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Workshop on Mainstreaming ICT Accessibility for Persons with D isabilities

ICT Accessibility in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Axel Leblois Founder and Executive Director G3ict November 1 , 2010 Odessa, Ukraine. Workshop on Mainstreaming ICT Accessibility for Persons with D isabilities.

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Workshop on Mainstreaming ICT Accessibility for Persons with D isabilities

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  1. ICT Accessibility in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesAxel LebloisFounder and Executive DirectorG3ictNovember 1, 2010Odessa, Ukraine • Workshop on Mainstreaming • ICT Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities

  2. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Demographics • 10% of the World Population lives with life long disabilities: vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive • 680,000,000 persons • 18% if temporary or age related disabilities are included • 1,232,000,000 persons

  3. Example: 2005 US Census Results • Persons with disabilities in the United States: • 54.4 million persons, 17% of the US population, on the rise from previous census • 35 million or 12% with a severe disability • 69% of those age 21 to 64 with a severe disability are unemployed • 30% of US families have a member with disabilities

  4. More US Census Results • Among people 15 and older: • 7.8 million (3%) had difficulty hearing a normal conversation, including 1 million being unable to hear at all. 4.3 million people reported using a hearing aid. • 3.3 million people, or 1%, age 15 and older used a wheelchair or similar device, with 10.2 million, or 4%, using a cane, crutches or walker. • 7.8 million people had difficulty seeing words or letters in ordinary newspaper print, including 1.8 million being completely unable to see. • More than 16 million people had difficulty with cognitive, mental or emotional functioning.

  5. The Impact of Aging Demographics • By 2025, 20% of the population of OECD countries will be over 65 • In the United States: • Among 65 and older: 52%, have a disability and 37% a severe disability. • Among 80 and older: 71%, including 56% having a severe disability.

  6. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 13, 2006 Universal framework for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities A record 146 countries have signed it as of October 2010 94 have ratified it, representing 74% of the World Population The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 6

  7. Source: UNenable web site, as of October 15, 2010

  8. CIS - Status Report - Convention on the Rights of PersonswithDisabilities

  9. DisabilityDefinition in the CRPD “Recognizingthat disability is an evolving concept and that disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” Preamble (e)

  10. Accessibility and Information and Communication in the CRPD “Recognizing the importance of accessibility to the physical, social, economic and cultural environment, to health and education and to information and communication, in enabling persons with disabilities to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms”. Preamble (v)

  11. Why ICT Accessibility Matters • A Massive Increase in ICT usage: • 1.1 billion personal computers • 2 + billion Internet users (incl. shared / mobile access) • 1.2 billion telephone land lines • 2.3 billion TV sets and 2.4 billion radios • 5+ billion cell phones, hundred of billions of text messages • Risks of exclusion of Persons with Disabilities from essential services, contents and social interaction if ICT interfaces are not accessible • Major opportunities to leverage ICTs for new assistive technologies and services

  12. Why ICT Accessibility Matters • Accessibility and assistive solutions exist for virtually all ICTs: • Mobile phones, personal computers interfaces, television, ATMs, fixed phones, web sites, digital contents, interfaces to Braille, peer to peervideo for signlanguage, multiple assistive technologies, speech recognition, broadband services, remotewireless services etc. • But theiravailability to PersonswithDisabilitiesislimited due to: • Lackof awareness and effective policies, multiple stakeholders and governmentagencies, speed of technological innovation, lack of standardization, weakassistive technologies eco-system, all resulting in lack of availability and highcosts

  13. ICT Accessibility in the CRPD: On Par with Physical Environment & Transportation « To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems... » (Article 9)

  14. Articles with Implications for ICT Accessibility and Assistive Technologies

  15. Additional Dispositions in Support of Accessible & Assistive ICTs • General mandate to promote R&D • ICT Products Development and Universal Design • Obligation for States to set accessibility standards • Intellectual property rights • Promoting New Media and the Internet for Persons with Disabilities • A complex set of dispositions requiring multi-stakeholders involvement and international cooperation

  16. G3ict 2010 Survey - CRPD ICT Accessibility Progress Report – The Good News: • 91% of ratifying states have a constitutional article, law or regulation defining the rights of persons with disabilities • 72% have a definition of "Reasonable Accommodation" included in any law or regulation regarding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • 56% have a definition of accessibility that includes ICTs or electronic media in the country laws or regulations Survey of 31 countries (US excluded) representing75% of the population of the 90 ratifying countries as of 9-1-2010 (4.9 billion)

  17. Country Actual Implementations 78% Have closedcaptioning or signlanguageinterpretationimplemented by TV broadcasters 69% Mention having accessible government web sites 66% Have libraries for the blind or public librariesproviding e-books services 59% Have assistive technologies available to studentswithdisabilitiesat major universities 50% Have programs in place to facilitate the usage of telephony by personswithdisabilities (Transcription, TDD/TTY devices, relay services, accessible public phones) 47% Have wirelesshandsetswith accessible features 44% Mention having accessible web sites among the top 10 commercial and media web sites 44% Have accessible ATMs or electronic kiosks deployed

  18. ICT Accessibility: Lack of Policy Tools • 97% have a government body specifically dedicated to Persons with Disabilities, BUT: • 41% define, promote an monitor accessibility standards for ICTs • 38% have government funds allocated to programs in support of Digital Accessibility • 35% define public procurement rules policy promoting accessible ICTs • 28% have a systematic mechanism to involve DPOs working in the field of digital access to the drafting, designing, implementation and evaluation of laws and policies • 13% have statistics or data accessible for the general public about digital access by persons with disabilities • 9% have mandatory training programs (at universities, vocational schools etc.) for future professionals about digital access for persons with disabilities

  19. ICT Accessibility: A New Era for PersonswithDisabilities “If anybody asks me what the Internet means to me, I will tell him without hesitation: To me (a quadriplegic) the Internet occupies the most important part in my life. It is my feet that can take me to any part of the world; it is my hands which help me to accomplish my work; it is my best friend – it gives my life meaning.” Dr. Zhang XuFounder and Director of Bethesda Rehabilitation Ministry of Anshan, China

  20. Thank You For Your Attention www.g3ict.org www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org axel_leblois@g3ict.org

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