e-Accessibility Policy Toolkit for
Persons with Disabilities

A Joint ITU-G3ict Initiative

Please visit the Toolkit Web site at www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org

NEW! The Toolkit is now available in Print

e-Accessibility Policy Handbook for Persons with Disabilities

Based upon the online Toolkit, the handbook is a joint publication of ITU, G3ict, and the Centre for Internet and Society, in cooperation with the The Hans Foundation. The book is compiled and edited by Nirmita Narasimhan. Available in PDF, Daisy, and Braille formats.

The Toolkit is made possible thanks to voluntary contributions by a faculty of multiple stakeholders.

EDITORS

Axel Leblois, Executive Director, G3ict
Susan Schorr, Head, Special Initiatives Division, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
Dónal Rice, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, NDA. Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI-Galway, Ireland (Toolkit Editor)
Francesca Cesa Bianchi, G3ict (ITU-G3ict Policy Toolkit Editorial Coordinator)

EDITORIALCOMMITTEE

Clara Luz Alvarez, Mexico
Tamas Babinszki, Even Grounds, U.S.A.
Kevin Carey, humanITy, RNIB/World Blind Union, U.K.
John Clarkson, University of Cambridge, Engineering Design Centre, U.K.
Anne-Rivers Forcke, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center
Luis Gallegos, Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States, G3ict Chairperson, Former Chair Ad Hoc Preparatory Committe of the CRPD
Rune Halvorsen, NOVA, Norway
Asenath Mpatwa, ITU
Gerard Quinn, Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI-Galway, Ireland
Felicity Rawlins, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center
Andrea Saks, ITU
Licia Sbattella, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Andi Snow-Weaver, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center
James Thurston, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Group
Cynthia D. Waddell, International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI), U.S.A.

CONTRIBUTORS

J. E. Baker, L. McArthur, J. Silva, Jutta Treviranus, Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, University of Toronto, Canada
David Banes, Mada, Qatar Assistive Technology Center
David Baylor, World Broadcasting Unions (WBU)
Hardik Bhatt, Department of Innovation and Technology, City of Chicago and Karen Tamley, Commissioner, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, City of Chicago; Danielle DuMerer and Matthew Guilford, Department of Innovation and Technology, City of Chicago; Laurie Dittman and Joseph Russo, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, City of Chicago
Fernando Botelho, Literacy Bridge & Mais Diferenças, Brazil
Kevin Carey, humanITy, RNIB/World Blind Union, U.K.
Gerald Craddock, NDA/CEUD, Ireland
Anne-Rivers Forcke, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center
Jonathan Freeman,MD i2 media research ltd; Department of Psychology Goldsmiths, University of London New Cross, U.K.
Angela Garabagiu, Council of Europe
Claudio Giugliemma, Dominic Foundation, Switzerland
Larry Goldberg, WGBH, U.S.A.
Martin Gould, National Council on Disability, U.S.A.
Gunnar Hellström, Omnitor, Sweden

James Hubbard, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, NDA, Ireland
Bill Joley, International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI), U.S.A.
Mike Jones, Wireless RERC, Georgia Institute of Technology, U.S.A.
Axel Leblois, G3ict
Alex Li, International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/ International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC1) Special Working Group–Accessibility Convener
Ben Lippincott, Wireless RERC, Georgia Institute of Technology, U.S.A.
Mark Magennis, National Council for the Blind of Ireland - NCBI Centre for Inclusive Technologies (CFIT), Ireland
Nirmita Narasimhan, Centre for Internet and Society, India
Trisha O’Connell, WGBH-Shapiro National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), U.S.A.
Mike Paciello, The Paciello Group, U.S.A.
Helen Petrie, University of York, U.K.
Inmaculada Placencia Porrero, European Commission Directorate General of Employment, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities
Dónal Rice, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, NDA. Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI-Galway, Ireland
Rebecca Schild, Centre for Internet and Society, India
Susan Schorr, Special Initiatives Division, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
Rich Schwerdtfeger, Distinguished Engineer, SWG Accessibility Architect/Strategist, IBM
David Sloan, University of Dundee, U.K.
Andi Snow-Weaver, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center
Mike Starling, World Broadcasting Unions (WBU)
James Thurston, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Group
Gregg Vanderheiden, University of Winsconsin-Madison, U.S.A.
Carlos A. Velasco, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technologies (FIT), Germany
Cynthia D. Waddell, International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI), U.S.A.
Sam Waller, University of Cambridge, Engineering Design Centre, U.K.
Gottfried Zimmermann, Access Technologies, U.S.A.

WHY A TOOLKIT?
Digital Accessibility is a key mandate of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Whereas the Convention mandates desired outcomes, it does not prescribe specific digital accessibility solutions or references. The Toolkit is therefore designed to:

Support States parties to the Convention in identifying the requirements of Article 9 of the Convention and analyzing local gaps in digital accessibility programs and policies.
Provide a framework for the development of policies and strategies for mainstreaming digital accessibility at national, regional and international levels.
Serve as a global electronic repository of policies, international standards, good practices and technical references on digital accessibility.
Facilitate the design of effective policy frameworks responding to the needs of e-inclusiveness principles covering Communication, Information & Services.
Promote accessible and assistive ICT applications by fostering public-private cooperation in order to expand ICT usage by persons with disabilities.
Provide specific guidance to adequately address key issues of particular relevance to developing country environments.

The Toolkit was announced jointly by G3ict and ITU on April 21, 2008 (see communiqué on Goals and Objectives here).

TOOLKIT CONTENTS

UN Convention
Who benefits?
e-accessibility basics
Technology areas
Product development and design
Public procurement
Promoting assistive technologies
International cooperation
Local government
Developing policy
Guides by policy area
Annexes

METHODOLOGY
The Toolkit is developed for an audience of policy makers, regulators and other stakeholders active in disability issues including NGOs and parliamentarians depending on country specifics. Its framework, usability, contents and references is therefore tailored to this audience:

The Toolkit's contents will be posted on a dedicated Web site, easy to update and to translate into practical and effective measures at the local level.
It offers cross-reference technical solutions with application areas in order to match common structures of government agencies and facilitate policy making among them.
It is solely based on existing proven good practices. Case studies with references are attached to each section and include both best practices as well as failed ones to serve as pitfalls to be avoided.
It includes a checklist of the various items in the Convention for stakeholders to know which ones were mandatory (shall/must) and which ones were voluntary.

Headlines:

IBM HA&AC Plays Leading Role in Developing the Toolkit