A/HRC/25/29 36. Measures to eradicate physical and communication barriers have generally focused on the modification of infrastructure, the provision of accessible transportation and communication tools, as well as the promotion of universal design. 37. To respond to socioeconomic barriers, States may provide financial assistance or incentives for students with disabilities. It is important to note that free primary education for all implies that accessibility measures should also be free of charge. The Finnish Basic Education Act provides a good example of this, stating that a pupil with disability has, additionally, the right to free interpretation and assistance services in order to participate in education. 38. Barriers arising from the attitudes of teachers, fellow students and families can be considerable and are often difficult to surmount. It is important to note that, in Norway, for example, the Education Act recognizes that accessibility efforts shall apply to both the physical and the psychosocial environment. Measures to raise public awareness under article 8 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can help overcome barriers of this nature. 39. The requirement to guarantee accessibility should be established by legislation and supported with adequate funding. In addition, schools may receive higher budget allocations per student for pupils with disabilities (e.g. in Mongolia it is three times higher) to cover expenses related to accessibility. There are good examples of interventions of different scales, from larger projects (the National “700 Schools” Programme in Argentina) to pilot projects, as in Georgia.33 While the implementation of accessibility measures is often assigned to local administrations, standards need to be developed at the national level.34 40. Accessibility means that adequate measures are taken so that all students can participate meaningfully. Accessibility should also inform the design of education policies. If respected, accessibility will progressively lead to more inclusive schools. Some school systems establish indicators to measure progress on the implementation of accessibility measures. These indicators should also cover challenges related to access to communication. D. Reasonable accommodation in education 41. Reasonable accommodation as defined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an anti-discrimination measure to be realized with immediate effect.35 The purpose of this measure is to ensure that a person with disability has access to education in the existing system on an equal basis with others. Denial of reasonable accommodation constitutes a violation of the Convention. 42. Inclusive education systems are designed to provide for a diverse constituency of students. However, even the most advanced inclusive education system may have gaps in its design because of the specific individual needs of students. In such an instance, an inclusive system would respond by reviewing its practice to determine whether the gaps 33 34 35 Under a project to introduce inclusive education in 10 public schools in Tbilisi, 10 schools were made accessible between 2006 and 2008 in accordance with article 9 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. See also article 9, paragraph 2 (a), of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on minimum standards and guidelines for accessibility. See, for example, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, concluding observations on the initial report of Spain, CRPD/C/ESP/CO/1, para. 44. 11