The Infrastructure and Energy Sector (INE) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) organized the Second Regional Forum INFRALAC4ALL: Accessible Infrastructure for Inclusive Growth to bring forward the role of infrastructure in fostering inclusive growth for diverse populations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).
INFRALAC4ALL embodies the “Nothing About Us Without Us” principle by providing a platform for voices that have not been fully heard during the planning of infrastructure; Low-income populations, women, indigenous people, LGBTQ+ individuals, Afro-descendants, and persons with disabilities (PwDs).
The forum facilitated a meaningful dialogue and exchange of ideas, convening over 500 attendees, including high-level IDB administration, government representatives, community leaders, academia members, international organizations, and private sector stakeholders. Discussions revolved around redefining the social agenda in infrastructure development across key sectors such as energy, water and sanitation, and transportation.
Listening to the voices through INFRALAC4ALL: Understanding diverse population groups
In Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately 88 million individuals have disabilities, making up 15% of the region’s total population. Alarmingly, one in five households living in extreme poverty (defined by a daily income of US$3.20) includes a person with a disability. Furthermore, the region is home to over 650 indigenous groups, comprising around 58 million individuals, which represents 10% of the total population. Indigenous people face a disproportionately higher prevalence of disability, with 2.7 times higher likelihood of living in extreme poverty compared to non-indigenous populations, due to the compounding effects of this intersectionality.
Afro-descendants represent one of the largest, yet often overlooked population groups in the region, constituting between 20% and 30% of the total population and accounting for about half of the region’s poor. Similarly, the LGBTQ+ community continues to face systematic exclusion and discrimination.
How does accessible and sustainable transport unlock opportunities for all?
Infrastructure has the potential to break the cycle of poverty and inequality through investments and policies that better consider the needs of these groups. In the region, infrastructure investment is estimated to boost GDP by 1.5 dollars for every dollar invested over five years, significantly contributing to job creation and income distribution improvement.
For example, improved and expanded transportation systems have the potential to decrease travel times for low-income populations, enabling access to employment, education, healthcare, social, and cultural opportunities that were previously inaccessible due to long distances.
At the forum, the Metro of Quito project, which has been supported by the IDB for over a decade, was presented as an illustrative example by the Quito Metro Metropolitan Company of Ecuador (EPMMQ). From its design phase, the needs of diverse populations were incorporated, including features such as a differentiated transport fee, tactile paving at the metro stations, braille signs in elevators, and visual and audio guidance inside trains for PwDs. Since the project started, travel time from Quitumbe station in the South to Labrador station in the North has been significantly reduced by one-third. This reduction not only signifies improved service quality but also enhanced safety of women and vulnerable populations by decreasing the time they are exposed to violence or discrimination in public spaces. Additionally, the construction of the metro created over 5,000 job opportunities which are positively impacting the local economy.
In addition, the IDB’s Transport Division is actively advancing social inclusion through its operations. In Bolivia, efforts include travel time reductions for indigenous communities and improved accessibility for PwDs through Mi Teleférico project. In the Dominican Republic, the Division has promoted the development of inclusive transport services with more than 100 buses equipped with universal accessibility features. For the LGBTQ+ community, the Bogota Metro project in Colombia is developing surveys and a protocol for preventing and responding to harassment cases. Similarly, Panama’s Mi Bus project will implement campaigns to promote non-violence and non-discrimination among users, with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ individuals.
Universal design, diverse perspectives
During INFRALAC4ALL, a fireside chat was led by an Urban Planner & Deaf Space Engagement and Design Consultant, who was invited to share insights from the deaf community and discuss universal design for more inclusive infrastructure. The conversation elaborated on how universal design stems from recognizing that everyone experiences the world differently and, hence, Deaf Space is the result of reflecting architectural designs tailored to the spatial needs of deaf individuals.
Metro de Quito (EPMMQ), the National Electrical Administration of Paraguay (ANDE), a representative of the Wayuu people, and WaterAid in Colombia presented strategic approaches and contributions of infrastructure projects to inclusive growth. EPMMQ emphasized their metro project’s enhancement of citizens’ lives through accessible designs, prioritizing safety for women during travel.
The event went beyond presentations, featuring an interactive Deaf Culture workshop by Gallaudet University, and followed by an immersive VR experience aimed at better comprehending their mobility barriers.
Transforming lives and fostering prosperous, equitable, and diverse societies
It is essential to address the needs of PwDs, indigenous communities, Afro-descendants, LGBTQ+, and other diverse groups, while removing physical, communication, and social barriers to create inclusive environments. The necessity for infrastructure development needs to extend beyond mere functionality, advocating for designs that are inclusive and adaptable to accommodate diverse abilities and attributes of individuals. The IDB Group Institutional Strategy: Transforming for Scale and Impact (IDBStrategy+) clearly sets “reducing poverty and inequality” as one of its three core objectives, prioritizing its investments towards inclusion of diverse populations across sectors and countries in the region.
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