The Accessibility Imperative: Global Opportunities for ICT Industry

1. The Accessibility Imperative: Global Opportunities for the Information and Communication Technology Industry By Axel Leblois Executive Director, G3ict July 20, 2009

2. “To Facilitate the Implementation of the Digital Accessibility Agenda Defined by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” A Flagship Advocacy Initiative of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development

3. The G3ict Initiative is made possible thanks to the generous support of the following organizations: PLATINUM SPONSORS PUBLICATIONS SPONSORS CO-HOSTS G3ict Mission “To Facilitate the Implementation of the Digital Accessibility Agenda Defined by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” A Flagship Advocacy Initiative of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development

4. Agenda Disability and ICTs Demographics at a Crossroad The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: a Global Blueprint for ICT Accessibility Corporations on the Move: Looking at ICT Accessibility as a Market Opportunity 5 – 10 Years Ahead: Opportunities which May Disrupt the ICT Accessibility Paradigm

5. Demographics 10% of the World Population lives with life long disabilities: vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive 650,000,000 persons 18% if temporary or age related disabilities are included 2 billion persons are involved including relatives and care takers 2/3 of which live in developing countries

6. 2005 US Census Results • Persons with disabilities in the United States: • 54.4 million persons, 19% of population, on the rise from previous census • 35 million or 12% with a severe disability • 69% of those age 21 to 64 with a severe disability are unemployed • 30% of US families have a member with disabilities

7. More US Census Results • Among people 15 and older: • 7.8 million (3%) had difficulty hearing a normal conversation, including 1 million being unable to hear at all. 4.3 million people reported using a hearing aid. • 3.3 million people, or 1%, age 15 and older used a wheelchair or similar device, with 10.2 million, or 4%, using a cane, crutches or walker. • 7.8 million people had difficulty seeing words or letters in ordinary newspaper print, including 1.8 million being completely unable to see. • More than 16 million people had difficulty with cognitive, mental or emotional functioning.

8. Global Comparison: South Africa 21.30% to 23.50% Source: Ministry of Health, South Africa

9. The Impact of Aging Demographics • By 2025, 20% of the population of OECD countries will be over 65 • In the United States: • Among 65 and older: 52%, have a disability and 37% a severe disability. • Among 80 and older: 71%, including 56% having a severe disability.

10. The Pervasive Impact of ICTs on All Aspects of Life • A Massive Increase in ICT usage: • 900 million personal computers • 1.6 + billion Internet users (incl. shared / mobile access) • 1.4 billion telephone land lines • 1.5 billion TV sets and 2.4 billion radios • 4 billion cell phones, over 2 billion text messaging users Major impact of ICT accessibility on education, employment and social and cultural opportunities

11. The ICT Accessibility Gap • Would any architect today think about designing a public building without taking into account accessibility features? • Yet, everyday, ICT products and services are designed and launched with no consideration for accessibility features such as: • inaccessible web sites • Inaccessible phones • inaccessible kiosks • Raising considerable Human Rights, ethical, legal, social and economic issues

12. The Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A Global Blueprint for ICT Accessibility • Questions addressed by the Convention for ICT: • How to ensure that barriers are not created by Information and Communication Technologies? • How to better use ICT based assistive solutions for persons with disabilities?

13. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • Considerable momentum around the world: 139 signatures, 58 ratifications in two years, covering 70% of the world population • Will cause local rules, programs and policies similar to the ADA to be adopted around the world over the next 2 to 5 years • Digital Accessibility is an important and carefully negotiated component of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • New Administration in the United States committed to sign and ratify it

14. ICT Accessibility Elevated to a Fundamental Right • « To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems... » (Article 9)

15. Specific ICT Accessibility and Assistive Technologies Dispositions

16. Private Sector Services Accessibility “The state must insure that private entities that offer facilities and services to the public take into account the accessibility of those services” (Art. 9) (Also mentioned in Art. 21)

17. Important Dispositions for the Future of Accessible Product Development States must promote R&D in ICT accessibility and assistive solutions ICT Products Development and U.D. Reasonable accommodation defined and mandated Obligation for States to set accessibility standards Intellectual property rights

18. 1 - Promoting Accessible and Assistive Technologies R&D State Parties...undertake or promote research and development of, and to promote the availability and use of new technologies, including information and communications technologies, mobility aids, devices and assistive technologies, suitable for persons with disabilities, giving priority to technologies at an affordable cost (Article 4 – g)

19. 2 - ICT Product Development • Early Stage Accessibility Definitions: • “Promote the design, development, production and distribution of accessible information and communications technologies and systems at an early stage, so that these technologies and systems become accessible at minimum cost” (Art. 9) • Universal Design: • “To undertake or promote research and development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities, as defined in article 2 of the present Convention, which should require the minimum possible adaptation and the least cost to meet the specific needs of a person with disabilities, to promote their availability and use, and to promote universal design in the development of standards and guidelines” (Art. 4)

