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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

Government invites feedback on disability law online, but target group is locked out

From Kathmandu Post · (4m ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Nepali Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens invited feedback on a draft disability law, but the published documents are inaccessible to visually impaired individuals.
  • The files were uploaded in image-based and incompatible font formats, preventing screen reader software from interpreting them, effectively locking out the target group.
  • This incident highlights a broader issue of digital exclusion, where government websites and documents often prioritize aesthetics over accessibility, despite stated commitments to digital inclusion.

In a move that is both ironic and deeply frustrating, the Nepali government's attempt to solicit public feedback on a draft amendment to the Act Relating to Rights of Persons with Disabilities has inadvertently excluded the very people the law is intended to serve. The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens published a notice and the draft amendment on its website, ostensibly inviting input. However, the documents were uploaded in inaccessible formats—image-based files and the Preeti font—rendering them unreadable by screen reader software used by visually impaired individuals.

This failure to ensure basic accessibility is not merely an oversight; it is a stark illustration of the persistent digital divide faced by persons with disabilities in Nepal. As Saugat Wagle of Sarwodaya Abhiyan pointed out, the irony is palpable: a law meant for them is published in a manner they cannot access. This situation is compounded by the fact that even the government's integrated 'Nagarik App' has recently become inaccessible for visually impaired iPhone users. The reliance on incompatible formats and the lack of proper tagging for navigation make it nearly impossible for visually impaired citizens to engage with crucial government information and services.

It is ironic that a draft law meant for us is published in a way we cannot read.

— Saugat WagleCoordinator of Sarwodaya Abhiyan, highlighting the inaccessibility of the draft disability law.

While the current Rastriya Swatantra Party-led government has included making government websites disability-friendly in its 100-day agenda, and the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology aims to make over 250 government websites accessible, this incident underscores the deep-seated attitudinal and technical barriers. As Professor Kamal Lamichhane notes, the problem often lies in a mindset that prioritizes aesthetics over usability. True digital inclusion requires a fundamental shift towards designing systems with accessibility from the outset, rather than attempting costly retrofits later. Until this mindset changes, technological advancements will continue to benefit the few, rather than the many, particularly those with disabilities in Nepal.

Accessibility is not expensive if it is designed from the start. The real problem mindset. Retrofitting systems later is what drives up the cost.

— Prof Kamal LamichhaneSenior researcher at the University of Tokyo, explaining the root cause of accessibility issues.
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Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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