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Towards Accessible ICT :
Promoting Accessible ICT :
Expert Group Meeting on Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
for Persons with Disabilities
Beirut, 25-26 May 2004
Promoting Accessible Information and Communications Technologies with
Reasonable Adaptation:
learning from the Manila "Declaration" and "Design
Recommendations" on Accessible ICT*
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Annex III
Internet accessibility: a select review of pilot action by the United
Nations*
I. OVERVIEW
This paper examines the role of accessibility in furthering an international
policy objective: equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with
disabilities.[1] It will
review and discuss pilot action by the Division for Social Policy and
Development of the United Nations Secretariat to promote awareness and build
national capacities for Internet accessibility. The concern of the
Division with Internet accessibility derives both from its role as "focal point
for disability issues within the United Nations system"[2]
and mandates of the General Assembly, which identified accessibility as the
priority in the design of social and economic policies aimed at equalization of
opportunities for persons with disabilities.[3]
A review of activities by the United Nations system concerning Internet
accessibility is beyond the scope of this paper.
The implications of information and communications technologies (ICT) for
development were considered by the year 2000 "High level segment" of the
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, which adopted a "Ministerial
Declaration"[4] that noted that the
"potential [of ICT to advance] development has not been fully captured ...[and
that] urgent and concerted actions ...are imperative for bridging the digital
divide and building digital opportunities". The "Declaration"
further noted the potential of ICT to empower and to provide "unique
opportunities for economic growth and human development". The Declaration
did not, however, address the question of accessible ICT for all in the context
of development.
Internet accessibility and accessible ICT have in the main been identified
with the Organization's agenda related to advancement of persons with
disabilities and development. Accessibility as an essential component of a
broad human rights framework for development obtained added importance with the
decision of the General Assembly, in 2001, to elaborate a "comprehensive and
integral convention" to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons
with disabilities.[5] General
Assembly resolution 57/229, of 18 December 2002, on further work on elaboration
of the convention "urge[d] that efforts be made to ensure that
accessibility, with reasonable accommodation as regards facilities and
documentation, is improved for all persons with disabilities".[6]
II. ACCESSIBILITY: POLICY OBJECTIVE AND TECHNICAL DESIGN
CONSIDERATION
The Internet accessibility initiative of the Division for Social Policy and
Development was carried out in response to mandates of the General Assembly on
advancement of persons with disabilities and development. The international
policy basis for Internet accessibility currently is limited to Rule 5 --
Accessibility -- of the non-binding "United Nations Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities," adopted by the
General Assembly in 1993.[7]
Rule 5 provides guidance on policy design and planning on environmental
accessibility, which refers to both the physical environment and information and
communications technologies. The decision of the General Assembly in
2001 to elaborate a new international convention on the rights of persons with
disabilities has contributed to increased international awareness of
accessibility as an essential component of a broad human rights framework for
furthering full participation and equality of persons with disabilities in
development. The rapid expansion of Internet-based services during the
1990s resulted in the adoption by a number of Governments of policies and
legislation on accessible information and communications technologies, which
include Australia, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, France, Germany,
India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom and
the United States of America.[8]
Operationally, pilot action at the United Nations defined "accessibility" as
provision of "flexibility to accommodate each user's needs and preferences":[9]
some persons may need assistive technologies, such as screen magnifiers, screen
readers or Braille interfaces to create, access and use information goods owing
to a physical or sensorial disability, while others may need text-based or
low-density graphical content due to limited telecommunications capacities
(bandwidth) or level of information infrastructure to support complex graphical
content, streaming audio and video content or proprietary document formats.[10]
Accessible information and communications goods and services are a technical
concern of producers and users of information goods and services, since
accessibility with reasonable accommodation is central to realization of full
and effective participation by all in the new economics of development.[11]
Those who argue that information technology has become commoditized[12]
are focusing more on infrastructure issues than the instrumental role of
information as (a) catalyst for change, (b) means to increase participation in
decision-making and (c) factor driving re-engineering of organizational
processes and procedures for sustainable and equitable development.[13]
III. STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL
Formulation of a strategic planning framework, which involved extensive
consultations with both staff of the Division and representatives of its
specialized constituencies, was an essential component in the design,
development, testing and evaluation of pilot action for introducing accessible
Internet-based goods and services to work of the Division for Social Policy and
Development of the United Nations Secretariat. The strategic planning
framework presented for the consideration of the fifty-fourth session of the
General Assembly in 1999 had five points, which are summarized below:[14]
- Vision: formulation of a shared vision for Internet accessibility
initiative was important for building awareness and consensus for first
principles of accessible design and for changes envisaged concerning the ways
in which accessible social development information goods could be presented
through Internet technologies. The vision statement identified provision of
timely and relevant accessible social development information goods for all as
the priority.
