1. STATSKONTORET Accessibility in ICT Procurement Clas Thorén Swedish Agency for Administrative Development

2. STATSKONTORET Agenda EU Statements Public ICT Procurements: how can they promote accessibility? ACCENT Project –recommendations to EU –how to include accessibility in procurements Future actions in Sweden

3. STATSKONTORET EU Statements Recommendations to Member States to take account of the requirements of people with disabilities in the procurement of ICT products and services Communication on how public procurement can take account of … Commitment to make design and content of public web sites accessible EU Institutions and Member States should endorse the WAI Guidelines

4. STATSKONTORET The role of public procurement in relation to ICT accessibility As a major purchaser, encourage the market to address accessibility Specifically require accessibility in procurements for –on-line services for the general public –in-house systems to be used by employees in sector-wide framework agreements in individual procurements

5. STATSKONTORET Design-for-all as main approach On-line services accessible for all citizens In-house systems accessible for all current and future employees Individual solutions may be needed as supplementary

6. STATSKONTORET Procurement process Call for proposal –requirements on products, systems, services –requirements on the supplier elaboration of proposal (supplier’s task) supplier appraisal evaluation of proposals awarding contract management

7. STATSKONTORET ACCENT Project ACCessibility in ICT procuremENT EU SPRITE-S 2 initiative Part-funded by EU and NUH Partners: –Clas Thorén Consulting, Sweden (Project Manager) –Work Research Centre, Ireland –Centre for Accessibility, Denmark –Swedish Agency for Administrative Development Finalised 1998

8. STATSKONTORET Work done by ACCENT Analysis of the policy and regulatory situation - international, EU and national levels Case studies of 26 public sector organisations in 5 countries Preparation of detailed guidelines for practically addressing accessibility in public ICT procurements - now used in Denmark, Ireland, Sweden

9. STATSKONTORET ACCENT recommendations to EU explicitly identify ICT accessibility as an appropriate goal of public procurement policy adopt the correct view of accessibility = design-for-all and connectability; individual solutions when necessary define accessibility as a technical issue that adds value to ICT, to be addressed as such in procurements

10. STATSKONTORET ACCENT recommendations to EU clarify the implications of the existing Directives for accessibility in ICT procurement accelerate the development of accessibility standards to be referenced in procurements include accessibility in the training and other measures to be implemented in the procurement area ensure that accessibility is given priority attention in the context of WTO and other bilateral agreements

11. STATSKONTORET ACCENT Guidelines Accessibility in corporate ICT strategies Mandatory and desirable requirements on –PC systems - HW, standard and specific SW –web site design –telephone systems and services evaluation of proposals contract awarding and management

12. STATSKONTORET Balance of requirements The need for a more user-friendly information society published end-user reuqirements for accessibility procurers’ and suppliers’ needs for easy-to-use tools the economic objective of public procurements the need to avoid distorting competition

13. STATSKONTORET Actions by Swedish Government Proposal to the Parliament on an Action Plan for a national disability policy Proposal to the Parliament on ”An Information Society for All” SAFAD commissioned to elaborate criteria for a 24 x 7 on-line agency, with account to people with special needs

14. STATSKONTORET Statskontoret - The Swedish Agency for Administrative Development ”We support the Government and the ministries in their efforts to review and improve effectiveness in the public administration.”

15. STATSKONTORET Statskontoret Promote IT for better services and modernization of the administration To develop an open and secure infrastructure for exchange of information between authorities, companies and citizens IT-procurement

16. STATSKONTORET SAFAD Action Plan (in preparation) Create an understanding of the need for inclusion of usability and accessibility in public ICT systems Create an understanding of the wide variation of capablities of citizens Disseminate basic knowledge of usability and accessibility

17. STATSKONTORET SAFAD Action Plan (in preparation) Disseminate information of where to find more profound knowledge Take usability and accessibility into account in work with electronic infrastructure Include usability and accessibility in procurements of ICT products and services Make web site accessible

18. STATSKONTORET Thank you for your attention!