CLOSING STATEMENT
6 September 2001

Mr. Marjan Kroflic on behalf of Workshop on Internet Accessibility for All in Central and Eastern Europe

1. Who we are

The workshop participants come from 10 Central and Eastern European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Yugoslavia, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia) and Japan. We are representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities, of academia, of the professions and of governmental services.

2. What we have done

Workshop participants have had opportunitites to review and discuss basic issues and trends in information and communication policies, structures and technologies and their implications for the Internet. Some of the presentations were admittedly, very technical, but we learned important lessons for application in our countries.

We have learned from each other in our exchanges of knowledge and experiences of country level activities related to the Internet and accessibility.

We have profited from the substantive sessions and parallel meetings of this 6th European Conference of AAATE.

We have noted with considerable interest the thoughtful and informative presentations on the eEurope initiative. We hope that the fundings and recommendations of our workshop of representatives of CEE countries would inform the further work of the eEurope initiative.

3. The way ahead: elements of a strategic framework to promote Internet accessibility for all in CEE

We are very much of the view that Internet accessibility for all is an essential component of a broad rights-based approach to development. If access is limited for some, one cannot fully realise full and effective participation in social life and development, and equality. To that end the workshop participants will make special efforts to promote awareness and support for practical action to further implement the U.N. Standard Rules on Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

We have learned a gread deal from the substantive presentations at this Conference and from the exchanges and practical work at our workshop of the great potential that the Internet offers to realise equalisations of opportunities and to achieve societies for all. However, for many in our countries there currently is limited access to the great potential of the global Internet.

(1) For some the question of Internet access relates to the current structures and mechanisms for Internet connectivity: there remain many areas where there is little or no access to an Internet service or the cost of Internet access is beyond the means of the many of our fellow citizens. We note in this regard the special attention that the eEurope initiative directs to the promotion of affordable and reliable Internet connections for all.

(2) For some the question of access relates to the design and content of information goods and services provided over the Internet. Because of the use inappropriate Web designs and proprietary data formats, those who use assistive devices and who do not have state-of-the-art computers and telecommunications services many not be able to use such good and services. Thus, inappropriate web design and content can restrict opportunities for the many to participate in the global cyber-society on the basis of equality with "mainstream" populations.

Workshop participants have studied with great interest basic concepts and principles of accessible Web design. We all have created accessible Web pages in a single afternoon. We are aware that Internet accessibility for all is possible and affordable; and we intend to promote this fact at all levels in our countries.

(3) As we have profited greatly from this technical exchange organised by the Institute for Rehabilitation of the Republic of Slovenia, we realise that our work has only just begun. We intend to use this experience as the basis to establish an open and democratic network to promote Internet accessibility for All among CEE countries. The objectives of our open and democratic network are several but in a practical sense we wish to use the capacities of the Internet:

a/ to stay connected as well as to involve other interested parties in Internet accessibility issues and trends with emphasis on CEE countries;

b/ to exchange ideas, lessons learned and disuss ways to meet challenges encountered in the promotion of Internet accessibility for all;

c/ to promote awareness and broad-based support for Internet accessibility for all in our countries;

d/ to identify, plan and develop new opportunities to exchange knowledge and ideas and to build national capacities related to Internet accessibility; and

e/ to promote awareness and support for "a society for all in the twenty first century" as emphasized in several recent resolutions of the U.N. General Assembly.

On behalf of the workshop participants, may I thank you for your kind attention; thank you Dr. Marincek and Mr. Uršic of the Institute for Rehabilitation for your initiative to organize our workshop at this important Conference; and our sincere thanks to the Opera Software Corporation, which provided complimentary copies of their efficient and accessible Internet browser to each workshop participant.

Finally, our thanks to the United Nations for having funded our workshop, to the international presentation team for our workshop, headed by Vision Office of Canada, and to the Conference for opening opportunities for persons with disabilities to be included in its activities.

Copyright (c) 2001 AIMS/VisionOffice.
Last updated 11/03/03.