1. Assistive Technologies and Inclusive
Solutions for All
Focus on Key Actors
Bue Vester-Andersen
European Disability Forum
The representative organisation of persons with disabilities in Europe
www.edf-feph.org

2. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
Accessibility and assistive technology
The two things complement each other.
Disabled person on an island wants access to the
main land. AT reaches out from the island, and
accessibility reaches out from the main land.
The two have to meet in order to make a bridge for
the disabled person to cross.
Even the best accessibility may be worth nothing for
a person if she doesn't have the Assistive
technology necessary to access the system.
Even the best Assistive technology cannot access an
inaccessible system.
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3. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
Accessibility and Usability
Usability as the "soft part" of accessibility or
accessibility as the "hard part" of usability.
People with disability and elderly people are more
sensitive to the lack of usability.
A website may be accessible to the letter but
unusable due to bad usability (317 links and 126
headings).
Don't make me think (Steve Krug,
www.sensible.com, 2005).
Adapting to Web Standards (Christopher Schmitt,
2008)
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4. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
The Three Link Together
Accessibility as the measureable part
Only noted when absent
Nothing is stronger than the weakest link
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5. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
Hot Topics for EDF
Call for Binding EU legislation (directive)
Horizontal legislation - meaning broad legislation.
Needs to be horizontal and independent of any
specific technology to be sustainable.
Support standards and guidelines like WCAG and
atag.
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6. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
Hot Topics for EDF
What should be Accessible?
What should not be accessible?
Public websites
Extended definition also includes websites of
entities that provide basic services for the public
such as public transport operators, gas/electricity
providers, banking, social security, etc.
Intranets and systems providing access to work
place and employment.
Private websites may also benefit from accessibility,
since people with disabilities and aging people
constitute a considerable consumer segment.
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7. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
Hot Topics for EDF
Why binding Legislation?
To be in line with the provisions of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, which include accessibility of
information and communication technologies and
systems (article 9), access to information (article
21) and television programmes (article 30)
not achieving e-accessibility would have a deep
social effect, increasing costs of social protection
systems and generating extra costs for the support
of persons with disabilities and their families
it results in a loss of human capital of disabled
workers and thus in a general loss of productivity
The general public will also benefit from e-
accessibility measures.
Non-binding instruments have been tried (councel
resolutions and ministerial declarations). They don't
work!
The Riga Declaration 2006
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8. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
2011
Work on the future European Commission proposal for
accessibility of public websites and websites providing
basic services
ANEC EBU and AGE also involved
Full implementation of UN CRPD articles linked to e-
accessibility (article 9, 21 and 30)
Covers not only e-accessibility but also accessibility
in general.
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9. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
EDF and AGE
AGE - EDF Position on the Future EU Digital Agenda
(February 2010)
Accessibility interoperability and affordability
Interoperability
Between AT and mainstream ICT
Between formats and software
Between services and products
Affordability
Important not to make further discrimination on the
basis of AT affordability
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10. European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988
www.atis4all.eu
AT User Organizations
European Blind Union (EBU)
European Union of the Deaf (EUD)
European Federation of Hard of Hearing (EFHOH)
Autism Europe
Inclusion Europe
European Down Syndrome Association (EDSA)
European Dyslexia Association (EDA)
International Federation of Persons with Physical
Disability (FIMITIC)
European Alliance of Muscular Dystrophy
Association (EAMDA)
European Association of Cochlear Implant Users
(EURO-CIU)
European Deafblind Network (EDbN)
European Deafblind Union (EDBU)
European Kidney's Patients Association (CEAPIR)
European League of Stuttering Associations (ELSA)
International Federation for Spina Bifida and
Hydrocephalus (IF)
Retina Europe
European-umbrella organizations
AGE, the European platform for older people,
already involved in ATIS4all.
ANEC, the European organisation representing
consumers in standardization.
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