drains; overgrown
Road verges can be steep or too high; loose gravel and rocks
People are forced to walk on dangerous roads
What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads?
Lack of marked crossings
 No or inadequate crossings at
busy areas like schools and
markets (especially rurally)
 No clear signs in approach to
crossings: too close to the
crossing, not maintained
 Traffic does not slow down
through villages; hard to cross
safely
What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads?
Narrow bridges with limited pedestrian access
 Bridges with no footpaths force pedestrians onto the road
 Overgrown, narrow footpaths
 Steps rather than ramps are unsuitable for wheelchair users
 Lack of railings make bridges hard to navigate
What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads?
Poor road drainage and maintenance
 Flooding blocks roads and footpaths and leads to damage
 Open drainage ditches are hazards for vision impaired
 Potholes and unsealed roads
What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads?
No bus stops and poor bus access
 Lack of proper bus stops, no seats or shade: unsafe or
uncomfortable
 No locations marked on buses: people with hearing
impairments can’t hear driver announcements
 Buses inaccessible
What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads?
Lack of Public Awareness
 Vehicle drivers and other road users do not realise that
people with disabilities use the roads, and have
different needs
 Disabilities can be invisible e.g. hearing impairment,
intellectual impairment
 Communities do not maintain footpaths etc
Roads are planned for vehicles, not for people
How Have People with Disabilities Participated in
Road Decision-Making?
 No evidence that consultation with people with
disabilities was taking place
 Little consultation with communities in general;
emphasis on informing people rather than involving
them
 Interviewed Road Decision-Makers did not have info on
accidents or injuries on the roads that they were
responsible for maintaining: info from police, traffic
authorities, hospitals not shared with road planners and
engineers
What are the best approaches to consulting with
people with disabilities?
• People with disabilities can inform about their needs
and road usage
• Participatory & inclusive processes are inexpensive:
focus group discussions, moveabouts, photographs
• Many recommended changes
can be incorporated at
minimal expense. Others
save money in the long run –
some can mobilise
community
Research Outputs
Tools and Guidelines
 In-country workshops with Road Decision-Makers
 Guidelines on Making Roads Safer and more
Accessible
 For Policy and Decision-Makers
 For Road Planners and Engineers
 Advocacy Workbook for use by PNGADP
Research impacts
Dissemination
 Australian Aid Policy Brief and Working Paper
 Articles: Journal of Transport Geography, Development
Bulletin
 Presentations: Transed 2012, ADB Transport Conference,
ACFID University Linkages, World Report on Disability
Symposium etc
 Research methodology – strategies for inclusion of
people with disabilities, including tools
 Research findings – the need for improved road access
for people with disabilities; low-cost and simple solutions
available
Research impacts: Region
 Use of findings and tools & guidelines to inform DFAT
& partners in the region:
 Regional DFAT Post training on disability inclusion
(e.g. Tonga, Kiribati)
 Kiribati Post promoting guidelines to Managing
Contractors and Dept of Transport
 Interest from Asian Development Bank as they
develop universal access guidelines for ADB projects
Has the Research produced the desired
outcomes? PNG Context
 Appropriate responses to improve access
 Evidence base for disability inclusive infrastructure
development
 Develop guidelines (action for govt.)
 Develop a training package
 Ownership and capacity to advocacy and rights-based
work with the PNG government and development
partners
How about the Research principles?
Check: Yes/No
Full participation of people with disabilities in every
phase
Accessibility
Capacity development
Inclusion of all groups
Partnership building
BIG RED 5/5
=100%
Background - Quick update on PNG
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Massive country with 8m + people
80% very remote, 15% PWDs
Basic roads & service delivery infrastructure are
run down or non-existent
Urban drift creating huge
social problems,
unemployment, law & order,
HIV/AIDS, overcrowding &
poverty
Ratified UNCRPD Sept 2013
Road Infrastructure Spending
• Total PNG 2014 budget: K13 b (AUD$6 b) focused on
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building an inclusive, sustainable PNG
Dept of Works highest allocation: K1.6 b priority road
construction with aim to improve accessibility to basic
services for the remote rural population
2014 used up K414 m (but what portion are accessible?)
PWD have access on 36% of good roads (e.g. town roads)
Economic boom by LNG, major infrastructure
development going on including sporting facilities for
2014 PNG Games & 2015 South Pacific Games: very busy
traffic, difficult accessing roads, unsafe and dangerous
Travelling Together: Final Activities
 Launch of guidelines during
International Day for PWD
(Dec 3) and delivered to
Dept of Works: was a
highlight
 A formal submission was
made to Dept of Transport
for inclusion in the National
Transport Strategic Policy
(Dec 14)
What has been the research impact in PNG?
• Key departmental decision makers, planners and
designers recognize & appreciate the partners, making
commitments to support the initiative
• Highlights the role Government plays to cater for
disability accessible road development as equally
important
• Involvement and participation by Governments,
community leaders & development partners (must
increase for real change to take place)
• Government take ownership and improve the situation
consistent with UNCRPD
What has been the impact of the research for
people with disabilities?
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PWD leaders have been trained to be better
researchers, strengthening confidence base and
improve leadership skills mostly in:
- phases, data collection and analysis
- dissemination & application of finding
- partnership consultation & networking
- Evidence based advocacy & policy
submission and negotiation
Appreciate the process of identifying barriers that
hinder progress in community life
What has been the impact of the research for
people with disabilities?
• Developed advocacy tools for DPO use for ongoing
awareness activities
• Confidently link up with concerned government
departments for policy decisions
• Present a strong case for
integrated policy inclusion
• Importance of involvement
and participation in
decision-making at all levels
Current Progress
• National Transport Strategic Policy committed to
include sections of guidelines during scheduled
review
• Department of Works have considered inclusive road
planning and designs manual for provincial works,
submission with technical manuals development
committee aimed at improving designs
• National Capital District has already catered for
guidelines & adjustment of planners & designers
protocols.
Current Progress
• Advocacy work continues at National
& DPO level. Done 4 follow up visits to
DoT & DoWs
• DPO not actively involved for various
reasons but more so capacity wise
• Key agencies technical consultative
team been established as a ground
work to set up the National
Infrastructure Development Authority
(NIDA) DoWs: we are seeking
membership
Current Progress
• National Capital Division DPO has a contract
submission negotiation to build accessible foot paths,
street ramps, crossing marks and safety signs
• The DPO advocacy toolkit is in its final stage for
launching during 2015 National Day on Disability (Mar)
Challenges
• National & Provincial DPO capacity remains depleted
• Advocacy/awareness work has been inconsistent
those targeting decision makers
• Not part of government priority therefore no coverage
• PWDs not being able to actively involve and
participate at decision making level
• Data collection: lack of information about people with
disabilities; need to look for ways to gather this
• Need centralised storage of collected data to allow
analysis and usage by DPOs and others
What needs to happen
1. Build DPO capacities (advocacy/follow up)
2. Be on various boards & committees
3. Work with government to understand and
devise Enabling legislative framework to
implement UNCRPD (Article 9) and take full
ownership (rights to access are denied)
4. Ensure that policies & legislation cover all
aspects of infrastructure plans and designs
Thank you