Currently, around 15% of the global population, an estimated 1 billion people, live with some forms of disabilities. Given the growing life expectancies, medical advances and population growth, this number is increasing, making persons with disabilities (PwDs) the world’s largest minority and most disadvantaged group, who tends to experience discrimination and various barriers to inclusion.

Universal access to information is an internationally recognised human rights for all, including for persons with disabilities, as highlighted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Without accessible information and communications, a range of persons with different disabilities cannot effectively participate in, and benefit from public policies and programmes. This requires a dual collaborative approach where information seekers (demand side) to be equipped with evaluate the sources, methods and motives of information received, and to distinguish between facts and opinions, between truth and falsehood; and information providers (supple side) to take appropriate measures to remove barriers that hinder persons with disabilities’ access to information, on an equal basis.

UNESCO is committed to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities through a multifaceted approach across its fields of competence in education, the sciences, culture, and communication. Within its areas of mandate, UNESCO contributes to the implementation of the CRPD, particularly in relation to Article 9 on Accessibility; Article 21 Freedom of Expression and Access to Information; Article on 24 Education; Article 30 on Participation in Cultural Life, Recreation, Leisure and Sport; and Article 31 on International Cooperation.

As a Member State that ratified the CRPD, Cambodia is committed to help promote the right to access information for persons with disabilities. To support its efforts, UNESCO, along with UNDP and OHCHR, has been implementing an UN Joint Project “Accelerating Disability Rights in Cambodia” funded by the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD).

As part of this Project, UNESCO, in collaboration with the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI), produced a report, Information Needs Assessment for Persons with Disabilities in Cambodia. It is a comprehensive and first of its kind assessment to analyse the current state of information accessibility among persons with different types and severity of disabilities in Cambodia. It captured different angles of the issues from the status of the legal framework to the progress of its implementation as well as the current accessible information, hindering factors that persons with disabilities faced, and other types of information that they needed.

Based on the findings, despite having legal documents and strategies related to persons with disabilities in Cambodia, there remained little content related to or dedicated to access to information for persons with disabilities. This mirrors the trend highlighted in UNESCO’s global report in 2022, where only 37 out of the 132 countries with Access to Information laws examined, explicitly refer to persons with disabilities and their rights to varying degrees. Effective accessibility criteria are missing from many existing legislative frameworks, or that implementation is hindered by factors such as inadequate awareness and training around the rights of persons with disabilities and insufficient funding.

The study identified four major modes of communication that persons with disabilities used to access different types of information in their daily lives: agents, mass media (hardware and digital platforms), events, and Information Education Communication (IEC) materials. There was not much difference in the mode of access to information between persons with disabilities and information providers.

Media coverage has a huge impact on public perceptions, attitudes and behaviour of all citizens, including persons with disabilities. It is to some extent rare for the media to include disability issues in their overall coverage and to provide content and access to their platforms in full compliance with information and web accessibility standards. When they do, the focus is on specific disability-related events, initiatives or programmes. In these cases, accessible media features are provided on an exceptional rather than standard basis. Persons with disabilities are still seen as "news figures" describing their situation, rather than as "information sources" who can provide timely information or expertise, contribute to the production of news stories and work in media institutions.

In Cambodia, the study found that, despite public appeals at the highest level to all public and private TV, radio stations and press agencies to continue making media services accessible to support the welfare of people with disabilities, especially by providing sign language translation and interpretation on TV channels, its effectiveness remain limited due to the lack of enforcement and resource constraints.

The study further recommended the media sector to use plain language and keep the content short and clear, focusing on conveying information efficiently. If possible, direct Khmer translations and explanations for any technical terms used should be provided. For all audio and video content, transcripts should be provided; while sign language interpreters and captions for videos and live broadcasts should be integrated.

UNESCO will continue to work closely with all media stakeholders and persons with disabilities to promote fair and unbiased coverage of disability and accessibility of media content and services, to promote freedom of expression, media development, and access to information for the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in public debate.