How can international policy drivers
improve ICT accessibility in the Pacific?
Gunela Astbrink
GSA InfoComm
Pacific Islands regionExtremely large area with mainly small landmassRelatively small populationsMajority are small island developing countries22 countries or territoriesTransport and infrastructure costs are highEmigration to find employment – often to New Zealand or Australia
People with disability in the Pacific
Estimated 800,000 people with disabilityTraditional view is to protect people with disability in home villageSlowly changingGrowth of Disabled Persons OrganisationsBUT considered the most marginalised group in the community with limited education & employment
Pacific Disability ForumPacific organisation of and for people with disabilityFull (Disabled Persons Organisations) and associate members from most Pacific Island countriesKey advocacy and capacity-building role
Current status of ICT in the Pacific
Growing level of ICT usage in the PacificWidely varying usage in different countries
CostsRemotenessAwareness
Satellite services and submarine cables are increasingly bringing faster and more reliable services
Map of submarine cables in the Pacific
Arrival of cable in Tonga 2013
Examples of usageComputers are expensive
Limited expertise and maintenance availableMore mobile phone usage with Internet access71% of Fijians are mobile phone subscribers6% of Fijians have computers
• (Ref: http://www.e-pic.info/en/themes/ict/instructure)
Governments going online
More government services are being delivered onlineAdvantageous for remote islanders due to lengthy and expensive travel
• People with disability may not be able to use these services
• Need for training• Affordability?• Accessibility?• No data
Can international and regional policy help to make change?
Policy drivers:UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesITU policies Biwako Millennium Framework for Action & Biwako Plus Framework for Action on ICT for Development in the Pacific 2010
Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability 2010-2015
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Article 9States Parties shall also take appropriate measures to provide training for key stakeholders on accessibility issues and promote access to ICT including the Internet at minimum cost.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Cook IslandsFijiKiribatiFederated States of MicronesiaNauruPalauPapua New Guinea
Solomon IslandsTongaTuvaluVanuatu
• (Signed and/or ratified)
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Donor agencies eg AusAID have funded capacity-building for DPOs to develop national disability policiesKey CRPD Articles: education, employment, accessibility to the built environmentVery limited or no references to ICT in national disability policies
ITU policiesKey policies
ITU Accessibility Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2013Resolution 70 (Johannesburg, 2008) - