| APrIGF 2025 Session Proposal Submission Form | |||||||||||||
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| Part 1 - Lead Organizer | |||||||||||||
| Contact Person | |||||||||||||
| Mr. Krishna Maharjan | |||||||||||||
| Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) * | |||||||||||||
| Disability Empowerment Society Nepal | |||||||||||||
| Designation | |||||||||||||
| Secretary General | |||||||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Male | |||||||||||||
| Economy of Residence | |||||||||||||
| Nepal | |||||||||||||
| Stakeholder Group | |||||||||||||
| Organization of Persons with Disabilities | |||||||||||||
| Part 2 - Session Proposal | |||||||||||||
| Session Title | |||||||||||||
| “Nothing About Us Without Us: Advancing Inclusive Digital Governance for Persons with Disabilities in Asia-Pacific” | |||||||||||||
| Thematic Track of Your Session | |||||||||||||
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| Description of Session Formats | |||||||||||||
| Roundtable (60 minutes) | |||||||||||||
| Where do you plan to organize your session? | |||||||||||||
| Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants) | |||||||||||||
| Specific Issues for Discussion | |||||||||||||
| This session will focus on the systemic exclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) from digital governance processes in the Asia-Pacific region, despite increasing commitments to multistakeholder models. While digital transformation is advancing, accessibility, representation, and participation of PWDs remain fragmented and inconsistent across national policies, platforms, and governance structures. The discussion will explore three core issues: 1. Barriers to Inclusive Participation—How do inaccessible digital platforms, tokenistic consultation practices, and lack of policy alignment prevent PWDs from participating in governance? What are the experiences of youth, women, and rural PWDs? 2. Innovations and Best Practices— What are some successful disability-inclusive initiatives in digital governance (e.g., accessible ID systems, community-led data platforms, inclusive policymaking forums)? How have they enabled meaningful engagement of PWDs? 3. Future of Multistakeholderism—What must change within the Internet governance ecosystem to mainstream disability inclusion? How can the voices of PWDs shape governance agendas, and what support is needed from stakeholders—governments, the private sector, civil society, and donors? Participants will also reflect on the value of foundation funding and cross-sector collaboration in scaling disability-inclusive practices. The discussion will aim to generate actionable insights and recommendations to integrate PWDs as equal stakeholders in shaping the digital future of the region. |
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| Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF | |||||||||||||
| This session directly aligns with the APrIGF 2025 overarching theme, “The Future of Multistakeholder Digital Governance in Asia-Pacific,” by highlighting how digital governance can and must be shaped through inclusive, representative, and accessible processes. It addresses the “Digital Inclusion and Accessibility” and “Human Rights Online” sub-themes by focusing on the systemic exclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) from governance processes and the urgent need to embed their voices within multistakeholder frameworks. By drawing on practical examples from Nepal and other Asia-Pacific countries—such as inclusive ID platforms, local disability data systems, and community-driven policy dialogues—the session will demonstrate how accessible innovations and cross-sector collaboration can shift the governance landscape. The inclusion of youth with disabilities and technologists will further connect the discussion to emerging digital trends and rights-based policymaking. The session contributes to the APrIGF dialogue by 1. Bringing underrepresented voices into the Internet governance agenda; 2. Challenging participants to rethink inclusivity within existing governance structures; 3. Encouraging collaborative problem-solving among diverse stakeholders. Expected outcomes include actionable recommendations for integrating disability inclusion into national and regional governance, insights on the role of funding and stakeholder support, and stronger regional alliances for inclusive digital futures. Ultimately, the session underscores that no digital governance can be truly multistakeholder if PWDs are not at the table. |
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| Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right) | |||||||||||||
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| Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) - (Required) | |||||||||||||
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| Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session. | |||||||||||||
| Each contributor has been selected to ensure diversity of perspective, lived experience, and regional representation: 1. A youth advocate with a disability brings firsthand experience of exclusion and leadership in pushing for inclusive policies and digital access. 2. Government representative provides insight into national-level policy implementation and the challenges of mainstreaming accessibility in digital governance. 3. The technologist/developer contributes practical knowledge of creating inclusive platforms and the technical barriers to accessibility. 4. DPO, or regional disability network leader, offers a broader policy and advocacy lens, representing collective disability rights movements across Asia-Pacific. Together, these contributors reflect the multistakeholder nature of the session and are well-positioned to offer complementary insights and actionable recommendations grounded in their expertise. |
