A/70/297 systems must address the structural barriers that persons with disabilities face to participate in society, including lack of accessibility. 71. To promote equality and eliminate discrimination, States must take all appropriate steps to ensure that reasonable accommodation is provided to persons with disabilities, 60 in all instances and whenever needed, in the provision of social protection programmes. In many countries, however, when it is recognized, the requirement of providing reasonable accommodation is limited to employment and therefore does not apply to social protection programmes. States must acknowledge in their legal and policy framework that the denial of reasonable accommodation constitutes discrimination and that they have an immediate d uty to fulfil this right, which is not subject to progressive realization. 61 G. Accessibility 72. Accessibility is a precondition for persons with disabilities to benefit from social protection on an equal basis with others. Without access to the physi cal environment, to transportation, and to information and communication, persons with disabilities are prevented from enjoying their right to social protection. 73. Lack of physical accessibility affects not only access to social protection programmes, but also to the provision of services and the delivery of benefits. An analysis of contributions received shows that in many countries, public and private infrastructure (e.g., schools, health-care centres and housing) is often inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Similarly, while cash benefits are commonly paid by direct transfer into bank accounts, the accessibility of bank services is not always ensured. The same applies to the distribution of benefits in kind, particularly in rural and remote areas. 62 74. Even when programmes and services are physically accessible, lack of accessible transportation can impede persons with disabilities reaching them. Additionally, it can increase the cost of accessing benefits to the point of making them irrelevant. 75. Information, materials and communication pertaining to social protection programmes must not create barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities. Persons with sensory and intellectual impairments are often particularly affected. In fact, when information, materials and procedures are neither accessible nor easy to understand, persons with disabilities have no means of knowing about the existence of programmes and their requirements. This is important also because of the greater likelihood of persons with disabilities being illiterate because of lack of access to education. 76. In this regard, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has stressed that States should ensure that social protection measures and services are provided in an accessible manner, in accessible buildings, and that all information and communication pertaining to them is accessible. 63 The Committee has also highlighted the importance of adopting measures to remove barriers to access to __________________ 60 61 62 63 15-12544 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, art. 5 (3) . CRPD/C/ESP/CO/1, para. 44. Daniel Mont, see note 48. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, general comment No. 2, para. 42. 21/25