We the participants of the CIB W84 Seminar on Access Legislation and Design
Solutions held in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 16th - 18th January 1992, based on the
fundamental right of the disabled to freely and fully participate and interact
in all aspects of life, demand the development of a barrier-free environment
for all with special emphasis on developing countries and rural areas in which
the above fundamental right can be realized, as a responsibility of society,
the United Nations and the affiliated agencies and governments.
Pursuant to this objective, we demand the implementation of legislation and
other strategic actions towards the achievement of the objective, which shall
include the following:
1. Legislation which incorporates effective enforcement mechanisms shall
be enacted and implemented to ensure the right of accessibility for the disabled.
The legislation shall entrench training, incentive and penalty schemes as the
significant requirements to enhance the enforcement of the legislation.
2. The international community, governments, organizations of disabled
persons and other non-governmental organizations shall organize and promote
awareness campaigns through the mass media and other means, targeted at practicing
architects, planners, builders, property owners and other related professionals
as well as the public to recognise and to accept accessibility as a fundamental
civil right.
3. Financial and other incentives including tax concessions, as well
as penalty schemes should be instituted to encourage architects, planners, builders,
property owners and other related professionals in the implementation and independent
monitoring and evaluation of legislation and design solutions.
4. The international community, governments and non-governmental organizations
shall provide financial support to initiate and sustain research projects on
access design solutions and their socio-economic effects as well as on the evaluation
of the performance of the access legislation.
5. Disabled persons and their organisations shall be actively involved
in all levels in promotion campaigns, drafting, monitoring and enforcing access
legislation. In this direction, organisations of the disabled should improve
their technical expertise in the field, and professionals related to access
legislation shall encourage and support the active involvement of the disabled
persons.
6. The training of architects, planners, builders, property owners and
other related professionals shall stimulate professional concern and interest
in accessibility as a basic planning and design requirement.
7. Technical documentation on accessibility design and relevant codes
of practice shall be prepared by governments in consultation with disable persons
and made available to architects, planners, builders, property owners and other
related professionals to facilitate the implementation of access design solutions.
8. Where assistance is provided to developing countries by the international
community in support of development programs, such assistance shall be dependent
upon such programs conforming to international barrier-free standards.
9. The foregoing resolutions shall apply to the macro-built environment,
with special emphasis on housing, both public and private; administration; culture;
commerce; recreation; and transportation within the context of urban design
and rural development.