Summary

Recommendation ITU-T F.780.2 defines accessibility requirements for technical features to be used and implemented by governments, healthcare providers and manufacturers of telehealth platforms to facilitate the access and use of telehealth services by persons with disabilities and specific needs, including older persons with age-related disabilities.

With the passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2006, and its ratification by numerous countries, persons with disabilities have the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability. Countries need to take all appropriate measures to ensure access for persons with disabilities to health services.

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, the use of telehealth services has increased substantially in many countries and telehealth has become a basic need for the general population, especially for those in quarantine, enabling patients in real time through contact with healthcare providers to access advice. However, due to the lack of global and comprehensive standards and guidelines for accessibility of telehealth services, many persons with disabilities experience difficulties accessing and using such services and are often forgotten. This Recommendation summarizes and defines those requirements and features that industries can implement to ensure accessible provision of telehealth services.

Technical requirements defined in this Recommendation are based on a comprehensive feedback collected from civil society on barriers that persons with disabilities experience when accessing and using telehealth services, as well as on the feedback from the industry. This is a first edition of the document.

This Recommendation was developed collaboratively by the World Health Organization (WHO) and ITU.