a2i–UNDP seminar calls for five-year plan to ensure digital accessibility

Accessibility must be integrated as a mandatory element from the outset of service design.

As the government accelerates the expansion of digital services nationwide, speakers stated that the priority now is to ensure every new service is designed to be accessible from inception.

ICT Division Secretary, Shish Haider Chowdhury, made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled 'Innovation to Inclusion in the Digital Age' held today at the BIDA Auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka. The event was jointly organised by the Aspire to Innovate programme and the United Nations Development Programme Bangladesh.

The seminar called for a clear, time-bound action plan to make Bangladesh's rapidly expanding digital services fully accessible to persons with disabilities.

Speaking as special guest, Director General of the Department of Social Services, Md Saidur Rahman Khan, stated that accessibility is deeply linked with dignity and respect, as individuals who cannot independently perform even simple online tasks often feel excluded and neglected.

In his concluding remarks, a2i Project Director (Joint Secretary), Mohammad Abdur Rafiq, stated that no single organisation can eliminate digital inequality alone. Practical and equitable solutions emerge only when policymakers, technologists, and disability rights advocates work in partnership.

A policy proposal presented at the seminar outlined a step-by-step, five-year roadmap for implementation.

First-year recommendations include introducing affordable internet packages for persons with disabilities, conducting accessibility audits of all government digital platforms, enforcing existing design guidelines, strengthening training on digital safety and rights—particularly for women and youth with disabilities—offering specialised accessibility training for developers and service providers, and establishing digital skills training hubs.

Second- to third-year recommendations include launching remote identity verification systems for government allowances and subsidy programmes, establishing an easy-to-use national disability helpline, enhancing accessibility in digital banking and financial services, expanding the use of assistive technologies, and supporting domestic tech innovation.

Third- to fifth-year proposals include enacting an internationally compliant Digital Accessibility Act, forming a Web Accessibility Monitoring Authority under the ICT Division, ensuring full accessibility in key platforms such as Muktapath and Nise, and making all government information and emergency messages accessible to all persons with disabilities.

During the event, a2i and UNDP Bangladesh jointly presented a research and policy brief titled 'Bridging the Digital Divide: Enhancing Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh's Digital Ecosystem'.

Presenting the study, Bhaskar Bhattacharya stated that as part of the country's digital transformation, more than 1,000 e-services have been launched and around 33,000 government websites have been integrated into a unified platform. However, despite these advancements, many persons with disabilities continue to face significant barriers as services remain largely inaccessible in practice.

Representatives from the ICT Division, a2i, Bangladesh Computer Council, Department of Social Services, UN agencies, development partners, mobile operators, banks, digital payment service providers, online learning platforms, civil society organisations, digital accessibility experts, and organisations of persons with disabilities attended the seminar.