Accessibility of key Public Space Assessment for People with Physical Disabilities,

September 2019

IFTIN FOUNDATION with guidance form the CRPD expert and BUILD project of Creative Associates International, conducted a set of six questions to be responded to when conducting field visits. IFTIN also recruited 10 volunteers from PWD serving CSOs (8 men and 2 women), provided them with a brief of the field assessment (full questionnaire found below) approach and ensured that they understood the assessment tool that was drafted and we have managed to reach 13 public service provider locations.

In line with the general purpose of the project, the political and social life of people with disabilities, Iftin Foundation conducted seven (7) day field assessment (10^th – 16^th September, 2019) at public service facilities in Mogadishu that made it possible an access for people with physical disabilities, especially where those with physical disabilities are able to access their services without the need for further assistance. This assessment was data carried out from the field in details and findings obtained during the assessment period that 29.2% public places provide service facilities suited their places an accessibility for the people with disabilities, while other 70.8% their services were inaccessible by the people with disabilities. In other side during the assessment also noted that 100% of the public space service providers have positive perception and humanity feeling people with disabilities to have accessible and comfortable facilities and services in the community but most of them don’t have any knowledge about this issue of public service inclusivity.

In details the findings also were discovered that 4 spaces out of the 13 selected places which equivalent 30.8% have accessible design for people with disabilities, and 1 place is naturally accessible without any deliberate design for serving of people with disabilities while other 8 places which equivalent 61.5% have no accessible service for People living with disabilities. The 84.6% of the respondents from key public spaces visited responded that there is need to have access of people with disabilities for the facilities of public places by marked strongly agree and 15.4% respondents selected agreed in the assessment form provided while there is no anyone refused.

This shows it would need more awareness raising about the disability issues and conduct more strategic advocacy, in order to increase social and community awareness of the disabilities and community inclusion rights.

Additionally and funds permitting, IFTIN will consider the following interventions in the future;

To engage high level awareness programs for the public in order to bring the attention of the people that people with disabilities are active and great number of the community.

Spaces and buildings’ plans should be included that people with disabilities particularly those physically disable to have access with the facilities provides by the places.
To have laws treat with the disable people by relevant bodies to secure the rights of the people with disabilities in Somalia in both accessibilities and participation of politics and the public life.
Based on the assessment, most of the respondent said they didn’t received any complaint from people with disabilities about inaccessibility of their facilities where accessibility of their spaces is very low, thus people with physical disabilities required to double their efforts and share their service barriers with public space owners/managers.
Construction companies, owners and the local government are required to consider that this very serious business to keep the value of people with disabilities.

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