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| If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for. | |||||||||||||
| We would like to note one additional confirmed speaker: Ms. Sarita Lamichhane, an accessibility advocate and woman with a visual impairment, is working extensively on accessibility and disability inclusion in Nepal. As there was no space left at the speakers’ table, we are adding her here for the secretariat’s reference. |
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| Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2025. | |||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||
| Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2025? | |||||||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||||||
| Upon evaluation by the Program Committee, your session proposal may only be selected under the condition that you will accept the suggestion of merging with another proposal with similar topics. Please state your preference below: | |||||||||||||
| Yes, I am willing to work with another session proposer on a suggested merger. | |||||||||||||
| APrIGF offers live transcript in English for all sessions. Do you need any other translation support or any disability related requests for your session? APrIGF makes every effort to be a fully inclusive and accessible event, and will do the best to fulfill your needs. | |||||||||||||
| Yes. In addition to live English transcription, we request: Onsite accessibility support (wheelchair-friendly seating, clear signage, volunteer assistance for visually impaired participants). Circulation of session materials in accessible formats (tagged PDF/Word). Secretariat support in monitoring online Q&A/chat for remote participants with disabilities. If possible, provision of sign language interpretation (International Sign or Nepali Sign Language). | |||||||||||||
| Brief Summary of Your Session | |||||||||||||
| The session “Nothing About Us Without Us: Advancing Inclusive Digital Governance for Persons with Disabilities in Asia-Pacific” brought together policymakers, technologists, disability advocates, and researchers to explore how digital governance across the region can become more inclusive and participatory. The discussion centered on the need to move from policy intent to implementation by embedding accessibility, representation, and collaboration at every level of digital governance. Held virtually due to the political situation in Nepal, the session underscored that persons with disabilities (PWDs) must be active partners, not passive beneficiaries, in shaping the digital transformation of the region. The panel featured voices from Nepal, Indonesia, and India, each offering grounded examples of innovation and advocacy. Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, former Prime Minister of Nepal, emphasized that accessibility should be seen as a democratic right, not charity, and called for strong political will and accountability in enforcing inclusive policies. Dr. Birendra Raj Pokhrel, a leading disability rights advocate, identified affordability, accessibility, and adaptability as key barriers, urging greater investment in inclusive ICTs and representation of DPOs in governance. From Indonesia, Rahma Utami, founder of Suarise and initiator of A11yID, reflected on the progress and challenges in advancing national accessibility regulations and highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration. T. B. Dinesh, a technologist from India, shared community-based innovations such as Wi-Fi mesh networks and oral storytelling platforms that extend access to low-literate and marginalized users. Dr. Ashim Khadka presented on embedding accessibility into AI, IoT, and research curricula, advocating early inclusion of accessibility principles in engineering education. Sarita Lamichhane discussed gaps in accessibility for women with disabilities and called for stronger enforcement of accessibility standards across public and private sectors. Across the discussion, speakers agreed that inclusion in digital governance requires both policy enforcement and cultural change where accessibility is built into design, not added later. They recommended greater regional cooperation, standardization of accessibility frameworks, integration of PWDs into leadership roles, and investment in digital literacy and assistive technology. The session concluded that meaningful participation of persons with disabilities is fundamental to achieving equitable, transparent, and democratic digital governance in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring that the digital future truly reflects the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us.” |
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| Substantive Summary of the Key Issues Raised and the Discussion | |||||||||||||
| The session focused on the persistent gap between accessibility commitments and real inclusion in digital governance processes across the Asia-Pacific region. Speakers agreed that despite growing awareness and policy references to disability inclusion, enforcement, coordination, and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) remain inconsistent. 1. Policy and Governance Gaps: Dr. Baburam Bhattarai emphasized that accessibility must be recognized as a constitutional and democratic right, not a matter of charity. He highlighted the lack of political accountability and implementation mechanisms that prevent disability-inclusive policies from becoming operational. Dr. Birendra Raj Pokhrel echoed this by identifying affordability, accessibility, and adaptability as key barriers within current ICT systems. Both speakers urged governments to institutionalize representation of OPDs in policymaking, allocate budgets for accessibility, and adopt regional standards such as WCAG. 2. Practical and Technological Challenges: Rahma Utami explained that Indonesia’s accessibility regulation is still pending formal adoption, reflecting a wider pattern of delayed enforcement in the region. She stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration—bringing together public, private, and community actors to build shared accountability. T. B. Dinesh expanded the definition of accessibility to include linguistic and literacy diversity, presenting community-driven connectivity models and open-source tools that empower rural and low-literate populations. 