© 2025 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings,interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views ofThe World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the dataincluded in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, ordiscrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use theinformation, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. The boundaries, colors,denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply anyjudgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or theendorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be construed or considered to be a limitation upon orwaiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specificallyreserved. Rights and Permissions. The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The WorldBank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole orin part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to WorldBank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA;fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Acknowledgements This publication was led by Swati Sachdeva and Yuko Arai. The main content was preparedby a team from Arup, includingAustin James, Daragh Anderson, ElisabettaCarattin, HayleyGryc, Mei-Yee Man Oram, Rhys Worrall, Sara Candiracci, Tejal Patel, Tom House and ZachRose.Other contributors included Narae Choi, Jonathan Todo Hasoloan, Andrew MartinTarter, Dani Harake and Victoria Stanley. The team wishes to thank peer reviewers CharlotteVuyiswa McClain-Nhlapo, Keiko Sakoda, and Fatima ArroyoArroyofor their technicalcontributions, and Ming Zhang and Angelica Nunez for their guidance. Funding for this publication was provided by the Government of Japan through the QualityInfrastructure Investment Partnership. Table of contents Foreword3 3. UA Client Engagement Toolkit34 Executive summary4 3.1 UA Client Engagement Guide36 3.1.1 Stakeholder identification3.1.2 Stakeholder analysis3.1.3 Engagement plan383941 Glossary of terms7 Acronyms8 3.2 UA Client Engagement CaseStudies73 References9 4. UA Design & Engineering Toolkit94 1. Toolbox Overview12 4.1 UA Design Guide96 1.1 Who it is for1.2 Structure of the Toolbox1.3 UA entry points1.4 Key infrastructure sectors14151619 4..1.1 UA implementation guide4.1.2 UA sector-specific guidance4.1.3 UA adaptations by spatialtypology4.2 UA Project Checklist4.3 UAToRGuide98117162172176 2. Introduction to UA24 2.1 UA commitments2.2 UA principles2.3 Key challenges to UA273032 5. UA Operations & Maintenance Toolkit181 5.1 UA Operations & Maintenance Guide183 5.1.1 Roles and responsibilities5.1.2 Asset mapping5.1.3 Operations and maintenanceplan5.2 UA Operations & MaintenanceCase Studies5.3 UA Case Study Template185186188194211 Foreword Cities are where opportunity and inequality converge. As urban areas expand and evolve, theyhold the potential to drive job creation and lift millions out of poverty, but only if they aredesigned and governed to include everyone. Ending extreme poverty and promoting sharedprosperity on a livable planet requires ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all people,regardless of gender, age, disability, income, or status. Today, more than half of humanity lives in cities. Among them are the 1.3 billion people withdisabilities, 1 billion elderly individuals, and millions of forcibly displaced persons, informalworkers, and others who too often face physical, social, and economic barriers to fullparticipation. These barriers are not inevitable. They are the product of design choices-choiceswe now have the knowledge, tools, and responsibility to change. Universal accessibility (UA) is central to this transformation. By ensuring that public spaces,buildings, transport, and services are accessible to all, cities can become engines of inclusion, jobcreation, and resilience. Investing in accessibility from the outset is not only the right thing to do, itis also the smart thing to do. Evidence shows that inclusive design adds less than one percent toinitial project costs but yields far-reaching economic and social benefits. In contrast,inaccessibility and exclusion can cost nations up to seven percent of GDP through lostproductivity, lower employment, and social exclusion. The World Bank and its partners are committed to advancing universal accessibility as