- Scope of pilot action and priorities: the time-frame for design,
testing and implementation of an operational Internet site that met
generally-accepted international standards for Web accessibility was tight,
from February to May 1998, since pilot action would not only focus on
provision of accessible information goods for persons with disabilities but on
support for two priority observances in the social development field: the 1999
observance of the International Year of Older Persons, and preparations for
the year 2000 special session of the General Assembly to consider progress in
implementing the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development. Pilot
action thus focused on Internet accessibility for all, with reference to
priorities of the global social development programme of the United Nations,
and to policies and programmes related to advancement of persons with
disabilities and of older persons.
- Strategic components and feasibility: the time-frame for the
Gateway initiative required pragmatic selection, evaluation, rapid application
and evaluation of the best-available accessibility concepts, tools and
procedures rather than comparative study and evaluation of new and emerging
concepts, practices and technologies. For instance, the Microsoft Corporation
provided in early 1998 a CD-ROM compilation of Internet accessibility design
concepts and tools;[15] the Opera
Software Corporation provided complimentary copies of its Internet browser to
support training in design, testing and evaluation of accessible Web design;[16]
and a great deal of open-source materials were identified on the Internet.[17]
Key references consulted included conceptual and technical studies on
"electronic curb cuts",[18] on
usability concepts and guidelines,[19]
accessible Web development guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium[20]
and the "Bobby" online Web accessibility validator developed by the Center for
Applied Special Technology.[21]
Since the Internet accessibility initiative of the Division was being
implemented within the framework of the Internet site of the United Nations <http://www.un.org>,
strategic components of pilot project on accessible Web pages were designed to
be consistent with the Internet architecture of the United Nations
Secretariat; which was possible due to excellent cooperation and support
received from the Information Support Unit of the Department of Economic and
Social affairs, which is the parent unit of the Division.[22]
- Implementation strategy: the Internet accessibility initiative of
the Division was outsourced to an international consultant team, with
expertise in communications planning, Web design and training, since this
would be the first case to plan, design and develop an Internet presence at
the United Nations Secretariat on the basis of generally accepted standards
for accessible Web design. Within two weeks of signing their contract for
services, in March 1998, the team delivered an information assessment, content
development strategy and prototype Web design for consideration of the
Division for Social Policy and Development and an operational Internet
presence was fully functioning ahead of the scheduled launch in May 1998.[23]
The implementation strategy provided an institutional setting -- uncommon in a
large bureaucracy -- that not only provided flexibility in decision making but
facilitated rapid prototyping, feedback and sharing of results. The
implementation strategy that made effective use of the power of networks of
specialists and interested constituencies for the work of the United Nations
in the social development field and relied on information flows rather
organizational hierarchies for decisions, which leveraged the knowledge and
experiences of parties interested in Internet accessibility through the power
of connectivity
- Monitoring and evaluation: the Internet accessibility pilot project
had a tight schedule for design, testing and implementation of an operational
accessible Internet presence. A critical task for the United Nations,
represented by the Division for Social Policy and Development, and the
international team was joint determination of milestones for conceptual design
options, for delivery of content by the responsible substantive specialists,
for Web page development and testing with agreed accessibility metrics, for
coordination with the concerned technical services at the United Nations and
for systematic feedback on design options from beta testers -- invited and
ad hoc -[24] representing the
specialized constituencies for the global social development programme of the
United Nations. For instance, a proposed design for the International Year of
Older Persons Web site was positively critiqued by a concerned governmental
representative, albeit with a reminder of the need for accessible language
support. Critiques from persons with disabilities served to make the Persons
with Disabilities Web site easy and efficient to navigate with text browsers.
