Archived Newsroom • Press Release |
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Digital inclusion of persons with disabilities lagging
behind
Policy and regulatory changes to focus on greater ICT accessibility
Geneva, 14 November 2014 – The Model ICT Accessibility
Policy Report released in São Paulo, Brazil recognizes that despite the
unprecedented growth in mobile and Internet use worldwide, very few nations have
acted to ensure that persons with disabilities are part of the technology
revolution. The Report is jointly published by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Global Initiative for Inclusive
Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict).
The report notes that although many countries have information and
communication technology (ICT) laws, policies and regulations that generally
support the principles of universal access to ICT, the needs of the disability
community are different and require a deliberate additional focus on ICT
accessibility by legislators, policy-makers and regulators aimed at removing
barriers to ICT use.
The policy framework was launched today at the Accessible Americas meeting
organized by ITU, UNESCO, Brazil and the National Secretariat for the Promotion
of the Rights of People with Disabilities of the Human Rights Secretariat of the
Presidential Cabinet of the Brazilian Republic (SDH) in São Paolo, Brazil.
Bearing in mind the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in using many
mainstream ICTs, the report is designed to guide national policy-makers and
regulators in creating their own ICT accessibility policy frameworks in
consultation with persons with disabilities. It focuses on different aspects of
ICT accessibility, namely amendments to the existing ICT legal framework, public
ICT access, mobile communications, television/video programming, government
websites and public procurement of accessible ICTs.
“ITU is working with all stakeholders towards global ICT accessibility and
affordability in all countries and regions and by all peoples, including persons
with disabilities,” says ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré. “There is no
doubt that ICTs can enable and accelerate access to resources such as education
and health care for persons with disabilities leading to their greater social,
economic and political inclusion.”
“The report contains concrete steps that can be taken to make meaningful
rules and regulations to ensure that ICT accessibility becomes a reality on the
ground,” says Mr Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication
Development Bureau. “It helps regulators and policy makers to become
action-oriented.”
“ITU’s leadership in promoting ICT accessibility plays an important role in
realizing the promises of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities”, says Axel Leblois, President and Executive Director of G3ict.
“The report, which is the result of seven years of cooperation between ITU and
G3ict, offers easy to use policy frameworks inspired by existing good practices
and available technologies from around the world. It also emphasizes the
critical importance of involving relevant stakeholders in developing and
monitoring ICT accessibility policies with the active participation of persons
with disabilities.” Mr Leblois added: “It is our hope that the model policies
presented in the report will help accelerate the accessibility of essential ICT
products and services for citizens of all abilities.”
The Model ICT accessibility policy report is developed for ICT policy-makers,
regulators and other stakeholders active in ICT and/or disability issues,
including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), organizations of persons with
disabilities, and parliamentarians.
The report has been prepared pursuant to the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and
in line with the ITU and G3ict
ICT Accessibility Policy Toolkit for persons with
disabilities.
At the last World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC
2014) held in April this year, ITU Members reaffirmed, by adopting
Resolution 58, the need for accessible ICTs for persons with disabilities
through the development of national legal frameworks, laws, regulations and
policies. Likewise, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference held in Busan, Republic
of Korea, October-November 2014, established the Connect 2020 Agenda which
includes four high-level goals: growth, inclusiveness, sustainability and
innovation, and partnership. The goals are accompanied by a set of targets,
among which “Enabling environments ensuring accessible telecommunications/ICTs
for persons with disabilities should be established in all countries by 2020”.
Digital Inclusion is part of the ITU Telecommunication
Development Sector’s activities designed to promote ICT accessibility and use
for the social and economic development of people with specific needs, including
indigenous peoples and people living in rural areas; persons with disabilities;
women and girls; and youth and children.
Click
here to download the report.
For more information, please contact:
Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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Monica Albertini
Communication Officer,
Telecommunication Development Bureau
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About ITU...
About G3ict
G3ict – the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and
Communication Technologies – is an advocacy initiative launched in December 2006
by the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in cooperation
with the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) at UNDESA. Its mission is to facilitate and support the
implementation of the dispositions of the CRPD promoting digital accessibility
and Assistive Technologies. Participating organizations include industry,
academia, the public sector and organizations representing persons with
disabilities. G3ict produces jointly with ITU the e-Accessibility Policy Toolkit
for Persons with Disabilities as well as specialized reports which are widely
used around the world by policy makers involved in the implementation of the
CRPD. For additional information on G3ict, visit www.g3ict.org.