Eduardo Alvarez do Alvarez was a promoter of the creation of ISO/TC59/SC16 in order to generate an international technical standard on accessibility. Consequently, I was appointed Chairman of ISO/TC59/SC16 since its creation, being in office of that Presidency from 2001 until 2012, a period in which we achieved the approval of the iso 21542/2011 technical standard, whose revision was already completed in 2021.
Eduardo has unparalleled experience in the development of standards and codes for access to the built environment and this on International Standards bears his understanding to the need and context.. He also has territorial and teaching experience, covering among other aspects the dictation of courses on Accessibility of the Royal Board on Disability in 40 cities in 20 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and also of Spain.
The time is ripe to enhance the participation of developing countries in the process of (permanent) revision of technical standards with a deep social and cultural content, such as accessibility.
Although the economic, social, geographical, ethnic, physical, etc. realities are very broad, as well as the diversity of disability situations of people throughout their lives, this does not prevent a necessary management of consensus in the definition of criteria and parameters.