Design options were evaluated continually using on-line tools to assess
compatibility with various Internet browsers, communications capacities and
universal design principles.[25]
The May 1998 delivery of the release candidate of an operational "Gateway for
social policy and development" was accompanied by an intensive user
orientation and training session to promote awareness of sustainable Web
accessibility in the social development field.
IV. SELECTED ISSUES OF IMPLEMENTATION
The decision to initiate a pilot accessible Internet presence at the United
Nations was taken in 1998, which was some three years after the United Nations
Secretariat had established its Internet presence on the World Wide Web <http://www.un.org>.
The challenge was to work within the established Internet presence of the
Organization, which did not meet generally agreed standards for accessible Web
pages, and to design and develop quickly and efficiently a presence that met
generally agreed standards for Internet accessibility. While
responding to mandates of the General Assembly on the critical role of
accessibility in promoting equalization of opportunities by, for and with
persons with disabilities, the value proposition of pilot action was defined as
"best total solutions for all" and reflected the need to respond to the needs
and interests of the various constituencies of the global social development programme of the United Nations.
"For all" was the central concern of the value proposition, since disability
is a normal aspect of the life cycle and can affect anyone at any time.[26]
Regular reports on progress, performance and accomplishments of pilot action
in Internet accessibility were presented for the consideration of Governments in
reports of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly[27]
and the Commission for Social Development.[28] Efforts
to promote awareness of Internet accessibility for all -- as well as the larger
set of accessible information and communications technologies (ICT) -- as an
essential component of development strategies, policies and plans included
publication of technical reports and the organization of seminars and training
workshops. The first of these efforts was publication, in mid-1998, of a
technical primer, "Accessibility on the Internet,"[29]
which discusses technical design issues of the pilot project, includes selected
(and periodically updated) reference materials and has become a recognized
resource on the question. Training workshops, seminars and online
dialogues on Internet accessibility with reasonable accommodation were planned
and organized by the Division with the assistance of international experts in
information policies, structures and technologies for United Nations Secretariat
staff. [30] The Division organized
a forum on "Internet Accessibility in the 21st Century (United
Nations, 6 May 1999)"[31] to
present the results of its training in Internet accessibility to representatives
of Permanent Missions and interested United Nations Secretariat staff members.
H.E. Ambassador Felipe Mabilangan (Permanent Representative of the Republic of
the Philippines) moderated the forum.
The positive reactions to Internet-related training at the United Nations and
its May 1999 public forum resulted in the decision of some members of the
international team that had assisted the Internet accessibility project of the
Division for Social Policy and Development to establish the WorldEnable
consortium to provide an international and multi-disciplinary institutional
structure that could better assist and support initiatives of Governments as
well as the non-governmental community in Internet accessibility.[32]
With the growing awareness of role of accessible information and
communications technologies in national development, a number of Governments
requested assistance of the United Nations to organize seminars and workshops on
Internet accessibility. The Division for Social Policy and Development
supported several of these technical exchanges in cooperation with governmental
departments, academic centres and institutions and the non-governmental
community in Asia,[33] Central and
Eastern Europe [34]and Latin
America and the Caribbean.[35]
These activities provided opportunities for policy makers, governmental
officials, academics, Web designers and other ICT professionals, and members of
civil society to exchange experiences, learn new concepts and techniques and
create networks of excellence to promote accessibility with reasonable
accommodation for all. Discussions currently are underway with the Division on
expanding the experience to Africa, to the English-speaking Caribbean and to
Western Asia.
Seminar and workshop materials were published in accessible formats on the
WorldEnable Internet site <http://www.worldenable.net>
so the training experiences would be accessible to a interested communities in
addition to participants in the respective seminar and workshop.
Progress reports to concerned intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations
enabled Governments to consider the relevance of the Internet accessibility
initiative to their own development efforts. While each progress report
resulted in strengthened mandate of the General Assembly on accessibility as a
priority in strategies and policies to further equalization of opportunities,[36]
support for accessibility with reasonable accommodation did not transmit
substantially beyond the Organization's agenda related to advancement of persons
with disabilities. The "Ministerial Declaration" of the year 2000 Economic
and Social Council on information in a knowledge-based global economy makes no
reference to accessibility among its recommendations on ICT and development.
