Output

1) Pre-Workshop Survey and Summary Paper

The Project Overseers (PO) will prepare a Pre-Workshop Survey. The purpose of the survey is twofold:

1. Establish baseline data across member economies regarding accessibility and economic participation. This includes questions related to areas such as:

- Current and planned accessibility standards;

- Current best practices in standards development;

- Current and planned accessibility and economic participation frameworks in place;

- How workplace accommodations are defined and operationalized as well as their effectiveness in improving employment outcomes for persons with disabilities; and

- Participation of persons with disabilities including employment rates for persons with disabilities.

2. Assess members’ needs and inform a tailored workshop. This includes questions related to areas such as:

- What are the main capacity and knowledge gaps for members and what topics are members most interested in;

- What areas of government or other sectors participants may represent; and

- If members are interested in contributing to the agenda, for example, as speakers.

The survey will be distributed as an online survey to all members in an accessible format with alternative formats available upon request. The survey will also be distributed to three APEC fora through the APEC Secretariat:

- Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG);

- Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI); and

- Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE).

The PO will use the results of the survey to prepare a Summary Paper. The paper will provide context- setting information for participants as part of the workshop material circulated in advance for the benefit of all participants.

a) The minimum number of pages for Output SN1 Summary Paper: 6 pages, excluding annexes.

b) The rough structure of the Pre-Workshop Summary Paper is envisioned as follows:

i. Executive Summary

ii. Introduction and Project Context

iii. Landscape (eg overview of Accessibility Standards Canada, current/planned accessibility standards)

iv. Overview of Survey (eg methodology, distribution, respondents)

v. Survey Findings (ie results of survey questions, trends, identified gaps and/or opportunities)

1. Depending on survey responses, this section may include short case studies to highlight best practices, economic participation frameworks, and participation rates)

vi. Key Takeaways (eg what has been used to inform the remaining outputs, what questions are outstanding, main capacity and knowledge gaps identified, areas or sectors of particular interest)

vii. Next Steps

viii. Annex: Survey Question

c) Question: Is it acceptable for the structure of the paper to be revised, informed by the number of survey responses and discussions with co- sponsors?

The PO will also use the results to prepare the agenda and inform the other workshop materials included in the General Information Circular, namely presentations and discussion questions.

2) One Day In-Person Workshop

The PO will deliver a one day in-person workshop that will include a series of presentations, case studies and collaborative discussions.

Up to six experts will be invited to contribute as presenters, speakers or moderators. The budget includes an honorarium for a maximum of three experts outside of government or international organizations. Experts will represent a cross-section of sectors from Canada to share the Canadian experience with accessibility and economic participation. Experts will also represent a cross-section of sectors from other member economies to expand relevancy across economies. Up to 42 individuals from member economies will be invited to contribute as participants and possibly in other roles. The budget includes travel and per diem for two participants from each of the 11 travel-eligible APEC economies.

The intent is to hold the workshop during Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) 1 in 2027. To maximize benefits and efficiencies, the workshop will be planned as a full day in-person workshop, scheduled for eight hours from 9:00 to 5:00 local time in line with APEC guidance. The workshop constitutes the central output for encouraging collaboration and capacity building.

While the agenda will be informed by the Pre-Workshop Survey, it is anticipated that the agenda will include the following agenda items or themes, delivered as presentations, case studies or collaborative discussions such as group discussions or breakout sessions for smaller group discussions and peer-to-peer sharing:

- Developing evidence-based accessibility standards;

- Collaborative approaches across member economies to developing accessibility standards;

- The development of standards and promoting interoperability across member economies and globally;

- Improving the economic participation of persons with disabilities in domestic and regional economies through standardization;

- The opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in shaping accessible employment and services; and

- Frameworks or initiatives that improve the inclusion of women with disabilities in decision-making or programs.

The PO will seek opportunities to include content in the agenda that aligns with the common priorities of employment, artificial intelligence, built environment, and service design and delivery, building on the items and themes identified in the list above.

The PO will identify speaker/expert and participant accessibility needs to remove barriers to participation. This may lead to the need for accessibility features such as alternate formats of the General Information Circular or interpretive services during the workshop.

3) Workshop Report and Recommendations (APEC Publication)

The PO will prepare a Workshop Report and Recommendations (a minimum of 12 pages, excluding annexes), that consolidates all key insights from the workshop.

The intent is to prepare a report that is published in line with APEC requirements as an APEC publication. The budget includes self-funding for the PO to deliver this output.

The report will build on the Summary Paper in introducing baseline data across member economies regarding accessibility and economic participation. The report will feature the case studies and best practices highlighted during the workshop for member economies to reference when undertaking similar work. It will outline considerations and recommendations with respect to possible next steps for members as well as actionable next steps for member economies to consider, including potential policy, standards adoption and labour market initiatives. This could include policy recommendations or areas for future collaboration.

Outcome

1) Increased Knowledge of Accessibility and Economic Participation Frameworks: One of the project objectives is to strengthen the capacity of member economies, especially developing economies, to adopt evidence-based accessibility standards and practices. Speakers and experts will showcase and promote shared understanding of practical and transferable models, methods, tools and best practices to:

- Support research and standards development processes that are led by and/or involve persons with disabilities;

- Develop and implement evidence-based accessibility standards that reduce barriers to economic participation, including improving employment outcomes, accessible hiring practices and workplace accessibility for persons with disabilities;

- Integrate accessibility into broader economic participation strategies.

