Speaker's information
1995
- 2001: Web Designer & Web Accessibility Consultant at DG PRESS (European
Commission).
2001 - Present: Project Manager of ASCii's Web Accessibility & Usability
Department Manager of ASCii's technical team Web Accessibility Consultant
(DG PRESS, ...).
Information sur l'auteur
Marc WALRAVEN a été consultant pour la Conception et l'accessibilité des services Web à la DG PRESS (Commission Européenne) de 1995 à 2001. Depuis 2001 il est chef de projet au département Web Accessibility & Usability de la société ASCII où il est responsable de l'équipe Web Accessibility Consultant (DG PRESS, ...).
Short paper
EUROPA is the portal site of the European Union providing up-to-date coverage
of European Union affairs and essential information on European integration.
Users can also consult all legislation currently in force or under discussion,
access the websites of each of the EU institutions and find out about the
policies administered by the European Union under the powers devolved to it
by the Treaties.
As the EUROPA web site is a public information server, it should be accessible to the largest extent of citizens, regardless of their ability.
A few points about SWORD/ASCii's core business:
- SWORD/ASCii has been working in the field of information management since 1989 and is now a specialist in Internet communication. We are experts in the 3 key aspects of communication: content (writing of texts on EU Affairs, creation and management of sites and documents on line, interactive services, current affairs monitoring and updates), multilingualism and presentation (creation of on line portals, web interfaces, databases and other applications).
- SWORD/ASCii produces web content for the European Institutions, i.e. the European Commission and the European Parliament, and plays an advisory role on issues related to Web Accessibility and Usability through awareness raising campaign, presentations, and client-focused training sessions.
Since the early 90's the EU launched different initiatives to combat discrimination
based on disability and to promote an "Information Society for All".
(some key dates are shown on slides "EU rules and policy in the field
of e-accessibility") At the European Council in Lisbon in March 2000,
Heads of State and the Government of the European Union launched a strategy
to prepare the EU for the challenges of the new century. This has become known
as the "Lisbon Strategy". The objectives set at Lisbon - higher
growth, more and better employment and greater social inclusion - were ambitious
and Information and communication technologies (ICT) were identified as playing
a key role in achieving them. In response to this, the European Commission
launched the eEurope initiative in June 2000 with the aim of accelerating
Europe's transition towards a knowledge-based economy, and to realise the
potential benefits of higher growth, more employment and faster access for
all citizens to the new services of the information age. The first phase of
eEurope was the eEurope 2002 Action Plan, which comprised a total of 64 targets
to be achieved by end 2002. The majority of these were successfully completed,
and in June 2002, the European Council launched a second phase, eEurope 2005,
which focuses on exploiting broadband technologies to deliver online services
in both the public and private sector. The mid-term review of the eEurope
2005 Action Plan has confirmed that its main targets are valid until end 2005.
The European Commission's view of the challenges that need to be addressed
in a European Information Society strategy up to 2010 are set out in a Commission
communication on "Challenges for Europe's Information Society beyond
2005: Starting point for a new EU strategy", adopted on 19 November 2004.
This communication highlights the need to step up research and investment
in information and communication technologies (ICT), and to promote their
take-up throughout the economy. ICT should be more closely tailored to citizens'
needs and expectations, to enable them to participate more readily in socially
fulfilling and culturally creative virtual communities. The Commission communication
identifies a number of challenges that will remain relevant for Europe's future
Information Society policy, such as electronic inclusion and citizenship,
content and services, public services, skills and work, ICT as a key industry
sector, interoperability, trust and dependability and ICT for business processes.
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on how best to
make information and communication technologies (ICT) available to all, including
the disabled and the elderly. This consultation, unveiled on 10 January, suggests
introducing new legislation to remove the technical challenges and difficulties
faced by some EU citizens when trying to use electronic products or services
such as computers, mobile phones or the Internet. The public consultation
focuses on three areas identified by the Commission as key to promoting what
it defines as 'e-accessibility': public procurement, certification, and the
use of legislation The consultation document is available online, and interested
parties have until 12 February 2005 to comment on these proposals. Responses
are given anonymously. The results of the consultation and the various inputs
will feed into a Commission communication on e-accessibility, to be adopted
by June 2005.
So what is happening in Belgium?
There is no formal legislation in Belgium related to Web Accessibility. But
thanks to a rather recent "law on Anti-discrimination" (voted on
February 25th and published on March 17th 2003) stating that "Any lack
of reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities will be considered
as a form of discrimination", many initiatives were launched in Belgium
to address the web site accessibility challenge.
Flemish Government
On June 11th 2004 the Flemish Government decided that the websites and (related) online services of its institutions (Flemish Parliament, the Flemish Government, the Ministry of the Flemish Community and the Flemish public institutions) should be made accessible before the end of 2007 (internet) and 2010 (intranet):
- Web sites and any related online services should be made accessible to people with disabilities and the elderly within a reasonable time frame and within the available budgets. The first results should be visible before June 30th 2005 for web sites that can easily be made accessible. Priority should be given to web sites and services on employment, welfare, mobility and explicitly addressing people with disabilities and the elderly.
- Before the end of 2005 each webmaster should present a clear Action Plan for the period 2006 - 2010 to the Flemish Parliament. These Action Plans will need to include clear indications on timing, budgetary impact and a proposal for long-term Quality Assurance measures.
Federal Government
Since December 2003 the French and Dutch language versions of the Belgian federal portal site have been awarded the "BlindSurfer label". This label guarantees accessibility to the portal content for visually impaired users. The label was awarded after thorough evaluation by the BlindSurfer association (ONA , Blindenzorg Licht en Liefde). In Belgium, the BlindSurfer label has been proposed as the official Quality Mark for Accessible web sites. Sword/ASCii is currently working with the Federal Public Service of Justice to make their web site accessible. It is one of the first Public Services which is undertaking concrete steps to improve the quality of their web site. Negotiations have also started up with the Federal Public Service of Finance.
Walloon GovernmentOn February 20th 2003, the Walloon Region in Belgium decided to actively
start addressing the problems of their inaccessible web sites. Less than a
month later (on April 10th 2003), the Walloon Government decided to take the
necessary steps to make all of its (existing) public web sites accessible
to people with disabilities. Accessible web sites will receive the BlindSurfer
logo and all newly created sites must be accessible from the start... All
activities are coordinated by "Wall-On-Line", a special project
set up (and adopted) by the Walloon Government in June 2001 to draft and put
in place a concept for a multiple-purpose and accessible online Portal for
all local services.
"ONA ("L'Oeuvre nationale des aveugles") is responsible for
the technical aspects.
A list of "priority sites" was dressed up in 2004 and made available
on line. These sites should all be made accessible by the end of 2005...
