UNESCO global geoparks: towards the inclusion of people with disabilities

Abstract

According to UNESCO, more than one billion people around the world live with some form of disability, of whom nearly 93 million are children. These people experience inequalities in their daily lives, and have fewer opportunities to access a quality education. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) challenge all countries to implement effective strategies and actions until 2030, covering the three environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainable development. The importance of quality education is one of the SDG that should be addressed by all UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGG).This work attempts to bring the attention of geoparks towards the need to implement inclusive educational strategies in their territories. These strategies should include not only educational resources addressed to visitors with disabilities, but also to guarantee accessibility conditions, at least to some of their geosites. The use of resources, either indoor or outdoor, based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) adapted to people with disabilities can be a way to develop innovative solutions in partnership with geoparks, universities and ICT companies. Some examples of the current existence of inclusive programmes in UGG are: (1) the Molina & Alto Tajo UGG (Spain), with sites accessible to people in wheelchairs, and with interpretive panels in Braille; (2) the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UGG (Ireland), which created a programme to test the accessibility of 7 sites in order to allow visits of adults with intellectual and physical disabilities; (3) the Cabo de Gata-Níjar UGG (Spain), with tactile models, and lava tunnels accessible in wheelchair; (4) the Naturtejo UGG (Portugal), with educational books for children written in Braille; and (5) the Araripe UGG (Brazil), which promoted outdoor educational activities specific for blind students. The social responsibility of UGG, founded on the principles of geoethics and of the UN 2030 Agenda, may well be an opportunity to reinforce the work near and for the communities, creating a multidisciplinary network of partnerships.