If this project objective is met, participants will benefit from the facilitated knowledge exchange, and leave the One Day In-person Workshop with an improved understanding of practical, actionable solutions that can be considered for adaption and application within their domestic policy, standards and labour market contexts to improve accessibility and the economic participation of persons with disabilities. Across all outcomes, the project will also consider varied lived experiences such as rurality, indigeneity, age and income, which may shape accessibility and economic participation outcomes across APEC economies.

2) Integration of Accessibility and Economic Participation Frameworks: A second project objective is to support and empower member economies to consider integrating the models, methods, tools and best practices into their policy frameworks and advance accessibility initiatives in their own contexts. This objective of strengthening infrastructure includes the broader outcomes of reducing barriers to the economic participation of persons with disabilities, including barriers to employment, retention and advancement in the labour market, while supporting growth. The project will also highlight the role of employers and industry in implementing accessibility standards in workplaces and service delivery.

This project will focus on the initial outcome of participants considering, identifying and initiating, as applicable, actions toward integrating one or more models, methods, tools or best practices within their frameworks or initiatives. This may include initiating policy reviews, interested party consultations, pilot initiatives or revisions to standards or programs following the workshop:

- Sharing of information and learnings with relevant departments, agencies or interested parties within their economy;

- Planned or future research programs focused on accessibility or economic participation;

- Planned or future accessibility standards including those related to being signatories to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD);

- Planned or future legislation, regulation or other policy instruments;

- Planned or future economic participation strategies.

If this project objective is met, participants will leave the One Day In-person Workshop with concrete ideas of areas where their economy could consider changes, as well as collective recommendations for SCSC to consider.

3) Identification of Opportunities for Regional Collaboration or Harmonization: One of the project objectives is to explore opportunities for regional collaboration and harmonization. It relates to the objective of strengthening infrastructure to further integrate members into the regional economy and the region into the global economy. This objective supports SCSC by promoting the development and alignment of standards and conformance practices in an emerging area of regional and global priority.

Similar to the outcome above this project will focus on the initial outcome of participants considering one or more opportunities for regional collaboration or harmonization:

- Sharing of information and learnings on collaboration/harmonization opportunities with relevant departments, agencies or interested parties within their economy;

- Coordinating bilateral or multilateral participation in future international forums seeking to advance accessibility and economic participation;

- Conducting research in an area of shared interest regarding the identification, removal and prevention of accessibility barriers;

- Supporting bilateral or multilateral efforts for one or more member economies to consider using an accessibility standard already developed;

- Supporting existing multilateral and international efforts to develop accessibility standards; and

- Collaborating on the development of an accessibility standard (for example, within APEC member economies, ASC and the International Code Council are collaborating on the development of a joint standard on Acoustics in the Built Environment – CAN-ASC-2.5/ICC A118).

If this project objective is met, participants will leave the One Day In-person Workshop with concrete ideas of areas where their economy could consider opportunities for collaboration, as well as collective recommendations for SCSC to consider.

Beneficiaries

Target beneficiaries include officials from government and civil society representing three sectors. Participants should have familiarity with accessibility legislation or infrastructure. The three sectors include:

1. Economies’ Officials – Public officials responsible for accessibility or economic participation policy. When possible, participants should preferably have some knowledge and experience in accessibility research, accessibility standards, legislation or regulation, and/or other frameworks that support the economic participation of persons with disabilities.

2. Standards Development Organizations – Standards developers responsible for the development of accessibility standards or standards that incorporate accessibility in a ignificant and meaningful way. When possible, participants should have knowledge and expertise in the standards development process.

3. Disability Organizations – Members of disability advocacy groups responsible for programs and initiatives that support the economic participation of persons with disabilities including supported employment. When possible, participants should have knowledge and experience working in this sector. Representatives who also have knowledge or experience in accessibility research or standards would be an asset to discussions.

The level of participant knowledge or experience may vary. Workshop discussions would benefit from the engagement of different levels of experience. Participants will be invited to indicate interest in contributing to the agenda in the Pre-Workshop Survey. In these cases, participants should have significant knowledge or experience, in order to present with expertise on models, methods, tools or best practices.

Member economies should consider nominating participants at manager and director levels or working level with significant knowledge and expertise. The intent of the workshop is to generate a knowledge exchange and participants at this level would be positioned to share practical knowledge and expertise. Participants at this level would also be positioned to contribute to and use the project outputs and outcomes while recognizing that the workshop (and this project) will not set commitments.

Workshop discussions would also benefit from the engagement of intersecting lived experiences. The aim is to include at least:

- 3 developing economies in participants and speakers/experts; and

- 20% of participants and speakers/experts who identify as an individual with a disability.

Economies’ officials, standards organizations, and disability advocacy groups in APEC economies will benefit from increased knowledge and collaboration opportunities.

The public, and especially persons with disabilities, would benefit in the long-term to the extent that the outcomes impact future accessibility and economic participation frameworks in one or more member economies leading to reduced accessibility barriers and growth. One study cites evidence that suggests that economic participation increases in places where efforts are made to create an accessible working environment. The study notes that increasing the economic participation of persons with disabilities and ensuring equal pay could grow GDP by 7%. Currently, persons with disabilities are two to six times less likely to be employed, and experience labour force participation rates two to five times lower, compared to persons without disabilities. The World Health Organization estimates that the global disability rate is 15.3%. (See UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP): Building Disability-Inclusive Societies in Asia and the Pacific: Assessing Progress of the Incheon Strategy (2018).