A/HRC/43/41/Add.1 these issues, additional wide-scale awareness-raising programmes aimed at portraying a positive image of these groups of persons with disabilities are urgently needed. 26. The Special Rapporteur noted stark disparities and discrimination regarding the enjoyment of the rights of persons with disabilities between Kuwaiti nationals and nonKuwaitis. For instance, Law No. 8/2010 does not apply to non-Kuwaiti citizens unless their mother is Kuwaiti, or at the discretion of the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs, despite the fact that that group represents 70 per cent of the population. 27. While the State indicated that it provides and remains open to providing services to anyone who requests them, including non-Kuwaitis with disabilities, the Special Rapporteur received numerous reports of discrimination against stateless Bidoon with disabilities, who are among the poorest groups living in Kuwait. Many of them reported being unable to register and obtain civil documentation issued by the Central Agency for Remedying Illegal Residents’ Status, which is a prerequisite to accessing any services, unless they sign proclamations renouncing any claim to Kuwaiti nationality. Moreover, she received reports of reprisals against Bidoon families, including the withdrawal of civil documentation, after some of their members publicly complained about the lack of access to services for Bidoon with disabilities. Non-Kuwaitis and stateless Bidoon with disabilities should be provided with access to services on an equal basis with others, and assurances that they will not be subject to any kind of reprisals. C. 1. Accessibility Accessibility to the physical environment 28. The State’s policy on accessibility and universal design is governed by articles 1 (6), 20 and 21 of Law No. 8/2010 and is reflected in the Kuwaiti National Development Plan. In October 2017, Kuwait adopted its first Code on Universal Design, which specifies design and construction requirements for making new buildings accessible to persons with disabilities and other beneficiaries of the universal design concept. The Government has committed to gradually making all public buildings and infrastructure accessible and has designated reserved parking lots for persons with disabilities in the car parks of government buildings, malls and commercial centres. 29. While welcoming these positive developments, the Special Rapporteur observed that much public and private infrastructure that is open to the public and the public transport system in Kuwait remain not fully accessible to the diversity of persons with disabilities. She noted that most efforts are directed towards ensuring accessibility for persons with physical disabilities, while almost no efforts are made for persons who are blind or deaf or persons with intellectual disabilities to navigate the built environment. She encouraged the Government to continue its accessibility work, including with regard to public transport, and to establish time-bound benchmarks to achieve full accessibility of the built environment, including in the poorest neighbourhoods where non-Kuwaitis live. 2. Access to information and communication 30. The Special Rapporteur was pleased to learn about efforts made by the Ministry of Information to publish materials for persons with intellectual disabilities, introduce the use of audio description in the main television series on national television and provide sign language interpretation during the 9 p.m. news bulletin, official events, conferences and in times of emergency, as required by Law No. 8/2010. In fact, article 23 of the Law requires the Ministry of Information to take measures to ensure that sign language interpretation is provided when broadcasting the news, the sessions of the National Assembly and conferences, within two years from the application of the Law. The Special Rapporteur was also informed that there are 95 trained sign language interpreters in the country. 31. Despite these provisions, the Special Rapporteur noted with concern that Kuwaiti Sign Language – which has existed since the 1960s – is not officially recognized as an official language, and that Arabic sign language is used instead, following a decision of the Ministry of Education to use a unified Arabic sign language as the official sign language of the country. Many deaf persons whose mother tongue is Kuwaiti Sign Language expressed serious concern about this situation, as the two languages differ considerably and Arabic sign language is much poorer in terms of signage. The Government must abide by its 7