Participatory collection of disability data in cities to improve public service

Kota Kita, an NGO from Solo City, Indonesia, generates a disability-inclusive profile of cities by collecting differentiated data in real time using a geo-tagging app. By involving people with disabilities, the results provide a basis for cities to take action to make them more disability-friendly.

Kota Kita—an NGO from Solo City, Indonesia focused on participatory urban planning—conducted a data collection initiative in 2016, supported by UNESCO. Kota Kita documents persons with disabilities in two cities by collecting real-time, nuanced data using a geo-tagging app. This information allows city government officials and service providers to better understand the needs of the community. Between 2016 and 2021, 2,824 persons with disabilities in Surakarta and Banjarmasin are documented.

Problems Targeted

There is no universal dataset regarding persons with disabilities existing in Indonesia, making it a challenging task for the policymakers to improve physical access and mobility and other basic services.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

Kota Kita collects data about the disability-inclusive profile of a city using real-time, app-based technology with geo-tagging to understand how many residents with disabilities live in each city, where they live, and what needs they have. Once the data has been collected, Kota Kita gathers people with disabilities in the city to meet with city government officials, DPOs, civil society organizations, and academics in a forum to discuss how their city can be made more disability friendly. The initiative has been implemented in the cities of Surakarta and Banjarmasin. In Banjarmasin the process helped determine that there were close to 3,300 persons with disabilities who were eligible voters, as compared to previous official data showing only 991. The data has been used to improve mobility, safety, and aid delivery. For example, city officials and their partners developed accessible three-wheeled vehicles, as well as ensured safer school zones. The data also allowed officials to deliver assistance to persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as disaster relief after the flooding in January 2021.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

The initiative received $36,000 from UNESCO in 2017-2018 to conduct the participatory data collection in Solo and Banjarmasin. In 2019, the follow-up research on assistive technology was funded by the UK Government and the German Government. Moreover, the results of the initiative have fostered ties with universities in Solo and Banjarmasin about disability and inclusive planning throughout Indonesian cities.

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