European Commission consultation on accessibility of ICT products and services

The European Commission today launched a public consultation on the
accessibility of ICT products and services:
	"Today, the European Commission has launched a public consultation
on how to make the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies
available to the widest possible range of citizens, including to older
people and people with disabilities. This consultation is a first step in
the Commission's endeavour to remove the technical challenges and
difficulties that people with disabilities and others experience when trying
to use electronic products or services such as computers, mobile phones or
the Internet."
The press release can be accessed from:
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/14&format=
HTML&aged=0&language=EN

The eAccessibility website (and link to the survey and related documents) is
at:
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/accessibility/com_ea_2005/in
dex_en.htm

The consultation is open until 12 February, and the results will be used to
help develop a Communication, which the Commission intends to adopt in June.
The Commission states that it intends to follow up this process in 2006
which may lead to the possibility of passing legislation if existing
objectives to promote harmonisation on a voluntary, self-regulatory basis,
are unsuccessful. 

Cheers

martin.
--
Martin Sloan
e: martin.sloan@orange.net
t: 0131 664 8876
m: 07974 655170
w: www.web-access.org.uk