Travelling Together: Disability Inclusive Road Development in Papua New Guinea

1. PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons Travelling Together: Disability Inclusive Road Development in Papua New Guinea ADDC Inclusive Research Symposium 28 August 2014 Benson Tegia, PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons Kathryn James, CBM-Nossal Partnership for Disability Inclusive Development

2. What is ‘Travelling Together’? DFAT funded participatory research project, from May 2010 - April 2013, addressing access by people with disabilities to road infrastructure and road planning processes in PNG. Research partners: • Unimelb Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning • Nossal Institute for Global Health • PNG Assembly of Disabled Persons • Cardno Emerging Markets

3. Project Aims • Prioritize appropriate responses to access needs of people with disabilities (PWD) in PNG • Contribute to the evidence base for disability inclusive infrastructure development • Develop guidelines to support disability inclusive infrastructure consultation, planning & development • Develop a training package on disability inclusive road planning and development, for use by PNGADP and other agencies. • PWD have ownership of the research and capacity to use findings.

4. Why consider accessibility? • Up to 15% of PNG population are people with disabilities • Road are vital for accessing services, social networks, economic opportunities • People with disabilities often have additional access needs to other road users: • Do not get visual or aural cues from traffic • Cannot move quickly or navigate obstacles easily • Need space and ramps for wheelchairs • Accessible roads are more accessible for everyone: children, older people, pregnant women

5. Research: sites and tools Stretches of roads in five sites: some completed roads and some under maintenance/re-development • 2 urban sites (Port Moresby & Goroka) • 3 rural sites (Lae, Madang & New Ireland) Research tools: • Interviews with local road decision-makers • Group discussions with people with disabilities • “Moveabouts” or access audits of sections of roads • Photographs and poster making

6. How do roads affect the lives of people with disabilities? Roads facilitate access to services for people with disabilities, mainly by walking BUT use of services is severely limited by inaccessible and dangerous roads • Improved roads bring more traffic and faster speeds, and people fear being hit by vehicles • Roads and infrastructure are often not accessible for people with a variety of disabilities

7. What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads? Footpaths are difficult to navigate • Too narrow or steep for wheelchairs • Blocked by parked cars, people socialising, market stalls • Flooded due to blocked or absent drains; overgrown • Road verges can be steep or too high; loose gravel and rocks • People are forced to walk on dangerous roads

8. What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads? Lack of marked crossings • No or inadequate crossings at busy areas like schools and markets (especially rurally) • No clear signs in approach to crossings: too close to the crossing, not maintained • Traffic does not slow down through villages; hard to cross safely

9. What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads? Narrow bridges with limited pedestrian access • Bridges with no footpaths force pedestrians onto the road • Overgrown, narrow footpaths • Steps rather than ramps are unsuitable for wheelchair users • Lack of railings make bridges hard to navigate

10. What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads? Poor road drainage and maintenance • Flooding blocks roads and footpaths and leads to damage • Open drainage ditches are hazards for vision impaired • Potholes and unsealed roads

11. What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads? No bus stops and poor bus access • Lack of proper bus stops, no seats or shade: unsafe or uncomfortable • No locations marked on buses: people with hearing impairments can’t hear driver announcements • Buses inaccessible

12. What prevents people with disabilities accessing roads? Lack of Public Awareness • Vehicle drivers and other road users do not realise that people with disabilities use the roads, and have different needs • Disabilities can be invisible e.g. hearing impairment, intellectual impairment • Communities do not maintain footpaths etc Roads are planned for vehicles, not for people

13. How Have People with Disabilities Participated in Road Decision-Making? • No evidence that consultation with people with disabilities was taking place • Little consultation with communities in general; emphasis on informing people rather than involving them • Interviewed Road Decision-Makers did not have info on accidents or injuries on the roads that they were responsible for maintaining: info from police, traffic authorities, hospitals not shared with road planners and engineers

14. What are the best approaches to consulting with people with disabilities? • People with disabilities can inform about their needs and road usage • Participatory & inclusive processes are inexpensive: focus group discussions, moveabouts, photographs • Many recommended changes can be incorporated at minimal expense. Others save money in the long run – some can mobilise community

15. Research Outputs Tools and Guidelines • In-country workshops with Road Decision-Makers • Guidelines on Making Roads Safer and more Accessible • For Policy and Decision-Makers • For Road Planners and Engineers • Advocacy Workbook for use by PNGADP

