Abstract ＆ Presentation :

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes barrier-free access to public information and education as well as equal participation of people with disabilities in cultural life as human rights. Libraries clearly have an important role to play in implementing these rights. In line with the IFLA Code of Ethics, libraries worldwide aim to ensure equal and non-discriminatory access to their resources and services. Nevertheless, in reality, many people with disabilities still face various barriers in accessing libraries, including physical access to buildings, lack of information and literature in accessible formats as well as attitudinal barriers among library staff.

The UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are explicitly grounded in international human rights law, and therefore linked to the CRPD. Access to information was explicitly included in the SDGs as an individual target but has meanwhile been widely recognized as a necessary precondition for the realization of all of the SDGs. By providing accessible services and information for all, including people with disabilities, libraries can help to make the core mission of the UN 2030 Agenda to “leave no one behind” more of a reality.