Introduction

Users of telecommunications and information technology have a varied capability of handling information and the controls for its presentation. The source of this variation lies in cultural and educational backgrounds as well as in age-related functional limitations, in disabilities, and in other natural causes. Although new ICTs have provided substantial benefits to modern society, there are still a large number of people who cannot enjoy them due to the lack of accessibility features. This problem is exacerbated by the Internet revolution. It is now common place to encounter phrases like e-health, e-education, e-trade, e-finance or e-medicine, describing important services that are entering into the everyday lives of ordinary people. So it is imperative that everyone has equal access to these ICT services on the Internet. ITU proposed to the IGF on 26 February 2008 the establishment of a Dynamic Coalition on “Accessibility and Disability”. Andrea Saks ITU / TDI Telecommunications for the Deaf inc. welcomed the proposal and volunteered to coordinate this effort.

Background

ITU organized the workshop “Making Accessibility a Reality in Emerging Technologies and the Web” during the 2nd meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Rio de Janeiro 12-15 November 2007. The event brought together experts from around the world to examine the best way to resolve accessibility needs in ICT and emerging technologies.

Hyderabad Declaration on IGF Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities (DCAD 1st Meeting, 6 December 2008)