The Business Cases of e-Accessibility: How Accessible ICT is Good Business Axel Leblois G3ict Copenhagen Conference on Disability 5-6th of March 2012
The Business Cases of e-Accessibility: How Accessible ICT is Good Business
Axel Leblois G3ict
Copenhagen Conference on Disability 5-6th of March 2012
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
G3ict Mission, Business Case
“To Facilitate the Implementation of the ICT Accessibility Dispositions of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”
G3ict’s position: the Business Case for ICT accessibility is a useful advocacy tool but not a substitute to
promoting a Human Rights perspective
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
Topics
1. Business Case for ICT Accessibility: Who Is Involved?
2. ROI for private sector products and services: case studies
3. Methodologies
4. ROI for Education
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1 - Business Case for ICT Accessibility: Who is involved?
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
ICT Accessibility: A Wide Range of Technologies and Applications
Web sites
Digital contents
Computer interfaces
Mobile and fixed phones
ATMs and electronic kiosks
Television
e-government electronic services
Public displays and messaging
Digital interfaces for consumer products
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
Business or Government? Who Should be Driving e-Accessibility?
Source: Survey of 34 DEEP 2012 Program Committee members
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
e-government services
Education
Assistive technologies for rehabilitation
Workplace Accommodation
Telecoms
Broadcasting and New Media
Travel and tourism
Banking and financial services
Private sector web accessibility
Private Sector Equally Driven Government
Source: DEEP 2012 Program Committee Survey
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
User Demographics are Compelling Example: 2005 US Census
Persons with disabilities in the United States:
54.4 million persons, 17% of the US population
35 million or 12% with a severe disability
69% of those age 21 to 64 with a severe disability are unemployed
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
57% of Microsoft Windows Customers Likely to Benefit from its Accessibility Features
57% of adult computer
users (age 18-64 in the US) are likely or very likely to benefit from accessibility features
1 in 4 users experiences a visual difficulty.
1 in 4 experience pain in wrists or hands.
1 in 5 has a hearing difficulty.
Study commissioned by Microsoft, Conducted by Forrester Research in 2003
Not likely to benefit
43%
Very likely to benefit
17% Likely to benefit
40%
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But, is this really a market?
“Show me the money!”
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2 - ROI for private sector products and services: case studies
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
The Raku Raku Experience in Japan: From Macro Data to Business Results
Market Situation in 2001
Mobile penetration 86%
NTT DoCoMo market share: 51%
Opportunity: mobile usage decreases significantly with age (90+% aged 20 to 50; less than 30% above 70)
NTT DoCoMo decides to tackle issue
Adoption of Universal Design across organization
Cell phone handsets and applications
Stores & services
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6-12歳 13-19歳 20-29歳 30-39歳 40-49歳 50-59歳 60-64歳 65-69歳 70-79歳 80歳以上
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Mar-05
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(%)
Trend of Cell Phone Usage Rates by Age 04-08
Source: Report on Trends in Communications Use, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC)
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Raku-Raku Phones sold by NTT DoCoMo by 2009?
15 Million!
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G3ict Case Study on AT&T: A Review of Internal Accessibility Processes
Universal Design and
product development
AAPAA: involving persons with disabilities in designing products and services
Dedicated marketing
Special rate plans
Customer service
160,000 employees trained on disability and accessibility issues
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
Financial Services: L&G (UK)
Seeks to improve the accessibility of its website for ethical, competitive and business development reasons
Redesigns, restructures and redevelops its website
Tailors it to work for people with different browsers, devices and disabilities
WCAG compliant, extensive user testing
Source: One Voice Report on ICT Accessibility
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
L&G’s Results: Large ROI Less than Six Months Payback Period
SEO - Rise in natural search engine traffic of 30%
Market reach – 13,000 extra visitors a month from improved browser compatibility (including users with handheld devices)
Customer satisfaction, 66% reduction in customer support costs
User experience – 75% reduction in time to load a page
Increased sales – 95% increase in online life quote requests; 90% increase in online life insurance sales per year
Payback Period – 100% return on investment in five to six months.
Source: One Voice Report on ICT Accessibility
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3 - Methodologies
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
Universal Design or Design for All
Common approach to leading business cases for ICT accessibility
Relies on in depth understanding and testing of users’ needs and abilities
Improves Supply Chain:
IBM’s procurement policy
AT&T Universal Design Guidelines for Suppliers
CRPD art. 4.1.f
Can be complemented by ROI or evaluation model
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
Assessing the Value of Accessibility Features: Stated Preference Method*
Based on asking people how much they would agree to pay for implementing specific features in a service or, alternatively, how much they would ask for as compensation for its absence.
Compares benefits with costs of the specific features of a product or service.
SPM used in Norway to appraise Universal Design (UD) in public transportation.
Could be be applied by corporations to assess the value of e-accessibility features of products or services
*Presented by James Odeck, Professor at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology at the 5th European e-Accessibility Forum
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
Leveraging ICF to Assess Users Abilities and Likelihood of Barriers
ICF - International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health
Developed by WHO, international and multidisciplinary participation, extensive field testing
Describes people’s functional abilities in various domains
Not linked to cause. For example, fluency and rhythm of speech functions could be from stuttering, stroke, or autism
A useful framework for ICT accessibility
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ROI for Education
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
ROI of ICT Accessibility for Inclusive Education
14% of U.S. primary and secondary public schools students live with a disability of which 5% with learning disabilities
Can greatly benefit from embedded accessibility features in existing applications and/or assistive technologies
Large investment in teacher training required to fully leverage technology in the classroom
ROI: significantly higher achievements, lower drop-out rates and reduced remedial costs – anecdotal and statistical evidence
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
ROI of Assistive Technologies for Employability: Politecnico di Milano
Engineering students with disabilities receive free Assistive Technologies and services from the University (government funded)
School maintains high level of ICT accessibility
Upon graduation, students Assistive Technologies are made available to first employer for one year with free support by University
Result: over 15 years, full employment of School of Engineering alumni with disabilities
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G3ict - EU Copenhagen March 5, 2012
G3ict Advocacy Resources
Policy Toolkit for Persons with Disabilities www.e-accessibilitytolkit.org & companion handbook (with ITU)
CRPD Progress Report on ICT Accessibility
Universal Service Funds for Persons with Disabilities
Making TV Accessible (with ITU)
M-Enabling global series for Mobile Service Providers 2011 - 2012 – 2013
Upcoming Activities:
DEEP 2012 – Toronto - Designing Enabling Economies and Policies – May 23-25 (with OCAD University)
Accessibility of the Workplace of the Future (with US DOL and Cornell University)
Accessibility of financial services
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Thank You
For Your Attention!
www.g3ict.org
www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org