Following the partnership agreement signed in late February, between the Office of the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (BSEIPH) and Christian Blind Mission (CBM), Haiti will soon have a permanent structure for reflection and implementation on issues of universal accessibility "the Universal Access Unit" (UAU) that will ensure the sustainability of the debate on the issue leading to accessibility for all in Haiti.

Through this agreement, in addition to the creation of a disability Documentation Centre, work on the development of accessibility standards will continue as well as awareness and training of stakeholders in the building on the concepts of universal accessibility and their application in their various projects "This is a new stage in our collaboration, a continuation which will allow this time to perpetuate the actions," indicated Joseph Alexis, manager of CBM accessibility program.

"The issue of accessibility is transversal is of paramount significance in national life. Accessibility for people with disabilities is beneficial to the whole society and the different activities sectors," stressed Gerald Oriol Jr., Secretary of State for the Integration of Disabled Persons adding "The January 2010 earthquake represents a social and economic opportunity to rebuild taking into account the needs of all, including those of the disabled. Thus, it is very important to structure our interventions at universal accessibility to ensure that we do not miss this opportunity to build for all."

Several actions have already been put in the pursuit of this quest towards accessibility for all in the country including : accessibility improvements at several public spaces, training sessions for professionals in construction, the introduction of a module on accessibility in the training curriculum for construction engineers at the technical school HaitiTec, accessibility diagnostic sessions on public buildings and the development of communication tools and training.

HL/ HaitiLibre