Seminar on
Internet Accessibility for All
in Central and Eastern Europe
Ljubljana, Slovenia, 3-6 September
2001
Overview
 This Sub-regional
Workshop on Internet Accessibility will take place at Ljubljana, Republic of
Slovenia. The workshop will be organised as a parallel substantive activity with reference
to main topic number eight, "Mainstreaming and Universal Design" of the Sixth European Conference for the Advancement
of Assistive Technologies (Ljubljana, 3 to 6 September 2001).
Internet Accessibility for All is a key area for the application of concepts and
principles of Universal Design. It reflects a concern with providing (a) good design of
Internet services and content for all users, (b) options for choices about the use and
manipulation of Internet-enabled content, and (c) Internet-enabled solutions that meet the
needs of as many users as possible.
Workshop Goals
The workshop aims to build on the analytical and technical skills of national personnel
of selected countries with economies in transition in Central and Eastern Europe, which
would include governmental officials, academic specialists as well as members of relevant
non-governmental organisations in their individual capacities, to study, assess and apply
latest thinking on Internet Accessibility for All - concepts and technologies in ways that
both complement and are appropriate to national skills, needs and priorities.
A. Purpose
1. Development Objective
To further equalisation of opportunities in social life and development through
accessible information and telecommunication technologies in the Central and Eastern
European sub-region
2. Immediate Objectives
(a) To provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and national experiences in
promotion of ICT for development in terms of policy options, structures and technologies.
(b) To review and discuss issues and trends in accessible ICT policies, structures and
technologies and persons with disabilities from a Central and Eastern European
perspective.
(c) To formulate a strategic planning framework for accessible ICT for all in the
Central and Eastern European sub-region.
(d) To establish a network of excellence to promote awareness and to build national
capacities, skills and technologies for accessible ICT for all.
(e) To produce a tested set of resource and training materials on concepts, issues and
approaches to promotion and realisation of accessible ICT for all.
Seminar Overview
The workshop will involve participants from selected countries in the Central and
Eastern Europe sub-region. It will be held for four days, 3-6 September 2001, at
Ljubljana, Republic of Slovenia and be organised as a parallel event to the Sixth European Conference for the Advancement
of Assistive Technology organised by the Association for the Advancement of Assistive
Technology in Europe and hosted by the Institute of Rehabilitation (Ljubljana).
Participant Profile
Participants will include governmental specialists, academics and advocates (public or
private) of Internet accessibility from Central and Eastern Europe in their individual
capacity; observers from other European countries will be invited to attend on their own
account
English will be the working language of the seminar.
Organisation of the Workshop
Prior to the workshop participants will develop an outline and draft a position paper
discussing current and potential use of the Internet in their countries and the status of
accessible Internet-enabled goods and services (see annex one). The papers will be used as
references for substantive exchanges and interested participants will have the opportunity
to refine and update the paper, as appropriate, throughout the workshop prior to
publication as part of the workshop proceedings.
1. The first segment of the workshop will involve an intense overview of ICT issues and
trends as means to participants up to a common level of understanding of the Internet and
its most common features: (a) Issues in policies, norms and standards concerning ICT, the
Internet in particular; (b) Policy and substantive bases of governance and technical
standards for the Internet - open-source design standards for content and open-source
protocols for communications and transfers; implications for current and future uses of
the Internet in the economy, politics and society; (c) Planning for Internet use - e.g.
issues of privacy and security; addressing the "digital divide", implications of
the "Information Society eEurope" initiative of the European Union; (d)
Planning, design and implementation of Internet-enabled goods and services; issues in
database design, storage and search engines; (e) Concepts and principles of accessible Web
design: lean approaches to achieving "best total solutions for all" to meet
reasonable levels of accommodation of Internet accessibility for all.
As a result of this segment of the seminar the country teams will refine their
analytical assessment of current and potential use of the Internet in their respective
countries.
2. The workshop segment will focus on the orientation and training of participants in
key policy and institutional variables in the promotion and development of accessible ICT:
(a) Issues and trends in international norms and standards, such as the United Nations
"Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities" (http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/dissre00.htm),
and in information policies and structures and their implications for promoting accessible
information and telecommunication services by, for and with persons with disabilities
among Central and Eastern European countries; particular reference will be made to the
European Union commitment to accessible public Web sites and their content; (b)
Principles, concepts and methods of analysis, planning and evaluation of cost-effective
and sustainable approaches to promote and develop Internet accessibility among Central and
Eastern European countries, with emphasis on the role of networks of specialists and of
interested communities of interest concerned with accessible ICT; (c) Tools and techniques
of distance collaboration as a critical component in promoting open and accountable
decision processes; and (d) Concepts, standards and practical techniques for planning and
development of Internet-enabled resources that are accessible to persons with disabilities
and other users with special needs; (e) Monitoring and evaluation of accessible ICT
solutions.
As a result of this segment of the workshop participants will be in a position to
refine their assessment of Internet accessibility issues and trends in their countries.
3. The third segment of the workshops will focus on practical sessions on the key
aspects of Internet accessibility, including hands-on design and development of accessible
Internet content: (a) Introduction and overview of analysis, planning and management of
accessible Internet- based services and practical exercises to study accessible
Internet-based services; (b) Review of methods and techniques of analysis, planning and
development of accessible Internet-based resources - the importance of a cohesive approach
identifying sponsors (governmental as well as non-governmental organisations) and alliance
partners who will contribute ideas and knowledge to the analysis, planning and development
of prototypes, testing and evaluation; (c) Drafting a sub-regional strategic planning
framework to promote Internet accessibility including priorities for action and options
for policies, structures and institutional arrangements, and technological developments
and dissemination.
The strategic framework represents a principal result of the workshop exchanges and
group work. It will involve: (a) formulation of a shared vision - important for building
awareness and a general consensus for first principles and changes envisaged; (b)
identification of an appropriate scope and priorities for action at sub-regional and
national levels - corresponding to policy objectives and which are consistent with
available technologies, resources and time frames; (c) determination of criteria on
feasibility and strategic components - selection, testing and rapid application of best
available accessibility concepts; implementation plan; (d) options for monitoring and
evaluation including feedback on design options from beta testers representative of the
various programme constituencies governmental as well as non-governmental/critiques from
persons with disabilities. The strategic framework may also address issues related to the
requirement for strategies of candidate countries to take into account European Union
Information Society eEurope initiative on participation for people with disabilities.
4. The fourth, and final, segment of the workshop will involve an exchange of views
among participants on their country's interests, needs and priorities regarding the use,
development and accessibility of the Internet. On the basis of that exchange participants
will finalise a "Strategic planning framework" for action to achieve Internet
accessibility for all in Central and Eastern Europe.
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