1. Accessibility of Internet and Standard Technology
Open Consultations on Internet and Accessibility "Access to the Internet for Persons with Disabilities and specific needs“ February 15th 2016
Accessibility of Internet
and Standard Technology
Masahito Kawamori Rapporteur Q26/16 “Accessibility to Multimedia Service” (ITU-T) Co-Chair Inter-Sector Rapporteur Group on Media Accessibility (ITU) Project Professor, Keio University)
ITU-T F.791 (11/2015) Accessibility terms and definitions This is the first consented UN standalone recommendation giving the correct definitions based on the UNCRD with consultation with persons with disabilites to be used by standard writers and others to be used in all respective documents in English.
ITU-T H.702 (11/2015) Accessibility profiles for IPTV systems This recommendation makes it possible for accessibility features like captioning, sign language, and audio description to be added to Internet Protocol TV and that this can be deployed globally interoperably.
FSTP-ACC-RemPart - Guidelines for supporting remote participation in meetings for all This is the first approved UN standalone technical paper giving instructions on how to organize and run an accessible remote participation meetings to include persons with disabilites taking into account both the accessible and in accessible aspects of the existing remote participation tools.
FSTP-AM - Guidelines for accessible meetings this is the first approved UN standalone technical paper giving instructions on how to organize and run an accessible meetings to include persons with disabilities.

2. Challenges for using Internet
Hesitation to use the Internet due to:
Lack of skill
Concerns about security
Quality of information
(Perceived) Complexity of the Internet
Information seeking (on Internet) demands many cognitive skills
Reasoning, working memory, perceptual speed
Problematic for some persons with disabilities (PWD) and specific needs (PWSN)

3. Keys for Accessible Internet
For Internet to be (more) accessible to the PWD and PWSN, the following need to be considered:
User Interface -- Ease of Use and Simplicity (incl. presentation mode, e.g. for cognitive disability)
Security
Trust and Credibility -Selected Information with assured Quality
Usability- no stress associated with daily use and little training for use and for maintenance
Accessibility vs. Vulnerability: The more accessible, the more vulnerable

4. Example of Standard Technology for Accessibility to Internet ITU-T IPTV
Internet-Protocol TV – Information and service Interface for multimedia content and information
Ease of Use: (e.g.,) Remote controller
Interactive: just like Web, but “light” enough for TV
Secure: authentication, content protection
Quality: managed service, selected and credible information
Trustworthy:
Standardized, Implemented, Deployed
Multi-device: TV set as well as tablet and smartphones

5. Gaps in addressing these challenges
Lack of consensus on standards (of services)
Higher cost and more dangers of “traps”
Lack of basic, minimum, robust and mature technologies (or profiles) that can be applied to a large segment of the target (PWD and PWSN)
ever-changing “advanced” features are not needed (e.g., character-based UI for the blind vs. Flashy Graphics)
Lack of “Sense of Urgency” -> Accessibility for “Now”, with what we have now
Fragmented market -> confusing to the user

6. The role of governments
Promotion of global standard technologies
Procurement
Policies
Support on Deployment
Education, training
Interoperable Profiles with regional flavor, with degrees of options

7. Thank you
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