“To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas. These measures (…) shall include the identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers to accessibility”.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

In order to comply with the Decree on Accessibility and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the only such convention that has the force of an amendment to the Brazilian Constitution), the organizers of Rio+20 are working to provide the highest level of accessibility to all physical spaces and services at the Conference.

In addition to architectural accessibility, the Rio+20 Organization aims to guarantee access to all of the Conference’s content through services of audio-description, sign language interpretation and real-time transcription. Additionally, the Conference’s documents and printed materials will be published on-line and made available, upon request, in Braille. 

Accessibility is an integral aspect of sustainable development. The Rio+20 Conference, therefore, aims to be the most accessible UN conference to date and to stimulate the increased inclusion of people with disabilities.