1. Digital Barriers:
Set Up and Operation of a National Helpdesk
Christian Radek Ph.D., BAG SELBSTHILFE/Di-Ji
Funded by:

2. Overview
The Di-Ji Project
Legal Background
Digital Barriers
Helpdesk Operation
Examples
– Web barriers
– Barriers and public digital terminals

3. Digital Barriers
Set Up and Operation of a National Helpdesk
THE DI-JI PROJECT

4. The Di-Ji Project
„Digitally informed – integrated at work“
National German Project funded by:
– The Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs
– Runtime is 36 months
Project Consortium
– BAG SELBSTHILFE
– FTB
– Sozialverband VdK
– Supported by TU Dortmund

5. Goals
Access to the work environment
– Education, Work, Commuting, Taxes, …
Removal of digital barriers
Improve and secure quality
– Ensure sustainable accessibility
Provision of guidelines (How to …) and
target agreements
Raise public awareness
Promote Universal Design

6. Digital Barriers
Set Up and Operation of a National Helpdesk
LEGAL BACKGROUND

7. Legal Background
UN Convention on the rights of people with
disabilities (e.g. Article 9)
Law against the Discrimination of People
with Disabilities BGG §4
Accessible Information Technology by law
(BITV) in effect since:
– 1.0 (17.07.2002) based on WCAG 1.0
– 2.0 (22.09.2011) based on WCAG 2.0

8. Three areas
Legally only government agencies and
authorities are required to provide
accessible ICT.
Private organisation, companies, or firms
are not required to provide accessible ICT.
Gray area:
– Organisations linked to the government
– Companies which are subcontracted by the
authorities
– Projects funded by the government

9. Digital Barriers
Set Up and Operation of a National Helpdesk
DIGITAL BARRIERS

10. Digital Barriers
Barriers in ICT
– World Wide Web
• Web pages, web applications (Online banking),
multimedia
• Networking (Facebook, Twitter, …)
– Online Documents
• PDF, MS Word documents
– Software
• Operating System
• Programms (e.g. tax computation / refund)
– Public Digital Terminals (PDTs)
• Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)

11. Digital Barriers
Set Up and Operation of a National Helpdesk
HELPDESK OPERATION

12. How to report?
Barriers can be reported by:
– Phone
– Fax
– E-Mail
– A simple web form (to state the problem)
– A more detailled web form

13. Further steps
Assessment of the problem
– Confirmation of the barrier
– Identification of the underlying cause
Contact the owner, manufacturer …
– State the problem
• What is the problem? For whom is it a problem?
– Identify the cause
• The problem is caused by …
– Provision of advice
• Do, use, change etc.

14. Reaction
Response
– No response (2nd attempt is made by us)
– Acknowledgement of the problem, but failure
to resolve it because of
• customer requirements
• corporate identity
– Promises to solve the problem at some point
in the future (e.g. re-launch in x months).
– To stop work with a subcontractor
Information of the outcome is given to the
person who reported the problem.

15. Digital Barriers
Set Up and Operation of a National Helpdesk
EXAMPLES

16. Top 7 Web Barriers
1. Insufficient colour contrast.
2. Missing alternative text for non-text
objects (e.g. images).
3. Incorrect or missing link between form
field and label.
4. No use, incorrect use, or incorrect order
of heading tags.
5. Mouse versus keyboard access.
6. CAPTCHAS.
7. Links opening in new widow or tab.

17. Public Digital Terminals
(Mr. Languth-Wasem, Vice President BAG SELBSTHILFE)

18. Thank you for your attention!