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Internet Governance Forum November 2009 Gunela Astbrink Internet Society of Version 1.9 November 2009 Sustainable Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
Internet Governance Forum
November 2009
Gunela AstbrinkInternet Society of
Australia
Version 1.9 November 2009
Sustainable Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy
Development
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
In other words:To develop tools for working with Government and industry so that the Internet is accessible for people with disabilities
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
“The new myth of the Internet is that people with disabilities are special beneficiaries of the Internet, and that their needs have been taken care of by technology designers, policymakers, and service providers. While the Internet has brought changes to the lives of many people with disabilities, they have also been firmly kept in the margins online or just left offline.”
Digital Disability, The Social Construction of Disability in New Media
Gerard Goggin & Christopher Newell, 2003 (page 110)
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Purpose of Workshop- To build understanding of how the Internet can overcome barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities. - To improve the possibilities for people with disabilities to participate in the Internet economy – this means education, employment and recreation.
To work on strategies to make change happen!
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Overview• Used poorly the Internet can impose
BARRIERS to access for people with disabilities• Used effectively the Internet can be a
great ENABLING tool for people with disabilities• Consumers and their advocates must
UNITE to lobby service providers and policy makers to get changes to accessibility• Consult with your consumers to FOCUS
your efforts on the accessibility priorities they want• This is a GLOBAL issue; use the research,
tools and resources to work together for accessibility
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Barriers to accessibility of the Internet – imagine…•Physical accessibility
• Someone locks your computer room door so you can’t get to it?
• Someone unplugs your mouse or keyboard and takes it away?
• Visual accessibility• The cable is missing on your computer monitor?
• You are forced to read the screen with heavy sunglasses?
• Accessibility to language• You can only get Internet access to foreign language sites?
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Barriers to accessibility of the Internet – imagine…•Accessibility to auditory information
• Your sound card breaks and you can’t hear system sounds, music or hear videos?
•Understanding content• You are blocked and can only visit highly technical
engineering sites?
•Accessibility to technology and Internet services• The Internet cables to your area are down for months?
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Accessibility issues for people with disabilities• Workshop activity: Visual accessibility• Let's try out glasses that simulate
different types of vision impairment• Try to read the computer screen or
document with the glasses
• (Courtesy Royal Society for the Blind - South Australia)
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility• New technologies may
create new classes of disadvantage and disability, however…• New technologies also offer
new opportunities to reduce the impact of disabilities
Did you know…? The first typewriter, the Malling Hansen Typing Ball, was patented in Denmark in 1870.It is reported that the inventor’s wife was blind – and this was his motivation to invent! http://www.malling-hansen.org
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility
• Creating products right from the start that considers the needs of the whole community – also includes people with disabilities
• Inclusive design • Key principles of inclusive (or
universal) design can be applied to Internet products and services
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility• Mobility – access to communications and
services without travel• Banking, services, chat rooms, blogs,
social networks
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility• Mobile delivery
• The world is changing; the Internet may be delivered in new ways• This provides new options but will the
challenges of accessibility increase?
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility• Vision – accessible web sites should work
well with screen reading programs that convert text to speech• Tags to describe graphic elements• Screen magnifiers and contrast enhancement• Screen reading programs such as JAWS or free
software eg Thunder through screenreader.net or NVDA through http://www.nvda-project.org/
Using accessibility tools such as screen reading programs can help people with low literacy skills
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Rakesh Chand presenting at PacINET Conference in Papua
New Guinea
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility• Captions – (different from subtitles)
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility• Sign Language
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Improving Internet accessibility
• Real-time text conversation• Using the Internet for text
conversation (faster and more interactive than Instant Messaging) on a computer or mobile phone
• More information is at: http://www.realtimetext.org
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
We can all make it happen!
