International Telecommunication Union The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the ITU or its Membership. Susan Schorr, Head a.i., Special Initiatives Division BDT, International Telecommunication Union Overview of the ITU-G3ict Toolkit for Policy Makers on e-Accessibility & Service needs for Persons with Disabilities Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Mainstreaming ICT Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities August 2009 Bangkok, Thailand Organized by ITU and ESCAP

2 Agenda 1. Introducing ITU 2. Mission of ITU-D 3. What is the ITU-G3ict e-Accessibility Toolkit 4. A look inside the Toolkit to introduce topics to be discussed in later sessions 5. Where do we go from here?

3 Introduction to ITU ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues With 191 Member States and nearly 600 private sector members, ITU is the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing ICT networks and services Founded in 1865, it is the oldest specialized agency of the UN system; Headquarters Geneva, 11 regional offices 3 Sectors --ITU-D (Development), ITU-T (Standardization) and ITU-R (Radiocommunication) ITU is committed to connecting the world

4 Global telecom market on the move Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database and ITU Telecommunication Regulatory Database Competition in mobile Competition in fixed Growth in fixed lines, mobile cellular subscribers, estimated Internet users and subscribers to mobile broadband networks, in billions,

5 ITU-D and the Special Initiatives Division The ITU Development Sector (ITU-D) was established to: help spread equitable, sustainable and affordable access to ICT to stimulate broader social and economic development and promote the extension of the benefits of ICTs to all the worlds inhabitants The Special Initiatives Division assists developing countries in identifying strategies and policies to promote ICT access to and use by persons with disabilities and other marginalized and vulnerable groups Development of the e-Accessibility toolkit ITU-D Study Group Question 20/1 Telecentre and training Projects for persons with disabilities, such as in Sri Lanka

What is the e-Accessibility Toolkit?

7 A look inside the Toolkit 1. Introduction to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 2. Who benefits from accessibility? 3. E-Accessibility basics 4. Technical resources 5. Produce Development and Design 6. Public Procurement 7. Promoting Assistive Technologies 8. International Cooperation 9. Local governments 10. Developing Policy

8 ITU-D objective in co-developing the e- Accessibility Toolkit: Sharing best practices Assist national Telecommunication/ICT ministries and regulatory authorities – our core members – to identify policies and regulations they could implement to create inclusive enabling environments for persons with disabilities. Support work of ITU-D Study Group 20/1: Access to telecommunication services for people with disabilities which seeks to identify policies and execute strategies for promoting and implementing services and solutions which provide access to telecommunication services for persons with disabilities. Support ITU members in meeting their obligations under article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ITU seeks to fulfill its mandate to connect the world and ensure an inclusive Information Society in which persons with disabilities can fully participate.

9 How Toolkit will support telecom/ICT regulators, ministries, private sector and other ITU members Explains the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Identifies best and promising practices taken by other regulators, ministries, private sector players and other ITU members to promote e- Accessibility for persons with disabilities. Establishes a framework for addressing the e-Accessibility agenda Growth in the number of regulators worldwide

10 Technical Resources - What to expect in Chapter 4? How to make payphones and fixed line phones accessible Text relay, voice control dialing, flashing for incoming calls, height controls, etc. How to make mobile phones accessible predictive text messaging, hearing aid compatibility, vibration alerts, large font, voice recognition, text-to-speech, raised tip on #5, adjustable output for volume How to make websites and computing devices accessible. screen readers, magnifiers, video captioning, audio description, big character keyboards How to make video content accessible captioning, audio description, sign language, easy-to-navigate remotes for TVs, etc. How to provide alternatives to the mouse human interface elements for keyboard accessibility such as joysticks, trackballs and other alternatives for data entry

11 Universal Design Universal Design is one of the issues to be explored in Chapter 5 The basic idea behind universal design is that ICTs, when be developed, should be designed for use by everyone Universal design avoids the need for expensive fixes to make equipment and user devices accessible after costly product development

12 Why is accessibility for persons with disabilities so important? World Health organization estimates that 10 per cent of the world population is disabled An estimated million people with disabilities within the next year and this number expected to rise over 1 billion Aging populations, wars, famine, natural disasters are likely to increase these numbers Policy makers and regulators need to consider the different kinds of disabilities to address, including physical, mental as well as auditory, visual and speech ICTs enable greater autonomy for persons with disabilities for daily living, education and careers ICTs can be used for e-learning, open up new job opportunities and facilitate access to health services

13 What to expect in Chapter 10 or what can Policy Makers/Regulators do? Map existing laws and regulations that address non- discrimination of persons with disabilities and accessibility provisions, e.g. to buildings or public transport or ICT. Gather data on number of persons with disabilities by type of disability (or multiple disabilities), the number of persons with disabilities with access to ICTs or public centers, etc. Learn about best practices and case studies – workshops like this and the Toolkit! Conduct a legal/regulatory/policy gap analysis Include the active participation of persons with disabilities in consultations on proposed legislation, policy, regulations or industry codes

14 Policy contd Foster standards development Promote government procurement of assistive technologies. Design universal service projects for persons with disabilities Promote accessible websites, either through legislation and/or development of industry codes or guidelines. Ensure that assistive technology is readily available in markets through industry codes, legislation or by removing any prohibitions on their import or excessive customs duties. Ensure emergency information made available to persons with disabilities. Promote self regulation, codes of practice, sector agreements, etc. Conduct periodic reviews

15 Where do we go from here? Toolkit completion ITU-D Study Group Question 20/1 meeting on 9 September 2009 in Geneva Support to development of training/telecentres in Sri Lanka and two African countries Support to national stakeholders meetings and/or policy development Regional meeting for CIS countries in 2010 Development of best practices on equipping schools with assistive technologies as part of ITUs Connect a School, Connect a Community flagship initiative Your support at the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2010

16 Questions for Discussion Should accessibility for persons with disabilities be an obligation for service providers or a voluntary goal? Should operators be required to publish information for end-users on equivalent access to services provided for disabled users? Should operators be required to provide access to emergency services for persons with disabilities? Should there be cross-border interoperability required for assistive technologies? Should all websites be made accessible or just government websites?

17 International Telecommunication Union Committed to connecting the world Susan Schorr Head, a.i., Special Initiatives Division