ICTs to Support Persons with Disabilities in Global Policy Development

This study explores the development of the Disability Inclusive Development (DID) Policy Collaboratory. The DID Collaboratory is an accessible virtual organizational environment created in 2016 to support the effective participation of the global disability community in the UN Habitat III conference and the subsequent implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA). Using simultaneous mixed-methods (i.e. surveys, interviews, participant observation), this paper assesses the socio-technical factors influencing engagement with the Collaboratory and its effectiveness in supporting the participation of persons with disabilities in Habitat III. It is clear from this research that the global network of disability advocates participating in the Collaboratory benefited from its cyberinfrastructure, which in turn enhanced their effectiveness in Habitat III. This suggests that the prototype created for this project could serve as a model for promoting the participation of persons with disabilities in future global governance processes.