RI Regions
Asia & Pacific

Joseph Kwan is an Architect and Consultant in Universal Accessibility who received his architectural training in Australia, and later in Environmental Psychology from the United Kingdom. He is awarded the degree of Doctor of the University by the Queensland University of Technology Council in 2020. He has more than 40 years of experience in international architectural practice having worked in Australia, United Kingdom, France and now over 30 years in Hong Kong. Joseph has been the Director of a Hong Kong NGO for 18 years that focused on making Hong Kong more accessible for the elderly and people with disabilities, to the built environment and public transportation. He is the Founding Director of UDA Consultants Ltd. (Universal Design and Accessibility Consultants) in Hong Kong since 2005. Joseph was a Consultant to the UN-ESCAP, on the preparation of a Technical Guideline on the “Promotion of Non-Handicapping Environments for Disabled and Elderly Persons in the Asia – Pacific Region”, and also a Resource Person for the UN-ESCAP on “The Regional Training of Trainers Course on the Promotion of Non-Handicapping Environments for People with Disabilities”. He is their current Expert/Consultant on the promotion of Barrier-Free Tourism in Asia and the Pacific. He was a Consultant to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the preparation of a Technical Guideline on “Universal Access to ADB Transport Projects”, in addition to advising on accessibility to the proposed MRT Systems in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Joseph was a Member of the ISO (International Standards Organization) Working Group on the drafting of the Standard entitled: “Accessibility and Usability of the Built Environment” 2011, and is currently serving in the Working Group on the Review of this Standard. He is a Member of the Hong Kong Government Rehabilitation Advisory Committee (RAC), a Member of the Working Group on Hong Kong Rehabilitation Programme Plan (RPP) 2020-30 Review, a Convenor of the RPP Task Force on Accessibility and the Chairman of RAC Sub-committee on Access. Since 1987, Joseph Kwan has prepared over 300 Personal Injury legal reports, for people who sustained personal injuries, for the Legal Aid Department, private Solicitors and Lawyers in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Canada. He has extensive lecture experiences in the field of access and universal design at the local, regional and international level having lectured in 33 countries.
News & Events
Global IT Challenge
https://youtu.be/Mdb3xaUpfyM Press Release - Organizing Committee The Global IT Challenge for youth with disabilities (GITC), which seeks to strengthen the IT capabilities of youth with disabilities and bridge the digital divide, is recruiting countries to participate...
ECOWAS calls for stronger support for people with disabilities
A working group of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional political and economic union of 15 countries located in West Africa, urges stronger support for people with disabilities in a communique recently released during a regional...

Universal Design in Kindergarten and School, Guidelines and Universal Tools
The project Universal Design in Kindergarten and School, Guidelines and Universal Tools, is a project in cooperation between Rehabilitation International (RI) Norway and the Education Commission in RI International. The project is funded by grants from Global...
People with disabilities more likely to delay care during pandemic: study
According to a study published in a recent issue of Health Affairs, people with disabilities were more likely to delay medical care because of COVID-19. The study pulled from data from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey, an annual study conducted by the Centers...
Call for Applications – RI Centennial Award of Outstanding Contributions
On the occasion of RI's centennial anniversary, we are pleased to announce the RI Centennial Award of Outstanding Contributions that will be presented in conjunction with our Centennial Anniversary Celebrations, to commend individuals or organizations that have made...
More training needed for physicians to improve care for people with disabilities
According to a recent study of American physicians funded by the National Institutes of Health of the US Department of Health and Human Service, some physicians are refusing to provide care services for patients with disabilities because they lack the knowledge...
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