20. 3 - Reasonable Accommodation Defined and Mandated “Reasonable accommodation” means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms (article 2) General obligation in article 3, referenced in articles on education and employment

21. 4 - Standards « States Parties shall take…appropriate measures to develop, promulgate and monitor the implementation of minimum standards and guidelines for the accessibility of facilities and services open or provided to the public » Article 9-2 (a)

22. 5 - Intellectual Property Rights “States Parties shall take all appropriate steps, in accordance with international law, to ensure that laws protecting intellectual property rights do not constitute an unreasonable or discriminatory barrier to access by persons with disabilities to cultural materials.” (Article 30 on Cultural life)

23. In Summary • The Convention incorporates effective policy elements from countries which have historically led policy and standardization initiatives for ICT Accessibility • It constitutes an excellent universal blueprint to foster global efforts and harmonization of ICT accessibility • Supporting standards for mass production, economies of scale, competition, interoperability and lower prices

24. What Can be Done to Make it Work? Support policy makers implementing the Convention at national level (Resources, toolkit, benchmarks, capacity building) Promote ICT accessibility standardization initiatives Proactively pursue public-private partnerships for accessible ICT products Focus on ICT Accessibility as a market opportunity, not as a threat

25. Corporations on the Move IBM, Microsoft, AT&T, Nokia, CA… Sears, GE, Intercontinental Hotels…

26. Market Opportunity • Persons with Disabilities in the United States: • Aggregate income of over $1 Trillion • $220 Billion in disposable income • X 2 spending power of teens • High concentration of net worth among 60+in the US and OECD countries

27. Market Opportunity • Market Data Points: • 72% of people with disabilities are likely to upgrade to a product's latest model. • 62% of people with disabilities say they are likely to do business with companies that have a commitment to diversity and equal treatment of employees. • 73% of people with disabilities are heads of household. • People with disabilities spend $13.6 billion on 31.7 million trips each year • 4 of 10 members of the traveling public are Americans with disabilities and their companions (2004)

28. Very likely to benefit 17% Likely to benefit 40% Beyond PWDs: Those Likely to Benefit of Accessible Features 57% of computer users (age 18-64 in the US) are likely or very likely to benefit fro accessibility features • 1 in 4 users experiences a visual difficulty. • 1 in 4 experience pain in wrists or hands. • 1 in 5 has a hearing difficulty. Not likelyto benefit 43% Study commissioned by Microsoft, Conducted by Forrester Research in 2003

29. Looking 5 to 10 Years Ahead: Opportunities Product Development Engineering Curriculum Marketing Curriculum Public-Private partnerships for R&D Government Programs Public Procurement E-Government web sites accessibility Subsidizing Assistive Technologies and services in Education Subsidizing assistive technologies and services in the Workplace Disruptive Technologies and Opportunities Cell phones as universal platforms for assistive technologies Universally designed social networking and collaborative environments Open Source and Mass produced ICT accessibility devices in emerging economies

30. Funding Opportunities for R&D PPPs • Funding of projects should address key economic and social challenges: • Education • Workplace/employment • Independent living and health care • Develop solutions beyond individual ICT accessibility tools and address collaborative environments in a real world scalable context • Private sector needs to be involved alongside academic and civil society partners to maximize ROI on R&D and foster global replication of solutions

31. Looking 5 to 10 Years Ahead: Opportunities Product Development Engineering Curriculum Marketing Curriculum Public-Private partnerships for R&D Government Programs Public Procurement E-Government web sites accessibility Subsidizing Assistive Technologies and services in Education Subsidizing assistive technologies and services in the Workplace Disruptive Technologies and Opportunities Cell phones as universal platforms for assistive technologies Universally designed social networking and collaborative environments Open source and Mass produced ICT accessibility devices in emerging economies

32. Looking 5 to 10 Years Ahead: Opportunities Product Development Engineering Curriculum Marketing Curriculum Public-Private partnerships for R&D Government Programs Public Procurement E-Government web sites accessibility Subsidizing Assistive Technologies and services in Education Subsidizing assistive technologies and services in the Workplace Disruptive Technologies and Opportunities Cell phones as universal platforms for assistive technologies Universally designed social networking and collaborative environments Open source and Mass produced ICT accessibility devices in emerging economies

34. The G3ict Initiative is made possible thanks to the generous support of the following organizations: PLATINUM SPONSORS PUBLICATIONS SPONSORS CO-HOSTS Thank You www.g3ict.com axel_leblois@g3ict.org +1 (404) 641 5661