“The cities of the future need to work for everybody, including those with disabilities. Across the world, massive efforts are being made to crisis-proof cities, preparing them for heatwaves, droughts and floods. But all too often, those efforts ignore the needs of people with disabilities. When crises hit, people with disabilities are twice as likely to die, either because they cannot get themselves to safety quickly enough or don’t receive the right support”
Svenja Schulze, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
“The launch of this initiative comes at a critical time when global and national collaboration is urgently needed to position disability as a key focus in urban development. By promoting inclusive systems, we can empower people with disabilities, fostering greater independence and expanding opportunities for their full participation in society”
Dr. Ola Abualghaib, Director of the Global Disability Fund Secretariat
The Resilient and Inclusive Cities Hub is committed to ensuring that the world’s growing cities and their inhabitants are better prepared for crises and disasters in the future. This means designing buildings, roads, transportation systems, warning mechanisms, and essential services to be accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities.
The Hub will be an innovative and catalytic mechanism for multistakeholder engagement, learning, and delivery for resilient and inclusive cities.
On December 5th, Ola Abualghaib, Director of the Global Disability Fund Secretariat, held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at BMZ, where they had the opportunity to discuss the implementation of this ambitious multi-year initiative. Their discussion highlighted RICH’s pivotal role in the lead-up to the Global Disability Summit in Berlin, scheduled for April 2025 and co-hosted by the German government, the Kingdom of Jordan, and the International Disability Alliance.
