Disability Data Essential for Inclusive Urban Planning, Expert Says

Jerusalem, 20 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Baku (AZERTAC) – Disability-disaggregated data is a key tool for inclusive urban planning and ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities. Proper planning is impossible without reliable information about the real needs of persons with disabilities and the barriers they face in cities.

AZERTAC reports that this was stated by Aydin Khalilov, Chairman of the “Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities” Public Union, at a roundtable on the rights of persons with disabilities held within the framework of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

Khalilov said that one of the main problems in implementing the commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 11) and the New Urban Agenda is the insufficient collection of data on disability. It is not enough to simply record the number of ramps, but it is also necessary to assess whether this infrastructure is suitable for practical use. He stressed that planners must take into account accessible public transport, education, health and other services for people with disabilities.

It was stated that persons with disabilities should not only be the object of data collection, but also participants in the decision-making process.

Organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the forum serves as a vital platform for discussing issues of global significance, including urban planning, sustainable development, and inclusive living environments.