1 Accessible Italy The 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

2 Counting the disabled The “Stanca” Act to favour disabled access to ICTs Enforcement Regulations The Ministerial Decree International Framework Table of Contents

3 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

4 In 1999 there were approximately 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.

5 The Italian Approach

6 1 st Regulation Level – the “STANCA” ACT GENERAL PRINCIPLES (in force) Legal Framework for Accessibility 2 nd Regulation Level – Enforcement Regulations Criteria and rules for Accessibility (pending at the Senate) 3 rd Regulation Level – Ministerial Decree How To Do It; Monitoring (final stage)

7 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 (1 st Regulation level)

8 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)

10 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 Administration Public economic agencies Private enterprises distributing public services Transport and telecommunications agencies operating with public capital Enterprises contracting electronic services

13 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)

16 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)

18 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 e ISO rules Enforcement Regulations (2nd Regulation Level)

19 a)technical requirements and different levels of accessibility b)technical methods for the evaluation of websites’ accessibility Ministry for Innovation and Technology Decree (3 rd Regulation Level)

20 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

21 Thank-you for your attention

22 1) Minister for Innovation and Technology (MIT) 2) Research Unit of the MIT- Studies on Disability and ICTs 3) Pubbliaccesso: accessible portal Useful links