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Accessible Italy

This article discusses the new provisions in Italy to enhance access to Information Technologies (ICTs) for disabled individuals. It highlights the "Stanca" Act, enforcement regulations, and the Ministerial Decree, along with the importance of accessibility and assistive technology. The article also emphasizes the impact on the disabled population, the obligations for public administrations, and the evaluation of accessibility for private subjects.

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Accessible Italy

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  1. Accessible Italy The new provisions to support the access to Information Technologies for the disabled Domenico Gargani Research Unit Ministry for Innovation and Technology Paris, 31st January 2005

  2. Table of Contents • Counting the disabled • The “Stanca” Act to favour disabled access to ICTs • Enforcement Regulations • The Ministerial Decree • International Framework

  3. POLICY STATEMENT • Access to technology and its full use represents today a basic right for all citizens without exception • Accessibility consists in removing the virtual barriers which are fundamentally equivalent to architectural barriers

  4. Counting the disabled in Italy In 1999 there were approximately 2.615.000 disabled, i.e. almost 5% of the population: such a figure is destined to grow as the population grows older, and an increasing number of older people inevitably become disabled. Non-accessible technology has an impact on all of us If we were to count the number of the disabled in Italy today on the basis on the new 2001 WHO definition, the figure would certainly be much higher.

  5. The Italian Approach

  6. 1st Regulation Level – the “STANCA” ACT GENERAL PRINCIPLES (in force) 2nd Regulation Level – Enforcement Regulations Criteria and rules for Accessibility (pending at the Senate) 3rd Regulation Level – Ministerial Decree How To Do It; Monitoring (final stage) Legal Framework for Accessibility

  7. Introduction to the “Stanca Act” to favour disabled access to ICTs (1stRegulation level) • promoted by the Italian Minister for Innovation and Technologies in collaboration with the “Interministerial Commission on Development and Use of Information Technology at the Service of the Disadvantaged Categories” • approved unanimously by both Chambers in 2004

  8. General Characteristics • In order to keep abreast with the rapid changes in the electronic technologies, the final version of the Law was made flexible and readily adaptable. • The Law foresees obligations for: • The Public Administration • All subjects who provide public services

  9. Aims of the Act (Article 1) To safeguard the right to access all sources of information and related services To grant, in particular, the right to access Public Administration electronic resources and online services to the disabled

  10. Definition of Accessibility (Article 2) The capability of electronic systems, in the manner determined by and within the limitations defined by current technological expertise, to provide services and information without discriminating those who, as a result of disability, require assistive or non-standard technology. Accessibility is strictly connected to the potential of current technology

  11. Definition of Assistive Technology (Article 2) “Assistive Technology ”: the instruments and the technical solutions, both hardware and software, that allow the disabled person to access information and services provided by informatic systems, by overcoming or reducing the elements that create a disadvantage Assistive technologies also include those which simply reduce, without entirely eliminating, the conditions causing a disadvantage

  12. The Law is addressed to: • The Public Administration • Public economic agencies • Private enterprises distributing public services • Transport and telecommunications agencies operating with public capital • Enterprises contracting electronic services Scope of Application (Article 3)

  13. Obligations for the Public Administrations (Article 4) The possession of accessibility requisites is: 1) NECESSARY for: a) contracts stipulated by the P.A. and for the creation and modification of internet sites b) the concession of Public contributions to private subjects for the acquisition of goods and informatic services to be used by disabled professionals 2) A PREFERENTIAL CONDITION for public contributions to private subjects for the purchase of resources and electronic services 3) A REQUIREMENT TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION for the supply of electronic services

  14. Accessibility of electronic instruments (Article 5) The accessibility criteria are applied to all learning tools used in schools of every order and kind All didactic content purchased by public school libraries should be accompanied by a digital copy of the same which is made available to disabled students and their remedial teachers

  15. Evaluation of accessibility for private subjects (Article 6) The Ministry for Innovation and Technology (MIT), evaluates, upon request, the accessibility of Internet sites and of the electronic material produced by private subjects

  16. Final considerations on the Law (1/2) • The Law has a POSITIVE IMPACT both on: • the social environment: • school • work • services • training of public employees (Article 8), etc. • the economic background: • as it contributes to an increase in the ItalianP.A. expenditure in the ICT sector

  17. Final considerations on the Law (2/2) The Law is both a: The cultural challenge: the scope of the problem is yet to be perceived And a technological challenge: the Law should not only be applied to the Internet but to all communication and electronic systems

  18. Enforcement Regulations (2nd Regulation Level) • Define THE CRITERIA AND RULES concerning the operational and organizational issues related to accessibility • Introduce the USABILITY PRINCIPLE defined in a similar way as ISO 9126-1 e ISO 9241-11 rules

  19. Ministry for Innovation and Technology Decree (3rd Regulation Level) • technical requirements and different levels of accessibility • technical methods for the evaluation of websites’ accessibility

  20. International Framework • World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations, in particular those of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) • Standards defined in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the USA • Standards and technical requirements defined by International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

  21. Thank-you for your attention

  22. Useful links 1) Minister for Innovation and Technology (MIT) http://www.innovazione.gov.it/eng/index.shtml 2) Research Unit of the MIT- Studies on Disability and ICTs http://www.innovazione.gov.it/ita/news/centro_studi/index.shtml 3) Pubbliaccesso: accessible portal www.pubbliaccesso.it

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