Similarly, none of the eight development goals elaborated in the "Millennium
Declaration" of the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations, which is the
principal source of policy guidance on international development cooperation
issues and priorities in the twenty first century, refer to advancement of
persons with disabilities.[37]
The decision of the General Assembly, in 2001,[38]
to elaborate a new international convention on the rights of persons with
disabilities, placed advancement of persons with disabilities on the global
development agenda. The first session of the Ad Hoc Committee[39]
established by the General Assembly to consider the elaboration of the
convention made special reference to the importance of accessibility with
reasonable accommodation and urged that efforts be taken to improve
accessibility of United Nations facilities and documents.[40]
In support of the convention process, the Division for Social Policy and
Development retained the international presentation team of the WorldEnable
consortium[41] to design, develop
and provide online support to technical exchanges related to the convention.
The WorldEnable team initially provided support to an international expert
meeting, organized by the United Nations and hosted by the Government of Mexico
in June 2002 that considered options for the elaboration of a new convention and
elements of a text.[42] Given
the considerable interest in the convention among the non-governmental
disability community, expert meeting content and daily summaries were published
in accessible formats on the Internet. Meeting support included accessible
distance collaboration on convention issues, whose results were made available
to the experts.[43] The
Internet presence developed by the WorldEnable team, in cooperation with the
Internet support team that supported and hosted the site for the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Government of Mexico, effectively promoted awareness of
the outcome of the expert meeting and provided opportunities for interested
parties to comment on that document.
General Assembly resolution 57/229, on further work on the convention,
invited Governments to organize regional technical consultations. A number
of these regional technical meetings were organized by the United Nations,
represented by the Division for Social Policy and Development, in cooperation
with interested Governments and partners in the United Nations system; Internet
support for these meeting was designed, developed and hosted by the WorldEnable
consortium on request. These meetings include: Government of Ecuador and
the United Nations Development Programme Quito field office for the "Américas
regional seminar and workshop on norms and standards related to the rights of
persons with disabilities and development (Quito, 9-11 April 2003)";[44]
Government of the Republic of Lebanon and the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia for the "Arab regional meeting on norms and
standards related to development and the rights of persons with disabilities
(Beirut, 27-29 May 2003)";[45] and
the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific for
the "Expert Group Meeting and Seminar on an International
Convention to Protect and Promote the Rights and Dignity of Persons with
Disabilities (Bangkok, 2-4 June 2003)".[46]
A key lesson of the experience is the importance of providing meeting content in
accessible formats, in Arabic, English or Spanish, as appropriate,on the complex
question of elaboration of a convention, since this promoted greater awareness
and understanding of issues, enhanced consultations and provided increased
transparency in decisions.
V. OPTIONS FOR Promoting accessibility with reasonable
accommodation AS INTERNATIONAL POLICY AND STANDARD
Decisions of a number of Governments to adopt policies and legislation on
accessibility issues have resulted in a growing number of public, private and
non-profit sector initiatives in technical standards and specialized design and
development services. [47]
However, at the international level the "Accessibility" Web page on the Internet
site of the Division for Social Policy and Development <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disacc.htm>
remains the principal normative and substantive resource.
To understand this situation and better appreciate options for promoting
accessibility as both as an international policy objective and technical
standard, it is important to recall that the United Nations is an
intergovernmental organization, a non-sovereign entity whose functions are
performed in pursuit of mandates of the Member States. As discussed above,
both the pilot project on Internet accessibility and the recent hosting on the
Internet of technical meetings on the new disability convention were undertaken
in response to mandates of the United Nations General Assembly. Since the
principal source of policy guidance on accessibility is the non-binding Rule 5 --
Accessibility -- of the United Nations Standard Rules, there is no instrumental
basis to oblige bodies and organizations of the United Nations system to design
and provide accessible Web sites on the Internet.[48]
International policy instruments are concerned with trans-national conduct.