• Government – include accessibility in ICT policy and make appropriate regulation and legislation
• Service providers – offer accessible products and services
• Non-profit organisations – include accessibility in activities
• Everyone – make accessible websites
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
ACTION… making sure your Internet is accessible
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
• Before you can improve Internet accessibility, you need to RESEARCH• Identify the key disability groups in your community• Find out if other groups are active in Internet
accessibility• Research local Internet sites to check their accessibility
(especially Government sites)• Collect examples of important services that are not
accessible• Research your legislation and regulations to see what
your Government policies are for disability access
ACTION… making sure your Internet is accessible
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
• We need to UNITE• Arrange public meetings to plan your approach• Invite politicians and senior public servants who
may support you• Work as a team to identify what your key issues
are• Make sure you INCLUDE people with disabilities in
every stage of your consultation and planning• Prioritise your wish list for change and FOCUS on
those things that are most important for your community
• Don’t try to do everything at once, pick a few important issues to tackle first
ACTION… making sure your Internet is accessible
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
• We need to PLAN• Build a strong case• Gather examples of services that aren’t
accessible• Get real stories of disadvantage and
discrimination• Provide international examples of
accessible Internet • Show how other countries manage
accessibility
ACTION… making sure your Internet is accessible
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
• We need to PLAN• Identify the key decision makers that you need
to influence• Aim high: the President, Prime Minister or
Government Ministers - they can bring about change
• Create a plan to present your case to the decision makers• Coordinate your team - decide who should
be the contact point and how they should do it
ACTION… making sure your Internet is accessible
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
• Be patient but strong• There are many small steps that make a big
win• Measure each small achievement• Celebrate each time you achieve a step• Communicate each win with everyone
involved – it helps keep spirits and hopes high
• Continue to gather evidence and stories – keep sending out the same, strong message
ACTION… making sure your Internet is accessible
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
• Make the media your friend• Get close to your media - they can help you
keep the heat on decision makers• Local and national newspapers• Radio• Internet blogs (you may like to start one for
the campaign)• Provide frequent press releases and updates• Regularly provide the media with examples of
disadvantage and discrimination
ACTION… making sure your Internet is accessible
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Resources to help you
• There are many case studies of action for accessibility• Maguire vs Sydney Organising
Committee for the Olympic Games under Australian Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) – inaccessible website• Australian Telecommunications Act
refers to DDA
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Resources to help you
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=12&pid=150
• Millennium Development Goals http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?
id=1470• ITU-T Resolution on Disability• Asia-Pacific Development Center on
Disabilityhttp://www.apcdfoundation.org/
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society08/24/09
Resources to help you
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and its partner, the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict) teamed up to develop an online Toolkit for Policy Makers on e-Accessibility & Service Needs for Persons with Disabilities, to assist national regulators, policy makers and legislators to implement measures and foster national programmes supporting the
digital accessibility agenda of the CRPD.
• Website is at http://www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Example of consumer advocacy
• Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN)
• Consumer watch-dog in communications
• Working on improved availability, accessibility and affordability to ICT
• http://www.accan.org.au
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Summary• Used poorly the Internet can impose
BARRIERS to accessibility for people with disabilities• Used effectively the Internet can be a
great ENABLING tool for people with disabilities• Consumers and their advocates must
UNITE to lobby service providers and policy makers to get changes to accessibility• Consult with your consumers to FOCUS
your efforts on the accessibility priorities they want• This is a GLOBAL issue - use the research,
tools and resources to work together for accessibility
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Future Champions
• Let's find future champions for making change
Country Regional
• Using tools to move forwards
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society08/24/09
Concluding remarks
Accessibility is not only for people with disabilities but for
everyone.
The Internet Society's motto is:The Internet is for everyone
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Acknowledgements
• ISOC – Community Grants Programme funding• ISOC- Australia Chapter – support and
coordination• PICISOC – organisation and venue• Pacific Disability Forum – liaison and input• Royal Society of the Blind, South Australia –
resources• Rakesh Chand and Soloveni Vitoso – co-
presenters at PacINET• And workshop participants!
Capacity Building for Internet Accessibility Policy Development
This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society
Contact details
Gunela AstbrinkDirector, ISOC-AU
http://[email protected]
