Improving the Measurement of Disability and Ensuring Enabling Environment: Lessons from International Experience

Transcription

1 Improving the Measurement of Disability and Ensuring Enabling Environment: Lessons from International Experience ICT Accessibility Axel Leblois, G3ict February 10, 2012 Istanbul Hilton

2 Topics 1. Why focus on ICT Accessibility? 2. Measuring ICT Accessibility implementation by countries 3. Results 4. Promoting ICT Accessibility 5. Resources Slide 2

3 1 - Why focus on ICT Accessibility? Slide 3

4 Why Focus On ICT Accessibility? Pervasive and fast expanding ICT usage worldwide: 1.3 billion personal computers billion Internet users 1.4 billion telephone land lines 2.4 billion TV sets 5.7 billion cell phones, over 3 billion text messaging users Full participation to society requires that ICTs be fully accessible to Persons with Disabilities Slide 4

5 Accessibility principles For full accessibility, all users must be able to do three things for every control, instruction or output: Perceive it: being aware of its existence and being able to access its information Understand it: knowing what it means and how to use it Operate it: being able to reach it and physically interact with it in the required way, which might mean pressing, moving, twisting or pulling Visual, auditory, physical, dexterity, cognitive abilities critical for interaction Slide 5

6 Why Focus On ICT Accessibility? Multiple barriers for Persons with Disabilities: Web sites Computer interfaces Mobile and fixed phones ATMs and electronic kiosks Television e-government electronic services Digital contents etc. Accessibility solutions exist for most ICTs but not made widely available Slide 6

7 Examples of Web Accessibility Solutions online shopper with color blindness (user control of style sheets) online student who is deaf (captioned audio portions of multimedia files) accountant with blindness (appropriate markup of tables, alternative text, abbreviations, and acronyms; synchronization of visual, speech, and braille display, interoperability with screen reader) classroom student with dyslexia (use of supplemental graphics; freezing animated graphics; multiple search options) retiree with aging-related conditions, managing personal finances (magnification; stopping scrolling text; avoiding pop-up windows) supermarket assistant with cognitive disability (clear and simple language; consistent design; consistent navigation options; multiple search options) teenager with deaf-blindness, seeking entertainment (user control of style sheets; accessible multimedia; device-independent access; labelled frames; appropriate table markup) Slide 7

8 Slide 8 VIDEO

9 Case Study: 2005 US Census Persons with disabilities in the United States: 54.4 million persons, 17% of the US population, on the rise from previous census 35 million or 12% with a severe disability 69% of those age 21 to 64 with a severe disability are unemployed Slide 9

10 57% of Microsoft Windows Customers Likely to Benefit from its Accessibility Features 57% of adult computer users (age in Slide 10 Very likely to benefit 17% Not likely to benefit 43% Study commissioned by Microsoft, Conducted by Forrester Research in 2003 Likely to benefit 40% the US) are likely or very likely to benefit from accessibility features 1 in 4 users experiences a visual difficulty. 1 in 4 experience pain in wrists or hands. 1 in 5 has a hearing difficulty.

11 U.S. Population of Students with Disabilities in % of Total Enrollment* All disabilities Specific learning disabilities Speech or language impairments Intellectual disability Emotional disturbance Hearing impairments Orthopedic impairments Other health impairments Visual impairments Multiple disabilities Deaf-blindness Autism Traumatic brain injury * U.S. DOE - Based on the total enrollment in public schools, prekindergarten through 12th grade Slide 11

12 Slide Measuring ICT Accessibility Implementation by Countries

13 CRPD Progress Report on ICT Accessibility Annual survey of progress made by Sates Parties in implementing ICT Accessibility Sets benchmarks for in-country advocacy Helps raise the bar by pointing to good practices Slide 13

14 Accessibility in the CRPD: ICTs On Par with the Physical Environment & Transportation «To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems...» (Article 9) Slide 14

15 Articles with Implications for ICT Accessibility and Assistive Technologies Slide 15

16 Three Building Blocks towards Implementation: 1. Country legislative, regulatory and programmatic commitments 2. Capacity of States Parties to implement those commitments 3. Actual results for persons with disabilities Consistent with UNDP guidelines on Human Rights reporting (Structure, Process, Outcomes) Slide 16

17 Slide Results

18 Results: Good Progress of Disability Legislation among States Parties 91% have a constitutional article, law or regulation defining the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 72% have a definition of "Reasonable Accommodation" included in a law or regulation regarding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 66% have laws, policies or programs that ensure that persons with disabilities and their representative organizations are consulted in the development and implementation of legislation in general Slide 18

19 ICT Accessibility among State Parties, However, is Lagging 56% have a definition of accessibility which includes ICTs or electronic media in the country laws or regulations 44% don t have one Slide 19

20 Which is Reflected by the % of State Parties with Policies on Information Infrastructure 56% Television 56% Web sites 47% Fixed telephony 47% Mobile telephony 41% ATMs and electronic kiosks 38% Digital talking books 34% Public building displays 31% Transportation public address systems Slide 20

21 While Capacity to Implement ICT Accessibility Policies Is Deficient 59% do not define, promote or monitor accessibility standards for ICTs 65% do not define public procurement rules policy promoting accessible ICTs 72%do not have a systematic mechanism to involve DPOs working in the field of digital access to the drafting, designing, implementation and evaluation of laws and policies 87% do not have statistics or data accessible for the general public about digital access by persons with disabilities 91% do not have mandatory training programs (at universities, vocational schools etc.) for future professionals about digital access for persons with disabilities Slide 21

22 However, More State Parties Promote ICT Accessibility in Specific Areas: 78% Primary and secondary education 72% Higher education 63% Rehabilitation services 59% Health services 59% Reasonable accommodation at work 59% General information to the public in accessible formats 50% Emergency services 44% Voting systems 44% Judicial information & legal proceedings 34% Independent living Slide 22

23 Country Actual Implementations: Information Infrastructure Accessibility 78% Have closed captioning or sign language interpretation implemented by TV broadcasters 69% Mention having accessible government web sites 47% Have wireless handsets with accessible features 44% Mention having accessible web sites among the top 10 commercial and media web sites 44% Have accessible ATMs or electronic kiosks deployed Slide 23

24 Country Actual Implementations: Special Services 66% Have libraries for the blind or public libraries providing e-books services 59% Have assistive technologies available to students with disabilities at major universities 50% Have programs in place to facilitate the usage of telephony by persons with disabilities (Transcription, TDD/TTY devices, relay services, accessible public phones) Slide 24

25 Affordability of Assistive Technologies Remains a Key Obstacle Example: availability of Assistive Technologies at Major Universities: Worldwide average: 59% Developed countries: 82% Least Developed Countries: 25% Slide 25

26 4 Promoting ICT Accessibility Slide 26

27 Promoting ROI on ICT Accessibility: Benefits of a Sectorial Approach Mobile TV Broadcasting E-Government Web sites accessibility Assistive Technologies for Education Reasonable accommodation of the Workplace Slide 27

28 Slide 28 5 Resources

29 Free Tools Available for Advocacy : ICT accessibility news, publications and reports, expert zones CRPD ICT Accessibility Self-Assessment Framework (check list for country CRPD ICT accessibility compliance) e-accessibility Policy Toolkit for Persons with Disabilities Joint ITU-G3ict reports Q on: Accessibility for mobile Accessibility for television Universal Service Funds programs for ICT accessibility Benefits and costs of e-accessibility in cooperation with BrailleNet (March 2012) Slide 29

30 30 Slide 30

31 Thank You For Your Attention! Slide 31