200 likes | 324 Views
Accessibility in ICT Procurement. Clas Thorén Swedish Agency for Administrative Development. Agenda. EU Statements Public ICT Procurements: how can they promote accessibility? ACCENT Project recommendations to EU how to include accessibility in procurements Future actions in Sweden.
E N D
Accessibility in ICT Procurement Clas Thorén Swedish Agency for Administrative Development
Agenda • EU Statements • Public ICT Procurements: how can they promote accessibility? • ACCENT Project • recommendations to EU • how to include accessibility in procurements • Future actions in Sweden
EU Statements • Recommendations to Member States to take account of the requirements of people with disabilities in the procurement of ICT products and services • Communication on how public procurement can take account of … • Commitment to make design and content of public web sites accessible • EU Institutions and Member States should endorse the WAI Guidelines
The role of public procurement in relation to ICT accessibility • As a major purchaser, encourage the market to address accessibility • Specifically require accessibility in procurements for • on-line services for the general public • in-house systems to be used by employees • in sector-wide framework agreements • in individual procurements
Design-for-all as main approach • On-line services accessible for all citizens • In-house systems accessible for all current and future employees • Individual solutions may be needed as supplementary
Procurement process • Call for proposal • requirements on products, systems, services • requirements on the supplier • elaboration of proposal (supplier’s task) • supplier appraisal • evaluation of proposals • awarding • contract management
ACCENT Project • ACCessibility in ICT procuremENT • EU SPRITE-S2 initiative • Part-funded by EU and NUH • Partners: • Clas Thorén Consulting, Sweden (Project Manager) • Work Research Centre, Ireland • Centre for Accessibility, Denmark • Swedish Agency for Administrative Development • Finalised 1998
Work done by ACCENT • Analysis of the policy and regulatory situation - international, EU and national levels • Case studies of 26 public sector organisations in 5 countries • Preparation of detailed guidelines for practically addressing accessibility in public ICT procurements - now used in Denmark, Ireland, Sweden
ACCENT recommendations to EU • explicitly identify ICT accessibility as an appropriate goal of public procurement policy • adopt the correct view of accessibility = design-for-all and connectability; individual solutions when necessary • define accessibility as a technical issue that adds value to ICT, to be addressed as such in procurements
ACCENT recommendations to EU • clarify the implications of the existing Directives for accessibility in ICT procurement • accelerate the development of accessibility standards to be referenced in procurements • include accessibility in the training and other measures to be implemented in the procurement area • ensure that accessibility is given priority attention in the context of WTO and other bilateral agreements
ACCENT Guidelines • Accessibility in corporate ICT strategies • Mandatory and desirable requirements on • PC systems - HW, standard and specific SW • web site design • telephone systems and services • evaluation of proposals • contract awarding and management
Balance of requirements • The need for a more user-friendly information society • published end-user reuqirements for accessibility • procurers’ and suppliers’ needs for easy-to-use tools • the economic objective of public procurements • the need to avoid distorting competition
Actions by Swedish Government • Proposal to the Parliament on an Action Plan for a national disability policy • Proposal to the Parliament on ”An Information Society for All” • SAFAD commissioned to elaborate criteria for a 24 x 7 on-line agency, with account to people with special needs
Statskontoret - The Swedish Agency for Administrative Development ”We support the Government and the ministries in their efforts to review and improve effectiveness in the public administration.”
Statskontoret • Promote IT for better services and modernization of the administration • To develop an open and secure infrastructure for exchange of information between authorities, companies and citizens • IT-procurement
SAFAD Action Plan (in preparation) • Create an understanding of the need for inclusion of usability and accessibility in public ICT systems • Create an understanding of the wide variation of capablities of citizens • Disseminate basic knowledge of usability and accessibility
SAFAD Action Plan (in preparation) • Disseminate information of where to find more profound knowledge • Take usability and accessibility into account in work with electronic infrastructure • Include usability and accessibility in procurements of ICT products and services • Make web site accessible