The European Union adopted in 2016 the Web Accessibility Directive, which requires that public services websites and mobile applications are made accessible to persons with disabilities. To support the implementation of the Directive, which must be transposed into national legislation by 23 September 2018, the European Commission has published an analysis of the current practices in this field in EU countries and beyond and how these can support the development of a European harmonised framework.
Equal access to information and services is a human right applicable to all, including persons with disabilities. With the increasing digitalization of services and information provided by public authorities, the issue of web accessibility has become critical for public services in Europe.
In 2016 AGE welcomed the adoption of the Web accessibility directive, for which we had actively campaigned together with European Blind Union (EBU), the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the European Organisation representing Consumers in Standardisation (ANEC). Read more in our November 2016 Special Briefing
The European Accessibility Act, published by the European Commission in December 2015 and currently in final stages of negociation, should help complement the web-accessibility directive and so broaden the scope of the services covered.
Standardisation has a major role to play in ensuring the accessibility of digital contents. This is why AGE is involved in PROGRESSIVE, an EU-funded project focusing on the standardisation needs in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support active and healthy ageing.
Useful links:
- EU study on accessibility of website and mobile apps
- Web Accessibility Directive
- PROGRESSIVE – A Platform for Standards