FW: EU moves on accessibiliy

["Gregg Vanderheiden" <gv@trace.wisc.edu>]

Hello,

As I was saying about EU moves, and the Portugese government being
ahead..

Here are extracts from the sections 1 and 4 of the RNIB E-access Bulletin,
obtained from message forwarded via Peter Bosher and BCAB (British
Computer Association of the Blind).

Cheers from Chiswick,

John
--
Date: 26 Jan 2000 13:57:25 -0000
From: eab@headstar.com
Subject: E-access Bulletin - January 2000

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Welcome to the first edition of E-access Bulletin, an exciting new project
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support
from the National Library for the Blind and the Guide Dogs for the Blind
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relating to the use of information and communications technology by blind
and visually impaired people - issues of great topicality and vital
importance,
if the UK government is to achieve its ambition of building an inclusive
'information society'.

I hope very much you enjoy this newsletter.

Dan Jellinek, January 2000

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ISSUE 1, JANUARY 2000

IN THIS ISSUE:
Section One:
News: EU moves to ensure inclusive information society; Countdown to CSUN;
New, improved BETSIE; Visual impairment web gateway planned; Contributions
welcome.

Section Two:
New technologies: digital radio

Section Three:
Mobile telephony:
Wildfire from Orange, a voice-activated personal assistant

Section Four:
Web site accessibility: UK government boosts web access

***
SECTION ONE: NEWS

EU MOVES TO ENSURE INCLUSIVE INFORMATION SOCIETY

The European Commission has launched a major new initiative - 'eEurope'
- aimed at creating a socially inclusive information society, including
a proposed new mandatory requirement for all government and other public
service internet sites to be made accessible to the special access software
used by blind and visually impaired people.

The move coincides with the Portugese Presidency of the EU - no coincidence,
as Portugal is the first European country where web accessibility is already
law. 'eEurope' focuses on ten priority areas, aimed at bringing every
citizen
online; creating a digitally literate Europe; and ensuring that the whole
process is socially inclusive. Priority Seven is 'eParticipation for the
disabled'.

Targets on accessibility, released for consultation, include:

"By the end of 2000: The Commission and member states should review the
relevant legislation and standards programmes dealing with the information
society, with a view to ensuring their conformity with accessibility
principles.

The Commission will [also] propose a recommendation to member states to
take account of the requirements of people with disabilities in the
procurement of information and communications products and services.

By the end of 2001: The Commission and member states should commit
themselves
to making the design and content of all public web sites accessible to
people with disabilities.

By the end of 2002: The Commission will support the creation of a network
of centres of excellence, at least one in each member state, that will
develop a European curriculum module in Design-for-All to train designers
and engineers."

The eEurope home page is at:
www.europa.eu.int/comm/dg13/eeurope/home.htm
>From here, one can access the eEurope consultation document - ironically
available in Adobe pdf file only, not the most accessible of formats.

The Portugese internet accessibility group, PASIG, has set up an
eEurope-People With Disabilities discussion group. You can find out more at:
www.acessibilidade.net/eeurope/

***
SECTION FOUR: WEB ACCESSIBILITY

UK GOVERNMENT BOOSTS WEB ACCESS

All new UK government internet sites will be expected to be accessible
to special access software used by blind and visually impaired people,
and existing sites must be made accessible as soon as possible, according
to new guidelines released by the Cabinet Office.

Among the guidelines are that web page 'frames' - fixed sections which
use a more complicated structure - should only be used where there is no
straightforward alternative. If frames are implemented then a 'No frames'
alternative must be supplied for the entire site and access to it should
be easily visible on the homepage.

Although compliance is not compulsory, ministers will expect swift action
to bring sites up to scratch. Compliance will be policed by a 'New media
team' in the Cabinet Office, headed by the e-envoy Alex Allan.

The guidelines can be found at:
www.iagchampions.gov.uk/Guidelines/websites/

The RNIB has welcomed the guidelines. Campaigns officer Julie Howell said
that, while few government sites yet comply with the guidelines, she was
optimistic that this would change.

"The government departments I've spoken to are worried about the Disability
Discrimination Act - they don't want to be the first to be sued. Since
the guidelines were published I've had departments or their web site
designers
ringing me non-stop. They are competitive, they all want to be the best".

She said it was also encouraging that she had not been hearing excuses
from departments about why they could not comply with the guidelines,
despite
some of them being fairly tough to meet. "The guidelines say all departments
have to adhere to the accessibility rules unless there is a demonstrable
reason why they should not. We are keen to hear of any such reasons, to
enable us to help tackle any problems, but so far everyone we've spoken
to has been fully supportive".

However, Howell admits that the situation outside the public sector offers
more cause for concern. "Business is a different matter. They do not have
to facilitate services to the public like government. Often they say that
if they have a phone line alongside web information then that is enough
to cater for blind or visually impaired people, but we say that is not
enough - web services should be accessible".

To help both government and private sector companies check their web sites
for accessibility, the RNIB is looking to assemble a group of blind
consultants
to give sites the once-over. Anyone interested in joining this project
should contact Julie Howell on 0171 391 2191. Readers can also use this
number to obtain a free copy of the RNIB/Web Accessibility Initiative video
on accessible web site design, 'Web Sites that Work'.

The RNIB will also be looking to be involved in the new European 'eEurope
- Information society for all' project on the information society and
accessibility
(see news, this issue). Its public policy team is currently compiling a
response to the eEurope consultation document, to be submitted before the
1 February deadline.

***

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----
Forwarded via Peter Bosher

Peter Bosher,
Email: peter@soundlinks.com
http://www.soundlinks.com/
Tel': +44 (0) 1494 794 797
Fax: +44 (0) 1494 583 146
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--
Access the word, access the world       Tel/fax +44 20 8742 3170/8715
John Nissen                             Email to jn@tommy.demon.co.uk
Cloudworld Ltd., Chiswick, London, UK   http://www.tommy.demon.co.uk