The European Accessibility Act: a Model for a More Accessible Digital Europe

The IGF Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability (DCAD) facilitates interaction and ensures that ICT accessibility is included in the key debates around Internet Governance to build a future where all sectors of the global community have equal access to the Information Society. DCAD brings together key stakeholders from the technical community, civil society, government policymakers, regulators, and corporate and individual adopters, with the shared goal of accessibility.

Our goal has always been to ensure that the Internet and its benefits are fully and equally accessible to and independently usable by persons with disabilities, so they can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services within the same timeframe as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use. There are many types of disabilities from cognitive disabilities, visual disabilities, and hearing disabilities are just a few. We work with people across the spectrum to provide them with access to and the needs they desire to become active members of the Internet Governance ecosystem.

DCAD focuses on these core principles: affordability, accessibility, usability, and availability for persons with disabilities or specific needs. Accessible technology can be a game changer for persons with disabilities. In this vein, we have been working within the Internet Governance community to promote public interest in and knowledge of the necessity for accessibility for persons with disability and encourage enlightened accessibility measures worldwide.

Session description

The European Accessibility Act took effect in April 2019. The Act’s goals are to improve the trade between members of the EU for accessible products and services, by removing country-specific rules. This law was built to complement the EU’s Web Accessibility Directive of 2016 and includes a wide range of systems including personal devices such as computers, smartphones, e-books, and TVs, as well as public services like television broadcasts, ATMs, ticketing machines, public transport services, banking services and e-commerce sites that must be accessible to persons of disabilities.

This session will focus on how well several European organizations are living up to these goals and making the EU as accessible as possible. The session will be moderated by Dr. Olivier Crepin-Leblond and by Dr. Mohammed Shabbir, the Coordinator of DCAD. Olivier will open the session and provide an overview of this session while Dr. Shabbir will provide an overview of the DCAD.

Speakers:

• Vilmantas Balčikonis will share the views on what is important in implementing the European Accessibility Act from an end-user perspective. He will also talk about the uncertainties in implementing requirements stemming from EAA and attempt to address some of them.

• Lidia Best, President of the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH), will speak about the efforts of the EU Federation of Hard of Hearing People to ensure equitable treatment and participation in health, education, jobs, and other professions.
• Giacomo Mazzone, EDMO Advisory Board, and EuroDig Board Member will speak about the implementation of this Act in Media and Journalism and also talk about the work of the European Audiovisual Observatory
• Indre Jurgelioniene, Chief Advisor at the Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority and Co-Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) End-User Working Group will speak about the implementation of the ACT from the BEREC perspective, provide an overview of the national legislation related to accessibility, and provide some insight into the challenges they have faced in implementing the Act and the solutions found to overcome the challenges.

Format

Pre-events should give the opportunity to create synergies with 3rd parties i.e. Dynamic Coalitions, Partners. No session principles apply. They are held on day zero in parallel to setting up the venue for EuroDIG. We provide limited technical support.

Let us know here what you want to do.

Further reading

• https://www.igf-dcad.org
• https://igf-dcad.org/key-resources/
• https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/accessibility-toolkit/

The IGF Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability (DCAD) facilitates interaction and ensures that ICT accessibility is included in the key debates around Internet Governance to build a future where all sectors of the global community have equal access to the Information Society. Our goal has always been to ensure that the Internet and its benefits are fully and equally accessible to and independently usable by persons with disabilities, so they are able to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services within the same timeframe as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use.

DCAD focuses on these core principles: affordability, accessibility, usability, and availability for persons with disabilities or specific needs. Accessible technology can be a game changer for persons with disabilities. In this vein, we have been working within the Internet Governance community to promote public interest in and knowledge of the necessity for accessibility for persons with disability and encourage enlightened accessibility measures worldwide.

People

Moderator:

• Dr. Olivier Crepin-LeBlond (In Person Moderator) and   Dr. Mohammed Shabbir, the Coordinator of DCAD (Remote Moderator)

Speakers:

• Vilmantas Balčikonis is the Vice President of the Lithuanian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted, with over 5 years of experience in the field of accessibility. Vilmantas actively participates in various accessibility-related events and is well-versed in The European Accessibility Act.
• Lidia Best, President of the European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH)
• Indre Jurgelioniene, Chief Advisor at the Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority and Co-Chair of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) End-User Working Group
• Giacomo Mazzone, EDMO Advisory Board, and EuroDig Board Member

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