16. Research impacts Dissemination • Australian Aid Policy Brief and Working Paper • Articles: Journal of Transport Geography, Development Bulletin • Presentations: Transed 2012, ADB Transport Conference, ACFID University Linkages, World Report on Disability Symposium etc • Research methodology – strategies for inclusion of people with disabilities, including tools • Research findings – the need for improved road access for people with disabilities; low-cost and simple solutions available

17. Research impacts: Region • Use of findings and tools & guidelines to inform DFAT & partners in the region: • Regional DFAT Post training on disability inclusion (e.g. Tonga, Kiribati) • Kiribati Post promoting guidelines to Managing Contractors and Dept of Transport • Interest from Asian Development Bank as they develop universal access guidelines for ADB projects

18. Has the Research produced the desired outcomes? PNG Context • Appropriate responses to improve access • Evidence base for disability inclusive infrastructure development • Develop guidelines (action for govt.) • Develop a training package • Ownership and capacity to advocacy and rights-based work with the PNG government and development partners

19. How about the Research principles? Check: Yes/No • Full participation of people with disabilities in every phase • Accessibility • Capacity development • Inclusion of all groups • Partnership building BIG RED 5/5 =100%

20. Background - Quick update on PNG • Massive country with 8m + people • 80% very remote, 15% PWDs • Basic roads & service delivery infrastructure are run down or non-existent • Urban drift creating huge social problems, unemployment, law & order, HIV/AIDS, overcrowding & poverty • Ratified UNCRPD Sept 2013

21. Road Infrastructure Spending • Total PNG 2014 budget: K13 b (AUD$6 b) focused on building an inclusive, sustainable PNG • Dept of Works highest allocation: K1.6 b priority road construction with aim to improve accessibility to basic services for the remote rural population • 2014 used up K414 m (but what portion are accessible?) • PWD have access on 36% of good roads (e.g. town roads) • Economic boom by LNG, major infrastructure development going on including sporting facilities for 2014 PNG Games & 2015 South Pacific Games: very busy traffic, difficult accessing roads, unsafe and dangerous

22. Travelling Together: Final Activities • Launch of guidelines during International Day for PWD (Dec 3) and delivered to Dept of Works: was a highlight • A formal submission was made to Dept of Transport for inclusion in the National Transport Strategic Policy (Dec 14)

23. What has been the research impact in PNG? • Key departmental decision makers, planners and designers recognize & appreciate the partners, making commitments to support the initiative • Highlights the role Government plays to cater for disability accessible road development as equally important • Involvement and participation by Governments, community leaders & development partners (must increase for real change to take place) • Government take ownership and improve the situation consistent with UNCRPD

24. What has been the impact of the research for people with disabilities? • PWD leaders have been trained to be better researchers, strengthening confidence base and improve leadership skills mostly in: - phases, data collection and analysis - dissemination & application of finding - partnership consultation & networking - Evidence based advocacy & policy submission and negotiation • Appreciate the process of identifying barriers that hinder progress in community life

25. What has been the impact of the research for people with disabilities? • Developed advocacy tools for DPO use for ongoing awareness activities • Confidently link up with concerned government departments for policy decisions • Present a strong case for integrated policy inclusion • Importance of involvement and participation in decision-making at all levels

26. Current Progress • National Transport Strategic Policy committed to include sections of guidelines during scheduled review • Department of Works have considered inclusive road planning and designs manual for provincial works, submission with technical manuals development committee aimed at improving designs • National Capital District has already catered for guidelines & adjustment of planners & designers protocols.

28. Current Progress • Advocacy work continues at National & DPO level. Done 4 follow up visits to DoT & DoWs • DPO not actively involved for various reasons but more so capacity wise • Key agencies technical consultative team been established as a ground work to set up the National Infrastructure Development Authority (NIDA) DoWs: we are seeking membership

29. Current Progress • National Capital Division DPO has a contract submission negotiation to build accessible foot paths, street ramps, crossing marks and safety signs • The DPO advocacy toolkit is in its final stage for launching during 2015 National Day on Disability (Mar)

30. Challenges • National & Provincial DPO capacity remains depleted • Advocacy/awareness work has been inconsistent those targeting decision makers • Not part of government priority therefore no coverage • PWDs not being able to actively involve and participate at decision making level • Data collection: lack of information about people with disabilities; need to look for ways to gather this • Need centralised storage of collected data to allow analysis and usage by DPOs and others

31. What needs to happen • Build DPO capacities (advocacy/follow up) • Be on various boards & committees • Work with government to understand and devise Enabling legislative framework to implement UNCRPD (Article 9) and take full ownership (rights to access are denied) • Ensure that policies & legislation cover all aspects of infrastructure plans and designs

32. Thank you