The Internet Governance Forum IGF09 Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt 15th - 18th November, 2009 The Economic Imperative of Social Inclusion Presented by Mr. Gerard Ellis On Behalf of The Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability

Introduction What is Universal Design and who gains from it? Investigation from the point of view of disabled users of Internet technologies Inclusion is good for all of society

Legislative Background Beyond Legislation need to go beyond legislation is Recognised by policy makers throughout the world i a European information society for growth and employment (COM(2005)229) Riga Ministerial Declaration on e-Inclusion outcomes from the First World Summit on the Information Society The Barcelona Declaration.

Guidelines and Standards Internet Web Access Initiative (WAI) of the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) WCAG Version 2.0 Authoring Tools and User Agent Guidelines DAISY Standards CEN Workshop Agreement on a Curriculum for training ICT Professionals in Universal Design

Guidelines and Standards Universal Design design of mainstream products, services and systems to be accessible by as broad a range of potential users as possible first Guideline of Universal Design "Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not Partnership with users with disabilities Consult with people with disabilities at design stage Far cheaper than to retrofit

Access to Information Digital Rights and Document Formats Becoming more and not less difficult to gain access to digitised information Developing standards on access to documents in PDF format World Blind Union proposal on Copyright in WIPO Other information exchange methods such as Information Kiosks, Digital TV, electronic voting devices, electronic books, e-education, etc Standards required

Benefits of Accessibility Benefits to People with Disabilities Gain disproportionately Some cannot use old fashioned paper-based services Some cannot use inaccessible public transport Many buildings physically inaccessible Can use mainstream or assistive technologies that they know best Employment and Promotion Opportunities Employment leads to better social integration

Benefits of Accessibility Benefits to Older People The world's population is greying Overlap of Issues between disability and ageing Older people acquire disabilities people with disabilities grow old Many did not grow up with technology Need easy-to-learn and easy-to-use systems

Benefits of Accessibility Benefits to Managers Notoriously difficult because of the inherent pace of change Reduction of Development and Management Costs Increase audience reach and customer satisfaction, leading to greater take-up Make training and staff assessment easier Demonstrate Social Responsibility Reduce chances of legal challenges

Benefits of Accessibility Benefits to Public Bodies Public bodies cannot choose their customers If not accessible, old manual system must be continued Staff can be transferred to more efficient duties Must include internal systems to support staff with disabilities Retain staff who acquire disabilities during working lives Manual intermediaries will always be required, but their number can be reduced

Benefits of Accessibility Benefits to Public Servants Avoid tedious duties such as information desks personally more rewarding jobs better opportunities for promotions Can continue employment if acquire disability

Benefits of Accessibility Benefits to Society Products and services which are accessible to people with disabilities are typically easier to use for everyone Improve access for users with lower literacy and/or language skills Improve access for users using mobile devices, digital TV and other emerging technologies Improve access for users using low bandwidth connections and those using older hardware and/or software

Benefits of Accessibility Benefits to Society (Cont'd) Improve access for users with low technology skills Higher take-up amongst public leads to critical mass of use, promoting further developments Higher employment amongst people with disabilities improves society's overall economic performance Facilitates Technology Convergence

Benefits of Accessibility Who Loses? Apply Cost/Benefit across entire value chain everyone gains Nobody loses Change of mindset towards Universal Design Training for designers, Developers, Testers, middle and senior Management Inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the design and development cycle

Conclusion People with disabilities and older people gain disproportionately if included Stand to lose disproportionately if excluded Universal Design Partnership with potential users Everyone gains Nobody loses