DCAD proposes the following revisions to the WSIS+20 outcome document, Rev-1. These changes are proposed with an aim of ensuring the rights, leadership, and lived experience of persons with disabilities are embedded across implementation, measurement, and governance. The proposed changes include:

1. Original paragraph (para 22):

"We call for concerted action by all stakeholders to promote accessibility
and equal access to the Internet and digital resources as a priority,
including through the availability of accessible and assistive
technologies."

Proposed revision:

"We call for concerted action by all stakeholders to promote accessibility
and equal access to the Internet and digital resources as a priority,
including through the adoption and enforcement of international
accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG 2.2) or any such recognized international standards, and the
mandatory procurement and integration of assistive technologies across all
public digital platforms and ICT initiatives."

2. Original paragraph (para 114):

"We are committed to the further development and strengthening of
internationally agreed targets, indicators and metrics for universal
meaningful and affordable connectivity and digital development."

Proposed revision (new clause added at the end):

"We are committed to the further development and strengthening of
internationally agreed targets, indicators and metrics for universal
meaningful and affordable connectivity and digital development, including
the systematic collection and reporting of disability-disaggregated data on
digital access, usage, accessibility, and affordability, in line with CRPD
obligations."

3. Original paragraph (para 88):

"Measures are needed to ensure more effective participation by stakeholders
from developing countries and underrepresented groups..."

Proposed revision:

"Measures are needed to ensure more effective participation by stakeholders
from developing countries and underrepresented groups, including persons
with disabilities, particularly those with lived experience, not only as
beneficiaries but as equal contributors and leaders in Internet governance
and standard-setting bodies."

4. Original paragraph (para 39):

“We recognise that ICTs have helped governments and other stakeholders to
address risks associated with natural disasters and facilitated humanitarian
assistance at times of crisis through more consistent and remote monitoring
of environmental and other hazards, enhancing and developing early warning
systems and improving preparedness, response, recovery, rehabilitation and
reconstruction.”

Proposed revision:

“We recognise that ICTs have helped governments and other stakeholders to
address risks associated with natural disasters and facilitated humanitarian
assistance at times of crisis through more consistent and remote monitoring
of environmental and other hazards, enhancing and developing early‑warning
systems and improving preparedness, response, recovery, rehabilitation and
reconstruction. We further commit to ensuring that such systems and
interventions are also accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of
persons with disabilities; and that early warning communications, evacuation
processes, recovery tools and digital information channels adhere to
accessibility standards and assistive technology compatibility.”

5. Original paragraph (para 27):

“We reiterate the need for the development of local content and services in
a variety of languages and formats that are accessible to all people…”

Proposed revision:

“We reiterate the need for the development of local content and services in
a variety of languages and formats that are accessible to all people, and
ensure that these are delivered in formats compatible with accessible
technologies (e.g., screen readers, captions, sign language, simplified
language) to also meet the needs of persons with disabilities.”

Some specific Additions:
6. Add to paragraph 12 (vulnerable groups):
"...persons with disabilities, with attention to the leadership of people
with lived experience..."

7. Add to paragraph 17 (digital public infrastructure):
"...inclusive and interoperable digital public infrastructure that adheres
to international accessibility standards by default..."

8. Add to paragraph 57 (capacity building):
"...to build expertise in technical aspects of digitalisation, with special
programs co-designed with organizations of persons with disabilities
(OPDs)..."

9. Addition of New Sentence at End of Paragraph 88 (Internet Governance
Section):
Particular attention should also be given to ensuring the participation and
leadership of persons with disabilities, including through appointment to
decision-making roles within Internet governance structures at global,
regional, and national levels.

10. Addition of New Sentence in Paragraph 58 (Digital Skills & Learning)
Suggested Insert (after 1st sentence):
Special efforts should be made to co-design and deliver digital capacity
building and leadership development programs for persons with disabilities,
ensuring that their lived experience informs policymaking, especially in
emerging areas like AI, cybersecurity, and data governance.

11. Addition of New Sentence at End of Paragraph 84 (AI Capacity
Building):
This should include the participation of persons with disabilities, both as
beneficiaries and contributors, and establish leadership pathways for
experts with lived experience of disability to shape inclusive and ethical
AI governance frameworks.

Judith

Sent from my iPad

judith@jhellerstein.com

Mobile: +1202333517

On Nov 14, 2025, at 2:45 PM, Mona Gaballa via wsis20 <wsis20@icann.org> wrote:

Hi everyone,

Please find the Internet Society's intervention during the WSIS+20 Virtual Stakeholder Consultation on Rev1 earlier today.

On behalf of the Internet Society, I would like to begin by thanking you, DESA and the co-facilitators, for keeping the WSIS process as open and transparent as possible, and for welcoming stakeholders views on t views on the first revision of the zero draft.

The Internet Society is committed to bridging the digital divide by supporting connectivity and sustainable infrastructure, and to ensuring the Internet remains an open, secure and trusted global resource for everyone.

On this occasion, noting time is running short, we would like to offer some general remarks and recommendations to keep the text crisp, concise and action focused.

The Internet is empowering more people, more services, and more development opportunities than ever. Which is precisely why the WSIS+20 review outcome document should reinforce what keeps it open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy.

Firstly, we would like to note that the section entitled “Enabling environment for digital development”, should explicitly include elements that help achieve an enabling environment.

Paragraph 48 should include measures such as “proportionate taxation and licensing fees, access to finance, facilitation of public-private partnerships, multistakeholder cooperation, national and regional broadband strategies, efficient allocation of radio frequency spectrum, infrastructure sharing models, community-based approaches, and public access facilities.”

Secondly, in paragraph 53, we note the reference to “critical Internet infrastructure”, which has no agreed definition, and would like to call for it’s deletion, as the paragraph already importantly recognizes the efforts to protect infrastructure.

Additionally, we welcome the substantive changes introduced to the “Internet Governance” section.

Including the permanent mandate of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the recognition of the NETmundial+10 guidelines for multistakeholder collaboration and consensus building.

As well as paragraph 120 which provides recommendations on how to strengthen coherence between the WSIS vision and GDC commitments.

However, paragraph 101, which invites the Secretary-General to make proposals concerning future funding of the IGF , needs to be done in consultation with existing IGF funders and stakeholders to ensure stable, predictable, and sustainable financial support of the Forum.

Regarding paragraph 119, we recommend retaining the call for multistakeholder advice to UNGIS to ensure more effective collaboration, information exchange, and to avoid duplication.

As we noted in the previous consultation, the Internet Society will keep working with our global community of chapters, individual and organization members to translate these priorities into additional concrete recommendations as the process reaches its final stages.

Our aim is the same as yours: a WSIS+20 outcome that people can rally around, that strengthens multistakeholder collaboration, and that keeps the Internet open, globally connected, secure and trustworthy for everyone.

Warm regards,

Mona Gaballa, Senior Advisor, Institutional Relations

gaballa@isoc.org | +19082799933

internetsociety.org | @internetsociety

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