A charter has been commissioned by the Alliance for Digital
Inclusion (ADI), and developed by a consortium comprising RNID, the
Disabled Living Foundation (DLF) and technology consultants
Scientific Generics. It aims to ensure the future inclusion of
disabled and older people in Information and Communication
Technology (ICT).
The charter is very brief and stops short of asking for changes
to the legal framework.
It calls upon industry to use inclusive design principles to
create offerings that will be usable by disabled and older people;
to be creative in reaching out beyond their traditional customer
base so that ICT equipment and services are available and
affordable for disabled and older people; and to ensure that
customer-facing staff are aware of, and signpost to, ICT solutions
that meet the needs of disabled and older people.
Government is asked to harness new technology to create a more
equal society for all citizens and consumers. In addition to making
sure the local and national government services are fully
accessible and usable by disabled and older people, it is asked to
provide a better funding framework for access to employment and
education and for the subsidy of specialised access
technologies.
The charter also encourages other organisations in the voluntary
sector to identify and prioritise the requirements and challenges
of eInclusion and raise awareness about the barriers that disabled
and older people face.
Heidi Lloyd, a spokesperson for ADI, said: "By setting out a
framework for change we hope to make a positive step forward to
inclusion for disabled and older people. We recognise that
technology can be both a cause of and a solution to exclusion.
Through this charter, we hope to maximise the potential that
technology has to offer everyone."
See: ITenables
website
Website Accessibility 2006
Edinburgh, 13th June: OUT-LAW has teamed
up with Parallel 56 and User Vision to organise a national
conference on best-practice public sector website accessibility.
Hear from expert speakers on PAS 78, WCAG 2.0 and more.
Full
details at Parallel 56's website
