Seminar for a Web Without Barriers for People with Disabilities: eGovernment for Everyone Presented by Michael Burks and Cynthia Waddell, Juris Doctor.

Seminar for a Web Without Barriers for People with

Disabilities:eGovernment for Everyone

Presented by Michael Burks and Cynthia Waddell, Juris Doctor

Internet Society Disability & Special Needs ChapterHouse of Diputados Auditorium 12 June 2007

Buenos Aires, Argentina

ISOC Disability & Special Needs Chapter

Mission: To Address Needs of People with Disabilities that are Related to the Internet – 650 Million People!

Members are Dedicated to Equal Access

Chairman: Michael Burks Vice-Chairman: Cynthia Waddell ICDRI Founding Sponsor

eGovernment for Everyone

Technology Crossroad The Problem of Web Barriers Benefits of Universal Design Signs of Global Inclusive Society

Shift Resources

Published with permission from USGSA

Technology Crossroad

Explosive Growth of Electronic Commerce

Shift from Web Content Publishing to Interactive Web Applications

Web Evolution to Multi-Modality Architecture

Global Human Rights Alignment

The Problem

People with Disabilities are being locked out from accessing the content of the World Wide Web

Why? The Design of the Web Site is Not Addressing Accessibility or Universal Design

Universal Design for the Web

Universal Design for the Web ensures that the presentation of content on the Web and the design of Web technology is flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the widest range of users possible, regardless of age, language or disability.

The Problem

An Inaccessible Web: People who are Blind or have

Specific Learning Disabilities Cannot Use Screen-reading Software that Audibly Reads the Web Page Out Loud

Can be a Barrier for People with Busy Eyes, Or in a Dark Room Or They have a Slow Modem

The Problem

An Inaccessible Web: People with Mobility Disabilities

Who Cannot Use a Mouse and Need Keyboard Access

People who have Busy Hands, Or Limited Dexterity Or No Hands Available

The Problem

An Inaccessible Web: People Using Speech Technology

Input Cannot Access Web Content People with Low Vision Cannot

Increase Web Text Size

The Problem

An Inaccessible Web: People who are Deaf Cannot

access Audio-Streaming or Videos that are not Captioned

People Cannot Hear in a Noisy Room or Place

The Problem Web Design Historically Has Not

Included Accessible Design for People with Disabilities

Web Developers Were Not Trained in Accessible or Universal Design; Web Tools Would Break Accessibility

Governments & Businesses Had No Incentive to Address Universal Design

Benefits of Universal Design

Benefits Both People with Disabilities AND People without Disabilities

Social Benefits Technical Benefits Financial Benefits

Social Benefits of Universal Design Promotes Equal Opportunity for People

with Disabilities Benefits People Without Disabilities:

Older Adults People with Low Literacy People Not Fluent in the Language People with Low Bandwidth Connections to

the Internet and Older Technologies People who are New and Infrequent Web

Users

Technical Benefits of Universal Design

Reduces Web Site Development and Maintenance Time

Reduces Server Load Enables Content on Different

Configurations Promotes Interoperability Prepares for Advances in Web

Technologies

Financial Benefits of Universal Design

Enables Increased Web Site Use & Reduces Maintenance Costs

Reduces Government Service Costs by Enabling Citizens to Access Information and Complete Transactions Online

Decreases Cost of Upgrading to New Technologies

Signs of Inclusive Society Shift

Global Society Shift from Medical Model to Integration and Full Participation

Focus on Ability, Integration and Incompatibility between Environment and People with Disabilities

Merger of Civil Rights Model with Social Rights Model

Signs of Inclusive Society Shift Growing Recognition of Significant Social

Cost if Digital Divide Remains Emergence of Technical Standards for

Accessible Design of ICT US: Section 508 Electronic & Information

Technology Accessibility Standards Japan: Accessible ICT Requirements are

being built into Japanese Industrial Standards European Union: e-Accessibility Initiatives

Signs of Inclusive Society Shift At Least 26 Countries and Jurisdictions

around the World have Adopted Accessible Web Design as a Policy or Law

Implementation of US Section 508 Accessible Web Rules, W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, or a Hybrid

See 2006 Global Survey Published in Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance

Signs of Inclusive Society Shift United Nations Convention on Rights of

Persons with Disabilities- Article 9: Accessibility (Built Environment and ICT) Ensure Access on an equal basis to

information and communications, including information and communications technologies (ICT) and systems AND emergency services (1)

Requires identification and elimination of barriers to accessibility (1)

Signs of Inclusive Society Shift United Nations Convention on Rights of

Persons with Disabilities- Article 9: Accessibility (Built Environment and ICT) Requires implementation of minimum

standards & guidelines for accessibility of services (2a)

Ensure that private entities offering services to the public take into account accessibility (2b)

Signs of Inclusive Society Shift United Nations Convention on Rights of

Persons with Disabilities- Article 9: Accessibility (Built Environment and ICT) Requires training for stakeholders on

accessibility issues (2c) States Parties must promote access to new

ICT and systems, including the Internet (2g) and

States Parties must promote ICT at early stage to minimize cost (2h)

Resources The Growing Digital Divide in Access

for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to ParticipationBy Cynthia D. Waddell, Juris Doctor

Commissioned by US Dept of Commerce & National Science Foundation for 1999 White House Digital Economy Conference

www.icdri.org/CynthiaW/the_digital_divide.htm

Resources Critical Issues from a Disability

Perspective: Accesibility by Cynthia D. Waddell, Juris Doctor

Expert Panel Presentation to United Nations Ad Hoc Committee For Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities

www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/panelcwaddell.htm

Resources Web Accessibility: Web Standards

and Regulatory ComplianceBy Cynthia Waddell, Michael Burks, et al

Published by Apress 2006

ISBN: 1-59059-638-2

Contact Information

Cynthia D. Waddell, Juris DoctorExecutive Director and Law, Policy and

Technology Subject Matter ExpertInternational Center for Disability

Resources on the Internet (ICDRI)[email protected]