They set forth norms and standards on desired conduct, present priorities for
action and describe agreed areas where actions by Governments are to be
harmonized, international cooperation pursued and international machinery
employed to further objectives. Instruments may be either binding, as a
convention among States parties, or a non-binding declaration or action plan.
Since the work of international organizations is conducted mainly on the basis
of consensus, substantive support to intergovernmental policy processes is a
strategic area of concern. There are two principal sets of tasks for
substantive secretariats supporting international policy processes: (1) policy
formulation and development, and (2) evaluation.[49]
Once an international instrument is adopted, such as the World Programme of
Action concerning Disabled Persons, substantive secretariats promote public
awareness of the instrument and monitor implementation by Governments as well as
the involvement of civil society. A related task is maintenance of
consistency of obligations identified in the instrument, which involves
mobilization and dissemination of information and performance of an
institutional memory function in the form of periodic reporting.
Substantive secretariats may be requested by Governments to provide technical
information and advice, undertake applied research and prepare technical
guidelines on application of norms and standards. Secretariats also may
provide on request advisory services in the context of technical cooperation
activities. Substantive secretariats undertake periodically norm
enforcement tasks in the form of periodic reviews of application by Governments
of international instruments in terms of progress achieved and obstacles
encountered. Norm enforcement functions range from moral suasion in concerned
intergovernmental bodies, action by treaty bodies and Charter-based judicial
activities of the International Court of Justice.
The decision of the General Assembly to elaborate a new international
convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and its recognition, in
resolution 57/229, of the role of accessible information to effective
functioning and equitable participation in intergovernmental policy processes,
provide important impetus to concerted practical efforts to develop
international standards on accessibility with reasonable accommodation.
To that end the Government of the Republic of the Philippines hosted from 3
to 7 March 2003 at Manila the "Interregional Seminar and Regional
Demonstration Workshop on Accessible Information and Communications Technologies
(ICT) and Persons with Disabilities."[50]
The seminar considered policy, institutional and substantive aspects of ICT
accessibility in the light of deliberations and decisions of the Ad Hoc
Committee established by the General Assembly to consider the elaboration of the
convention. On the basis of their deliberations and group work,
participants adopted the "Manila Declaration on Accessible Information and
Communication Technologies"[51]
and "Manila Accessible ICT Design Recommendations;"[52]
both were submitted as technical background documents for the consideration of
the second session of the Ad Hoc Committee.[53]
The "Manila Declaration" summarizes normative considerations in promoting
accessibility with reasonable accommodation with special reference to a broad
human rights framework; and the "Manila Design Recommendations" provide guidance
on first principles and basic considerations to achieve accessibility with
reasonable accommodation.
The "Manila Design Recommendations" are based on the premise that Internet
accessibility with reasonable accommodation can be achieved with the application
of two basic principles:
- Every visual element should be implemented with a textual element that
describes it. Alternative text <alt> allows for description of graphical
images.
- The structure and layout of the document should be dealt with separately.
Structure is defined by HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) elements and
attributes; and layout is defined by style sheets. Separation of layout from
content aids text browsers to extract easily the logical structure of the
document.[54]
The "Manila Design Recommendations" address the issue of barriers in
Web-based information goods and services by identifying a select set of
"electronic curb cuts"[55] to
provide flexibility to accommodate each user's needs and preferences:
- Provide an Access Instruction page for visitors (explaining the
accessibility features of the Web site and providing an e-mail hyperlink for
visitors to communicate problems with Web page accessibility);
- Provide support for text browsers and descriptive hyperlinks (links such
as "this" and "click here" do not alone convey the nature of the target link);
- Attach ALT<alt> (alternative) text to graphic images so that assistive
computer technology such as screen readers can reach the content;
- For each photograph contributing meaningful content to the page, provide a
"D" hyperlink to a page providing descriptive text of the image;
- Provide text transcriptions or descriptions for all audio and video clips;
- Provide alternative mechanisms for online forms since forms are not
supported by all browsers (such as e-mail or voice/TTY phone numbers);
- Avoid access barriers, such as the posting of documents in Adobe® PDF
(Portal Document Format), non-linear format, Frame format or requiring
visitors to download software to access the content. If posting in Adobe® PDF,
accessible HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) or ASCII text must also be posted
by the Web master converting the document.[56]
The "Manila Design Recommendations" represent a specific and practical
response to international concern with accessibility in the context promoting
and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. The
Recommendations provide guidance on a minimum threshold in accessibility with
reasonable accommodation. They are not second-best technical standards but
reflect a new management strategy on accessible ICT, which focuses on adaptation
rather than remediation. Use of the "Manila Design Recommendations" by
governmental organizations and enterprises will allow them to the leverage their
legacy ICT resources, Internet-based resources in particular, by applying the
recommended set of basic considerations in the design and development of
accessible Internet content so that it better responds to the needs and
preferences of end user communities. The Recommendations are not static, given
the rapid pace of change in information and communications technologies, and are
always "under construction" to ensure continued improvements in flexibility to
accommodate the needs and preferences of all user of electronic and information
products and services and communications technologies.
