[Irl-dean] Spring 2005 EC Communication on eAccessibility

[Ronan J. Toomey]

The following material was brought to my attention this morning. It may be
relevant to a number of people on this list.  Please feel free to pass it
on to anybody else that you may be aware of.

Thanks,

Ronan Toomey
Disability Equality Unit
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
email: ronan_j._toomey at justice.ie
Phone 01 - 4790286
Fax 01 - 4790296


In this morning's Agence Europe:

(EU) EU/INFORMATION SOCIETY:
Commission launches consultation to allow as many citizens as possible,
including elderly and disabled, to make the most of ICT
Brussels, 11/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - By initiative of Viviane Reding, the
Commissioner for the Information and Communication Society, the Commission
opened a public consultation on Monday 10 January on how to allow as many
people as possible, including the elderly and people living with a
disability, to take advantage of the benefits of information and
communication technology (ICT). This is the Commission's first attempt to
remove technical challenges and iron out the problems facing the disabled
in particular, when they try to make use of electronic equipment such as
computers, mobile telephones and the Internet. Interested parties have
until 12 February 2005 to comment on the proposals contained within the
consultation document, the results of which will feed into a Commission
communication on the accessibility of on-line products and services, to be
adopted in June 2005.
In a press release, the spokesperson states that the consultation which
started on Monday highlights three key areas in which the EU could boost
the accessibility of electronic products and services:

1) public procurement: the document indicates that Member State authorities
could draw up joint requirements to facilitate the acquisition of
accessible goods and services. This, in return, will increase the market
for mass-market products;
2) certification: the document proposes to look into the idea of using a
certification mechanism to create a quality label for accessible goods and
services;
3) use of legislation: the document reveals that several Member States of
the EU already have legislation on the on-line availability of goods and
services, and that certain indicators suggest that harmonisation of the
corresponding technical requirements throughout the EU could make this
legislation into a more powerful agent of change, whilst boosting
interoperability and avoiding market fragmentation. The document also puts
forward several support measures, such as the development of the skills
needed for new technologies (eSkills), stepping up ICT research to promote
the accessibility of on-line products and monitoring the accessibility of
the Internet and the development of digital television.

The EU Report of today gives the same information and additional details:

The consultation will run until February 12, 2005. It covers such themes as
public procurement, certification, research, developing skills (eSkills),
etc. Responses will be examined by the relevant Commission services up to
mid-March. The
subsequent Communication is expected by June 2005. For further information
see:
www.europa.eu.int/yourvoice/forms/dispatch?form=369 (questionnaire)
and
www.europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/accessibility/com_ea_2005/index_en.htm
 (more general information).



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