Inclusive Mobility: Social Innovation, Transport and Disability

ILUNION Tecnología y Accesibilidad, a company of Grupo ONCE and an Ibero-American benchmark in accessibility in physical and digital settings, in partnership with CAF—development bank of Latin America—held the first traveling workshop: “Inclusive Mobility: Social Innovation, Transport and Disability” in Lima and Panama City, on October 9 and 11. Participants included public officials from the urban mobility sector, technicians and managers of public transport operators from four countries: Peru, Ecuador, Panama and Mexico.

The workshop aimed to produce innovative solutions in urban mobility that lead to an improvement in living conditions of people with disabilities, who are among the most vulnerable groups in our societies. A genuine integration of these groups requires removing the barriers that hinder their full social and economic participation. 

This initiative is part of CAF’s strategic partnership with the Spain’s organization of blind persons (ONCE) to create synergies that will contribute together to create opportunities and leverage solutions that improve the living conditions of groups with disabilities.

In this context, CAF works under a social innovation approach, and is currently promoting an awareness agenda on universal access for people with disabilities to urban public transport systems in Latin America.

As Manuel Malaret, CAF Representative in Peru, puts it, despite the progress made in recent years, a great deal remains to be addressed to reach universal accessibility levels in transport infrastructure of the most inclusive cities worldwide. “The implementation of inclusive transport, as well as safe, integrated and low-carbon systems are a priority in CAF’s urban transport strategy.” In addition, speaking in favor of universal rights and equality, Ana Mercedes Botero, Director of Social Innovation at CAF, stressed the importance of including this issue on the institutional agenda of public and private transport operators, and identifying innovative opportunities that add value to urban transport systems.

ILUNION Tecnología y Accesibilidad successfully led the event, where participants shared good practices on disability and accessibility while highlighting the potential of a more inclusive infrastructure in the generation of wealth and boosting productivity.