As recommended by the Manila seminar and workshop, promotion and development
of the "Manila Design Recommendations" currently involves development and
testing of an online accessibility validator by the WorldEnable consortium.
The planned release of a pilot validator is fourth quarter 2003 in connection
the debate of the General Assembly on progress in the elaboration of a new
international convention.[57]
Decisions of the General Assembly on the further elaboration of a new
international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities would also
affect further development of the "Manila Design Recommendations" in the light
of its posited link with international policy frameworks. For instance,
the Recommendations could be applied in support of monitoring provisions of the
new convention, once that document is adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly and States parties ratify, as these pertain to accessibility.
Notes
* Prepared by Clinton E. Rapley,
Director, Planning Services, Associates for International Management Services,
Mt. Tremper NY (USA) and Leo Valdes, Managing Director, Vision Office Support
Services, Ltd., North Vancouver BC (Canada). Mr. Rapley was the United
Nations official heading the Internet accessibility initiative discussed in this
paper until retiring from the Organization in March 2003; Mr. Valdes headed the
international team assisting the United Nations Secretariat. The views
expressed are those of the authors and may not necessarily reflect those of the
United Nations. The comments and contributions of Mr. Fred Doulton and Ms. Akiko
Ito of the Division for Social and Development of the United Nations Secretariat
are noted with appreciation.
Any company, product and service mentioned in this article may be a
trademark, registered trademark or service mark and are the property of their
respective owner(s); they are provided for reference and do not constitute
endorsement.
Version: 3a/09/2003
Note: Authors' unedited text of chapter contributed to John Williams
et al (2003). Assistive Technologies: expanding a universe of
opportunities (Washington DC, Assistive Technology News and CTC Foundation)
<http://www.atn-ctcf.org/home.cfm>.
[1] World Programme of Action
concerning Disabled Persons, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
at its 37th regular session on 3 December 1982, by resolution 37/52.
"Equalization of opportunities" is the central theme of the World Programme
and its guiding philosophy for achieving the goals of "full participation" of
persons with disabilities in social and economic life and "equality" <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa00.htm>.
[2] General Assembly resolution
47/88 of 16 December 1992 <http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/47/a47r088.htm>.
[3] General Assembly resolution
52/82 of 12 December 1997 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disimpe0.htm>
and subsequent resolutions of the General Assembly on policy and programmes
related to advancement of persons with disabilities: resolution 54/121 of 17
December 1999 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA54121e1.htm>
and. 56/115 of 19 December 2001 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA56115e1.htm>.
[4] <
http://www.un.org/documents/ecosoc/docs/2000/e2000-l9.pdf>.
[5]General Assembly resolution
56/168 of 19 December 2001 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA56168e1.htm>.
[6]<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ares57_229e.htm>.
[7]General Assembly resolution
48/96, annex, of 20 December 1993 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm>.
[8]<http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/>.
[9] Leo Valdes, "Accessibility on
the Internet" (contributed paper, United Nations 1998 and 2003) <
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disacc00.htm>.
[10] Cynthia D. Waddell, J. D.,
"Applying the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) to the Internet: a web
accessibility standard", paper presented to the (United States) American Bar
Association National Conference "In Pursuit ... A Blueprint for Disability Law
and Policy" (Washington, D.C., 17-19 June 1998) <http://www.rit.edu/~easi/law/weblaw1.htm>.
