Barry McMullin Director, eAccess Laboratory Dublin City University, Ireland

e-Accessibility of European Online Public Services

What is e-Accessibility? Access to products and services People with disabilities Older people Via Information & Communication Technologies (Web, TV, phone etc.) … … but our study focusses on the Web W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0)

WCAG 1.0 Levels Level A: –Minimum –Otherwise, one or more groups find access impossible Level Double A: –Good Practice –Otherwise, one or more groups find access difficult

WCAG and the EU European Commission Communication (2005) –“Member States have committed themselves to make their public websites accessible according to international guidelines [WCAG]” European Parliament resolution (2002) –“… for websites to be accessible, it is essential that they are double-A compliant”

The Study Commissioned by: –European Public Administration Network (EPAN) –UK Presidency of the European Council 2005

Objectives Establish Policy Context –Member States –European Commission Evaluate eAccessibility –EU-wide –Web-based –eGovernment Recommendations for Action

Project Team Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) UK AbilityNet (UK) Socitm Insight (UK) Dublin City University (Ireland) Also supported by: –Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) UK –e-Government Unit, UK Cabinet Office –Greytower Technologies, Sweden

Methodology Policy Survey –Completed by Member States, EC –National strategy –Legal frameworks –Monitoring arrangements –Awareness, training and tools –Other issues

Methodology Accessibility Evaluation –436 Sites investigated in total –Automated “spidering” –Automated evaluation to subset of WCAG –Manual evaluation of 32 sites –Validation of automated checks –Evaluation of non-automatable checks –Extrapolation to full sample

Outcomes

Recommendations Public policy-makers at European Union level –Clear target: –All EU public sector websites to conform with WCAG 1.0 Level Double-A by 2010 –Co-ordination/best practice exchanges –Track progress –Standards, certification, qualification –Leverage procurement

Recommendations Public policy-makers in Member States –Public Plan with measurable commitments –Cross-governmental bias for action –Common practice guides –Incentives –Leverage procurement

Recommendations Web Content Managers and Developers in Public Sector Organisations –Detailed realisation of accessibility commitments –Clear public milestones and timetable –Implement media alternatives –Discontinue obsolete technologies (frameset) –eXtreme accessibility? –Build competence and expertise –Leverage procurement

Recommendations Web Tool Developers –Produce authoring tools conforming to the Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) –Produce browsers, plugins, players, viewers conforming to the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) –Build competence and expertise

But Finally… Designate a champion for e-Accessibility in each Member State with the responsibility and authority to deliver Level Double-A for all government websites by egovernment/eaccessibility