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Accessible ItalyThe new provisions to support the access

to Information Technologies for the disabled

Domenico Gargani

Research Unit

Ministry for Innovation and Technology

Paris, 31st January 2005

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Counting the disabled

The “Stanca” Act to favour disabled access to ICTs

Enforcement Regulations

The Ministerial Decree

International Framework

Table of Contents

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POLICY STATEMENT

Access to technology and its full use represents today a basic right for all citizens without exception

Accessibility consists in removing the virtual barriers which are fundamentally equivalent to architectural barriers

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In 1999 there were approximately 2.615.000 disabled, i.e. almost 5% of the population: such a figure is destined to grow as the population grows older, and an increasing number of older people inevitably become disabled.

Non-accessible technology has an impact on all of us

Counting the disabled in Italy

If we were to count the number of the disabled in Italy today on the basis on the new 2001 WHO definition, the figure would certainly be much higher.

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The Italian

Approach

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1st Regulation Level – the “STANCA” ACT

GENERAL PRINCIPLES (in force)

Legal Framework for Accessibility

2nd Regulation Level – Enforcement Regulations

Criteria and rules for Accessibility

(pending at the Senate)

3rd Regulation Level – Ministerial Decree

How To Do It; Monitoring (final stage)

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promoted by the Italian Minister for Innovation and Technologies in collaboration with the “Interministerial Commission on Development and Use of Information Technology at the Service of the Disadvantaged Categories”

approved unanimously by both Chambers in 2004

Introduction to the “Stanca Act” to favour disabled access to ICTs

(1st Regulation level)

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In order to keep abreast with the rapid changes in the electronic technologies, the final version of the Law was made flexible and readily adaptable.

The Law foresees obligations for: 1. The Public Administration 2. All subjects who provide public services

General Characteristics

To safeguard the right to access all sources of information and related services

To grant, in particular, the right to access Public Administration electronic resources and online services to the disabled

Aims of the Act(Article 1)

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The capability of electronic systems, in the manner determined by and within the limitations defined by current technological expertise, to provide services and information without discriminating those who, as a result of disability, require assistive or non-standard technology.

Accessibility is strictly connected to the potential of current technology

Definition of Accessibility(Article 2)

“Assistive Technology ”: the instruments and the technical solutions, both hardware and software, that allow the disabled person to access information and

services provided by informatic systems, by overcoming or reducing the elements that create a disadvantage

Assistive technologies also include those which simply reduce, without entirely eliminating, the conditions

causing a disadvantage

Definition of Assistive Technology(Article 2)

Scope of Application(Article 3)

The Law is addressed to:

The Public AdministrationPublic economic agenciesPrivate enterprises distributing public

servicesTransport and telecommunications agencies

operating with public capital Enterprises contracting electronic services

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The possession of accessibility requisites is:

1) NECESSARY for: a) contracts stipulated by the P.A. and for the creation and

modification of internet sites b) the concession of Public contributions to private

subjects for the acquisition of goods and informatic services to be used by disabled professionals

2) A PREFERENTIAL CONDITION for public contributions to private subjects for the purchase of resources and electronic services

3) A REQUIREMENT TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION for the supply of electronic services

Obligations for the Public Administrations(Article 4)

The accessibility criteria are applied to all learning tools used in schools of every order and kind

All didactic content purchased by public school libraries should be accompanied by a digital copy of the same which is made available to disabled students and their remedial teachers

Accessibility of electronic instruments

(Article 5)

The Ministry for Innovation and Technology (MIT), evaluates, upon request, the

accessibility of Internet sites and of the electronic material produced by private

subjects

Evaluation of accessibility for private subjects(Article 6)

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The Law has a POSITIVE IMPACT both on:

the social environment: school

work

services

training of public employees (Article 8), etc.

the economic background:

as it contributes to an increase in the Italian P.A. expenditure in the ICT sector

Final considerations on the Law (1/2)

The Law is both a:

The cultural challenge: the scope of the problem is yet to be perceived

And a technological challenge: the Law should not only be applied to the Internet but to all communication and electronic systems

Final considerations on the Law (2/2)

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Define THE CRITERIA AND RULES concerning the operational and organizational issues related to accessibility

Introduce the USABILITY PRINCIPLE defined in a similar way as ISO 9126-1 e ISO 9241-11 rules

Enforcement Regulations

(2nd Regulation Level)

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a) technical requirements and different levels of accessibility

b) technical methods for the evaluation of websites’ accessibility

Ministry for Innovation and Technology Decree(3rd Regulation Level)

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World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations, in particular those of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

Standards defined in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the USA

Standards and technical requirements defined by International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

International Framework

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Thank-you for your attention

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1) Minister for Innovation and Technology (MIT)http://www.innovazione.gov.it/eng/index.shtml

2) Research Unit of the MIT- Studies on Disability and ICTs

http://www.innovazione.gov.it/ita/news/centro_studi/index.shtml

3) Pubbliaccesso: accessible portalwww.pubbliaccesso.it

Useful links