[11] Carl Shapiro and Hal R.
Varian, Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy
(Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard Business School Press, 1998).
[12] Nicholas G. Carr, "IT
Doesn't Matter," Harvard Business Review (May 2003).
[13]Accessible information goods
and services can serve as (a) the driver for re-engineering by introducing the
need to reconsider organizational processes and work flow so that these can make
the most effective use of new and emerging information and communications
capacities; (b) the enabler of re-engineering by introducing the need to rethink
the organizational mission, goals and immediate objectives, the specialized
constituencies of the organization and the means by which they can articulate
their interests and needs, and the means by which these can be effectively and
efficiently addressed; and (c) the contextual basis for re-engineering by
introducing the need to review the current social, political and economic
setting of the organization and assess the extent to which organizational
arrangements, culture and values are appropriate to that setting; they also
introduce a need to review and assess organizational resources, both technical
and financial, for acquiring, implementing and using effectively newly expanded
and improved information and communications capacities. See also John D.
Wright, "Is IT a catalyst for re-engineering government?" Urban and Regional
Information Systems Association (URISA) News (July/August 1995).
[14]"Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons; report of the
Secretary-General" (A/54/388/Add.1), para 20 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disa54e6.htm
>.
[15]Current information is
available at the Microsoft "Accessibility" Internet site <http://www.microsoft.com/enable>.
[16]<http://www.opera.com/features/access/index.dml>.
[17]See Leo Valdes,
"Accessibility on the Internet" loc.cit.
[18]Leslie M. Campbell and
Cynthia D. Waddell, "Electronic curb cuts: how to build an accessible Web site;
paper presented at "Sixth International World Wide Web Conference (Santa Clara
CA (USA), 7-11 April 1997) <http://www.icdri.org/CynthiaW/ecc.htm>.
[19]<http://www.usability.gov>.
[20]<http://www.w3c.org/WAI/>.
[21]The "Bobby" online validator
has since been acquired and further developed by the Watchfire Corporation (Kanata
ON, Canada); Bobby 5.0 ® is available as a fee-based Web site evaluation service
<http://www.watchfire.com/products/desktop/bobby/default.aspx>.
[22] At the time of the pilot
project on Internet accessibility, the United Nations home page <http://www.un.org>
did not meet basic Web accessibility criteria elaborated by the World Wide Web
Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative; this continues to be the case to this
day. A "Text-only" option is available at the UN home page, however.
[23] The international team was
headed by Vision Office Support Services, Ltd. (Canada) in cooperation with
Senifor (Spain); the report on the accessible Internet pilot project is
available at <http://www.visionoffice.com/spd>.
[24] Critical feedback from beta
testers was essential in achieving ease of use and accessibility with reasonable
accommodation in the pilot Internet accessibility efforts of the Division.
"Treat the beta testers as a key development source", in Eric Raymond,
"The
Cathedral and the Bazaar" <http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral.html>.
[25] The Web accessibility
initiative of the Division for Social Policy and Development of the United
Nations Secretariat was recognized for "excellence in Internet accessibility" by
non-governmental organizations in the disability field. On 4 December 1998, in a
ceremony at the United States State Department in Washington, D.C., the
People-to-People Committee on Disability (a non-governmental organisation)
presented the "Bernard Posner Award" to the Division.
[26]"Disability is normal," see
Robert L. Metts, Ph.D., "Planning for disability", paper presented at Panel
Discussion on Independent Living and Persons with Disabilities, United Nations,
3 December 1998 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disid98f.htm>.
[27] "Implementation of the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons; report of the
Secretary-General". A/54/388 and Add.1 <http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/index.shtml>;
A/56/169 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA56169e1.htm>;
and A/58/61 -- E/2003/5 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disa5881e.htm>.
[28] "Implementation of the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons; report of the
Secretary-General" (Interim report). E/CN.5/1999/5 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disecne0.htm>;
E/CN.5/20017 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disecn017e0.htm>.
[29] Leo Valdes, "Accessibility
on the Internet" (contributed paper, New York 1998 and 2003) <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disacc00.htm>.
