If you are interested in partnering with us, please get in touch. Using P4I's flexible, innovative tools and diverse global expertise, we are confident we can design a response that is tailored to your needs.

Globally, 80% of people with disabilities who are willing to work remain unemployed, often due to barriers like inaccessible transport systems. These same barriers affect access to health care, education and even staying in touch with family and friends. This can perpetuate social exclusion and poverty.
Transport infrastructure must be designed to serve users of all abilities. Accessibility and inclusivity are not optional add-ons; they are essential components of sustainable development. A lack of accessible transport denies people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, their fundamental rights and opportunities, leading to lost economic productivity and social inequity.
As countries embark on ambitious infrastructure agendas, there is an opportunity to build in inclusion and accessibility to ensure no one is left behind. This principle is at the heart of the Philippines Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) collaboration with Australia, through P4I and Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR). Together, we are developing a Co-Design Framework to improve transport accessibility in the Philippines. This partnership demonstrates the value of peer-to-peer collaboration in tackling complex, systemic challenges.
What is Co-Design? Co-design is an approach that actively involves people with disabilities and other stakeholders throughout the transport infrastructure design process. Co-design ensures that the unique needs of all users are addressed, from the planning stage to implementation. By embedding inclusivity from the outset, we can avoid costly retrofitting and create systems that work for everyone. |
The Co-Design Framework aims to involve individuals with diverse mobility needs in decision making, such as persons with disabilities and older adults. By drawing on their lived experiences, transport systems can be designed to meet real-world accessibility requirements. For example, accessible public transport not only enhances mobility but also opens doors to education and employment, improving the quality of life and economic opportunities for marginalised communities.
Australia’s experience in promoting inclusive transport has been instrumental in shaping this initiative. By leveraging Australian expertise, the partnership is adapting proven strategies to the Philippine context. Disability inclusion is a cross-cutting priority for Australia's international engagement in development, humanitarian action and human rights. The International Development Policy commits Australia to advancing the rights of people with disability and prioritising disability equity as a core issue for action in the international development program.
Having worked together to draft Co-design framework, which outlines the principles and approach for conducting co-design processes for Philippine transport projects, the framework went under the spotlight this week in a Manila. In a dedicated workshops P4I and DOTr invited civil society organisations and other key stakeholders to scrutinise the Framework to ensure meets the needs of end users.
Feedback from the workshop will be integrated and the final Framework will be delivered and mainstreamed through DOTr policy and planning. By considering intersecting needs, the framework takes an inclusive approach that benefits society.
If you are interested in partnering with us, please get in touch. Using P4I's flexible, innovative tools and diverse global expertise, we are confident we can design a response that is tailored to your needs.