1. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities Pilot project: Set up of Internet access points and provision of ICT equipment to people with visual/hearing impairments (age related visual/hearing problems) in remote/border areas MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

2. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities Current situation Internet access for persons with visual /hearing impairment problems is far from being satisfactory The situation is even worse in remote/border areas Living conditions - not always adapted to the specific needs of elderly people MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

3. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities In Bulgaria A trend of continuous aging of the population ( by 2020 almost 40% of the EU population will be older than 65 ). Many of those people have but limited computer skills and thus they remain digitally excluded MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

4. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities In Bulgaria Main policy and strategic documents providing for equal opportunities for people with disabilities : National Concept for Encouraging the Active Life of Elderly people in Bulgaria for the period 2012- 2030 - ICTs determined as one of the main directions of the national lifelong learning policy within the context of active ageing National Program for Employment and Training of People with Disabilities - prevention of social exclusion MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

5. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities In Bulgaria Law on Professional Education and Training opportunities for training of adults with special educational needs National Strategy and Action Plan on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities provision of accessible information services and documentation for disabled people, accessible web-space, appropriate and on-line accessible content and services, etc. MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

6. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities In Bulgaria Seven centres for adult education, incl. in ITCs; more than 500 unemployed obtained vocational training, incl. in basic computer skills. MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

7. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities At international level in co-operation with the ITU Two joint projects successfully implemented: Two schools in Sofia and Varna for blind children and children with impaired vision equipped with dedicated hardware and software Specialized hardware and software for blind people provided and installed, as well as a wireless network connectivity and training in the Home for Elderly People with Visual Impairments in the city of Dobrich. ◦ 50 % of the elderly people in Dobrich acquired basic computer skills. ◦ High interest shown by the elderly people towards their training in basic ICT skills The good results obtained of this project encouraged us to propose this pilot project. MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

8. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities Objectives An environment in the border regions adapted to the needs of adults with impaired vision/hearing Expected results Access to information and documentation for visually impaired adults Easier cross-border communication and relations among the population Economic upswing Higher quality of life Slowdown of the depopulation in the rural/border areas both at national and regional level Facilitating the deployment of solutions for e-accessibility, including television/ICT applications for people with disabilities in other regions MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

9. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities Solution - provision of: Specialised software for the web-sites of 2/3 municipalities in border regions for people with impaired vision and/or hearing problems to access on-line information and documents and to communicate Wireless connectivity (access points) in rural/border areas through the local Post Offices in 2/3 municipalities Training of disabled people in basic/advanced computer skills, incl. training of trainers of disabled people. MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria

10. EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities Thank you Julieta Tencheva jtencheva@mtitc.government.bg MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS Republic of Bulgaria