3. Inclusive Design and Innovation: Dr. Ashim Khadka discussed how emerging technologies like AI and IoT can enable inclusion if accessibility principles are embedded early. He called for integration of accessibility in technical education and research to prevent algorithmic bias and data exclusion. Sarita Lamichhane emphasized the gender and language dimensions of digital access, noting that many public platforms in Nepal remain inaccessible to screen readers and non-English users. She urged governments and developers to ensure accessibility audits and meaningful user testing by PWDs. 4. Shared Reflections: Speakers collectively highlighted that inclusion must evolve from isolated projects to systemic governance reform. Collaboration among governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector was recognized as essential to scaling disability-inclusive innovation. Participants agreed that forums like APrIGF are crucial for amplifying regional learning and aligning national digital strategies with the principles of human rights and accessibility. The discussion concluded that “Nothing About Us Without Us” should serve as the guiding framework for digital governance—ensuring that PWDs are active co-creators of policies, technologies, and governance processes shaping the digital future of the Asia-Pacific region. |
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| Conclusions and Suggestions of Way Forward | |||||||||||||
| The session concluded that achieving disability-inclusive digital governance in the Asia-Pacific region requires sustained commitment, cross-sector collaboration, and clear accountability mechanisms. Participants agreed that accessibility must be embedded as a core principle of democratic governance rather than treated as an optional or charitable consideration. 1. Strengthen Policy Enforcement and Accountability While many countries have developed disability-inclusive ICT and e-governance policies, implementation remains weak. Governments should adopt measurable accessibility standards, conduct regular audits of public digital platforms, and allocate dedicated budgets for accessibility. Legal mandates for inclusion should be supported by monitoring mechanisms involving OPDs. 2. Institutionalize Representation of Persons with Disabilities Representation must go beyond consultation. Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations should have permanent seats within digital policy committees, standardization bodies, and national ICT councils. Their participation should be recognized as essential to legitimate decision-making. 3. Promote Inclusive Innovation and Education Accessibility should be introduced at the design stage of emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, and data systems. Universities and technical institutions should embed accessibility and universal design into engineering, computer science, and communications curricula to build long-term capacity. 4. Foster Regional Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange Participants emphasized that regional cooperation can accelerate progress by sharing lessons, tools, and policy models across borders. Networks, such as APrIGF, can facilitate collaborative research, accessible data standards, and joint advocacy for digital inclusion. 5. Invest in Digital Literacy and Localized Solutions Beyond infrastructure, digital literacy programs tailored for persons with disabilities, especially women, rural, and low-literate users, are needed. Local language accessibility, affordable assistive technologies, and open-source innovations were identified as key enablers of inclusion. In summary, the way forward lies in translating commitments into action through enforceable standards, institutional participation of persons with disabilities, and sustained regional cooperation. By treating accessibility as a foundation for governance rather than a feature of technology, the Asia-Pacific region can move closer to realizing a digital future that truly embodies the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us.” |
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| Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||
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| Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||
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| How were gender perspectives, equality, inclusion or empowerment discussed? Please provide details and context. | |||||||||||||
| Gender perspectives and inclusion were addressed through discussions on the intersection of disability, gender, and digital access. Speaker Sarita Lamichhane highlighted how women with disabilities face additional barriers due to inaccessible e-governance platforms, lack of localized content, and limited representation in ICT education and policymaking. The panel also emphasized that digital empowerment requires attention to diverse identities within the disability community, ensuring that inclusion policies consider gender, language, and literacy diversity. Participants agreed that meaningful participation of women with disabilities and other marginalized groups in digital governance is vital for equality and for shaping technologies and policies that reflect real user experiences. | |||||||||||||
| Consent | |||||||||||||
 I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2025. |
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