Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi has emphasized the need for disability accessibility in public infrastructure planning, budgets, procurement, and construction. He warned that buildings designed without considering different needs can deny people access to essential services. Nekundi's remarks, delivered by Jaffet Nelongo, deputy executive director in the ministry of works and transport, stressed that infrastructure development must consider the people who will use it, including persons with disabilities.
Nekundi highlighted that a technically impressive design is meaningless if it fails the end users. He said accessibility must go beyond providing entrances, extending to how people access information, transport, and public services. "National development remains incomplete if our infrastructure cannot be used safely and with dignity by all citizens," Nekundi said. He used the example of a child who uses a wheelchair, saying that if a classroom is not designed to accommodate the child, access to education is denied.
Nekundi said the requirements of the proposed accessibility standard should be incorporated into budgets, procurement documents, construction supervision, and building regulations. He added that improving existing infrastructure could require a phased approach and resources, while stressing the importance of listening to persons with disabilities and ensuring the standard reflects Namibia's realities. The proposed standard covers accessibility in the built environment, infrastructure, transport, and mobility, information and communication, assistive products, services, and operations.
Angelique Philander, chief executive officer of the National Disability Council of Namibia (NDCN), said inaccessible environments continue to affect the independence and participation of persons with disabilities. She delivered a statement on behalf of the council's board chairperson, describing how qualified people with disabilities can struggle to access workplaces and how others face barriers when seeking information or services from public institutions.
Philander said access needs differ among people with visual, hearing, physical, and intellectual disabilities, as well as between rural and urban communities. "The principle of nothing about us, without us, remains particularly relevant to this process," she said. She said the council would continue contributing to the process and monitoring the implementation of disability-related policies and programs.
The Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) executive for standards and commercial services, Paloma Ellitson, said work on the draft accessibility standard began in 2023, with consultations involving architects and a technical committee. A national technical workshop was held in Otjiwarongo in 2024, after which feedback was incorporated into the draft. The current workshop aims to gather final input before the standard proceeds to the publication process.
NSI chief executive officer Dr. Eino Mvula said feedback from earlier consultations had helped shape the draft, adding that the institution would provide technical coordination and capacity building to support its publication and implementation. Deputy minister in the Office of the Vice-President Moses //Khumub, who officially opened the workshop, said the proposed standard should be technically sound, practical, and relevant to Namibia, and that its success would ultimately depend on effective implementation.
Key points
- Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi calls for disability accessibility in public infrastructure planning, budgets, procurement, and construction.
- The proposed accessibility standard covers accessibility in the built environment, infrastructure, transport, and mobility, information and communication, assistive products, services, and operations.
- Effective implementation of the standard requires clear institutional responsibilities, resources, technical capacity, monitoring, and training.
