The OGP Local Circle on Inclusion is a community of practice that brings together local and national governments, civil society, and other organizations working to share experiences, generate learning, and inspire others on how open government can promote inclusion and equality.
Local governments face intersecting challenges from aging populations to disability and gender gaps, yet intersectional approaches remain under-implemented. These sessions highlight local initiatives using open government principles to address care, inclusion, and rights through participatory and data-driven public management, aiming to create more equitable, people-centered, and responsive local policies.
SESSIONS
Inclusive Participation for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Inclusion and Open Government: Care, Disability, and Data-Driven Approaches
Ibero-American Learning and Challenges in Open Government
Coordination
Aragon, Spain
Contact: Susana Barriga, [email protected]
Peñalolen, Chile
Contact: Ma. Cecilia Jiménez, [email protected]
June 2026
About
Discussion among local governments, civil society organizations, and self-advocacy groups from Spain, Chile, and Greece brought to this session practical approaches for strengthening the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in public decision-making. Speakers highlighted the shift from consultation to co-creation, emphasizing the need for people with intellectual disabilities to shape policies from the outset. Discussions focused on accessible communication, collaboration between institutions, and the role of families and support organizations in building trust and ensuring participation is continuous and meaningful.
More information
- Government of Navarre
“The key is not to consult more—it is to co-create better.”
- The Government of Navarre involves people with intellectual disabilities from the start of policy design, moving beyond consultation.
- Practical steps, including easy-to-read language, visual resources, flexible participation methods, and extended time for reflection, have been implemented and have created impact.
Municipality of Peñalolén
“Nothing about us without us has become ‘Everything with us and alongside us.'”
- Peñalolén has implemented a community-based rehabilitation model in which users and families define priorities and evaluate services together.
- The municipality conducts participatory diagnostics every two years to align public services with community-identified needs. Sustained participation as a driver of public trust and stronger institutional recognition.
Municipality of Athens
“Accessibility must be built into public services from the beginning.”
- Athens’ efforts to improve both physical and digital accessibility are made by making municipal services more inclusive.
- Staff training and collaboration across all areas of local government planning with civil society organizations are key enablers of accessibility.
Los que no se rinden / Plena Inclusión
“We don’t only want to be heard—we want our opinions to lead to action.”
- Participants shared that enabling accessible participation spaces, providing clear information, and government action on participants’ recommendations are essential elements of meaningful engagement.
- Easy Read materials are a tool that benefits people with intellectual disabilities as well as the wider community.
A shared message from the session
Participants agreed that inclusive participation goes beyond adapting documents or holding consultations. It requires recognizing people with intellectual disabilities as partners in public decision-making and creating conditions for them to influence policies from the start. Governments, civil society, families, and self-advocacy groups all play a role in building accessible, continuous, and trust-based participation. Through co-creation, local governments can develop more inclusive policies and strengthen democratic governance.
- Jon Iriarte, Government of Navarra
- Lilian Elizabeth Garrido Vásquez, Municipality of Peñalolén
- Elena Mantzavinou, Municipality of Athens
- Los Que No Se Rinden, CSO Aragón
May 2025
About
This session explored how local governments are applying open government principles to strengthen care systems and disability inclusion. Cases from Peñalolén (Chile), Aragón (Spain), and Bogotá (Colombia) showed how co-creation, accessibility, and data-driven tools can improve the design and delivery of inclusive public services. Across all examples, open government was positioned as a means to institutionalize inclusion through participatory processes, transparent design, and data that serves real needs.
More information
- Local governments shared how inclusive design, co-creation, and accessible data are shaping more equitable and responsive public systems.
- Inclusion was framed as a core governance principle, embedded in how services are planned, designed, and delivered, from caregiving to accessible communication.
- Peñalolén’s community-based dementia care model, co-created with caregivers and families, evolved from a local pilot to part of Chile’s national dementia strategy.
- Bogotá’s (Colombia) IncluData platform prioritizes usability, making georeferenced social data accessible in inclusive formats and tools that support better policy targeting.
- Aragón’s (Spain) Gobierno Fácil initiative co-designs easy-to-read documents with people with intellectual disabilities, reinforcing that accessibility must be built with communities, not for them.
- Peñalolén’s (Chile) community-based dementia care model, co-created through a participatory process with families, health teams, and local organizations, ensures services respond to local needs.
- Frida Quevedo, Gender and Inclusion Program Officer, OGP
- Trinidad Callejas y Francisco Labra, Centro Kintun, Peñalolén, Chile
- Susana Barriga, Head of Citizen Participation and Social Innovation Service at the Government of Aragon
- Laura Camila Lozano, Social Inclusion Secretariat of Bogotá, Colombia
December 2023
About
Local governments from Latin America and Europe shared how they are embedding inclusion into open government practices through accessible communication, co-creation, and tech-driven innovation. Throughout, inclusion was treated not as an add-on, but as central to open government, requiring intentional formats, partnerships, and tools that reflect diverse needs and realities.
More information
- Participants emphasized the need for tailored communication strategies, such as easy-to-read formats, sign language, and clear visuals, to make participation more inclusive and accessible.
- Bogotá (Colombia) shared platforms like Includata and Chatico, designed with assistive technologies to improve access and engagement for vulnerable groups.
- In Peñalolén (Chile), interactive tools and educational games were used to promote proactive transparency, helping residents better understand and use public data, building trust.
- Aragón (Spain) highlighted how partnerships with disability organizations are shaping more inclusive public services, ensuring co-creation with communities often left out.
- The Basque Country (Spain) emphasized inclusion as a strategic design principle, reflected in Irekia’s bilingual platform and locally adapted participatory formats.
- Javier Urrea, Moderator & Host
- Cecilia Jimenez Oyarzun, Public Servant, Municipality of Peñalolén (Chile)
- Miren Martiarena Barkaiztegi, Representative, Government of the Basque Country (Euskadi), Spain
- Alexandra Rivera, Representative, Secretariat of Social Integration, Bogotá (Colombia)
- Carlos Olivan, Coordinator, Gobierno Fácil Initiative, Aragón (Spain)