CDB launches Disability Inclusion in Infrastructure Checklist and Tool

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB / the Bank) said it has officially launched a ‘Disability Inclusion in Infrastructure Checklist and User Assessment Tool’, a groundbreaking web-based application designed to ensure that infrastructure projects across the region are inclusive, accessible and align with international best practices.

The Checklist and Assessment Tool were developed with support from the Government of the United Kingdom and respond to a recognised need for practical guidance to help CDB Borrowing Member Countries integrate universal design principles, address barriers, and strengthen compliance with accessibility standards. It serves as both a technical and user-centred tool, highlighting opportunities to enhance safety, access, and comfort for persons with disabilities in diverse project types, from roads and ports to water systems and public facilities, CDB stated in a release.

The launch of the Checklist and Tool is the culmination of a two-year development process that included feedback and testing with members of the disability community and CDB technical staff.

Vice-President (Operations) at CDB, Dr. Isaac Solomon, highlighted the Checklist and Tool as transformational for the region, saying, “Embedding disability inclusion into the infrastructure we build is not optional, it is a human right and a development imperative”.

“This Checklist and Tool strengthen our commitment to ensuring that the Caribbean’s growth is inclusive, equitable, and grounded in the real needs of persons with disabilities. When we design for everyone, we strengthen communities, expand opportunity, and invest in a more resilient future,” Dr. Solomon added.

Users of the web-based Tool can utilise two review processes: a technical self- assessment, and a user assessment involving persons with disabilities. The Bank explained that both processes are designed to ensure that expert guidance and lived experience jointly shape project outcomes. This dual-review approach enhances transparency, accountability, and the overall accessibility performance of infrastructure projects across the region.

Disability Inclusion Consultant at Erin Brown Connects, Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Management, Erin Brown, emphasised the significance of achievement, saying: “The Disability Inclusion Checklist and User Assessment Tool mark a turning point for the Caribbean, moving us from good intentions to bold, measurable action that ensures no one is left behind in our inclusive development journey. They empower governments, engineers, investors and organisations to design infrastructure that reflects the full diversity, dignity, and potential of all diverse communities”.

The Checklist and Tool were developed with direct support and funding from the Government of the United Kingdom under the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF)—a £350 million grant-funded programme that supports climate-resilient, socially inclusive infrastructure in eligible Caribbean countries, and includes a clear objective on supporting disability inclusion.

UK Development Director to the Caribbean and CDB Director for the United Kingdom, Tom Coward, underscored that the web-based application tool demonstrates the UK’s commitment to socially inclusive development, saying, “Through UKCIF, the United Kingdom has invested to improve disability inclusion, delivering on  our commitment to building infrastructure that is safe, accessible, and inclusive” “This online disability inclusion checklist enables technical teams—and, crucially, persons with disabilities themselves—to easily contribute to achieving this goal across the region and to helping make disability access rights a lived reality,” he added.

The web-based application and accompanying User Guide are now available for use by government agencies, design and supervision consultants, project management units, and community stakeholders. The Bank also pointed out that adopting the Checklist and User Assessment Tool, countries can advance infrastructure solutions that help meet global commitments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“This Checklist and Tool reflect CDB’s and the UK’s longstanding commitment to inclusive, rights-based development.

“By equipping project teams to identify barriers, consult persons with disabilities and apply accessibility standards, we are advancing the mission to ensure infrastructure across the Caribbean supports equitable participation and leaves no one behind,” the CDB stated