[30] Seminar on Internet
information policies, structures and technologies (United Nations, 16 December
1998 and 6 May 1999) <
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/access2000/>.
[31] <
http://www.worldenable.net/accessibility98/>.
[32] "About WorldEnable" <
http://www.worldenable.net/about.htm>.
[33] Internet Accessibility; an
ASEAN perspective (Bangkok, 12-16 July 1999) <
http://www.worldenable.net/iaasean/>.
[34] Seminar on Internet
Accessibility for All in Central and Eastern Europe (Ljubljana, 3-6 September
2001) <
http://www.worldenable.net/cee2001/default.htm>.
[35] Seminario sobre
Accesibilidad en Internet para todos (México DF, 4-7 de Junio 2001) <
http://www.worldenable.net/mexico2001/default.htm>.
[36] General Assembly resolution
52/82 of 12 December 1997; General Assembly resolution 54/121 of 17 December
1999; and General Assembly resolution 56/115 of 19 December 2001; see
"Parliamentary Documents" page <
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disparl.htm>.
[37]General Assembly resolution
54/2 of 8 September 2000 <
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/index.shtml>.
[38]General Assembly resolution
56/168 of 19 December 2001, "Comprehensive and integral international convention
to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities" <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA56168e1.htm>.
[39] The first session met from
29 July to 9 August 2002 at the United Nations; see "Report" (A/57/357) <
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/adhoca57357e.htm>.
[40] Adopted as General Assembly
57/229 of 20 December 2002 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ares57_229e.htm>.
[41]<http://www.worldenable.net/about.htm
>.
[42] Inter-regional Expert Group
Meeting on the Comprehensive and Integral International Convention to Promote
and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (Mexico City,
11-14 June 2002) <http://www.sre.gob.mx/discapacidad/home.htm>
.
[43]Online activities page <http://www.sre.gob.mx/discapacidad/online.htm>
.
[44]<http://www.worldenable.net/quito2003/
>.
[45]<http://www.worldenable.net/beirut2003/>.
[46]<http://www.worldenable.net/bangkok2003/Default.htm>.
[47]Debra Donston, "Web access
for all; tech analysis: accessibility issues too important to ignore," eWeek
(May 19, 2003) pp 54-57 <http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1090387,00.asp>.
Ms. Donston cites research by the Meta Group Inc. that identified business
drivers for accessibility: regulatory (high priority); improved relationships
(medium priority); increased transactional commerce (medium to low priority);
"feel good" marketing (low priority), Ibid. p 57.
[48] Only a minority of the UN
system sites were found to provide accessibility with reasonable accommodation
on the basis of the "Cynthia says" online validator, which checks for compliance
with accessibility standards of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of the
United States <http://www.icdri.org/test_your_site_now.htm>.
Common errors noted were the need for text equivalents for graphical content,
use of frames and proprietary formats to publish Web content.
[49]John R. Mathiason, "Managing
global governance" (Paper contributed to Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of
Public Service, New York University (USA)) ©1997 <http://www.intlmgt.com/portfolio/Mangov.html>.
[50]<http://www.worldenable.net/manila2003/>.
[51]<http://www.worldenable.net/manila2003/declaration.htm>.
[52]<http://www.worldenable.net/manila2003/DesignRecommendations.htm>.
[53]The second session met from
16 to 27 June 2003 at the United Nations; see "Report" (A/58/118 and Corr. 1) <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/a_58_118_e.htm>.
[54]See also the discussion by
Association Braille Net, "To make a site more accessible" <http://www.braillenet.org/accessiblite/liuveblanc/english/accessibilite.html>.
[55] Cynthia D. Waddell, JD.
"The Growing Digital Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: overcoming
barriers to participation" (1999), pp 10-11 <http://www.icdri.org/CynthiaW/the_digital-divide.htm
>.
[56]See Cynthia D. Waddell,
"Overview of Law and Guidelines," Chap. 2 in Jim Thatcher et al.,
Constructing Accessible Web Sites, (Birmingham (UK) Glasshaus, 2002),
republished July 2003 (San Francisco, CA (USA) Apress). <http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=342
>.
[57]A beta version of the
"WorldEnable Validator" is available at <http://www.worldenable.net/wevalidator.htm
>
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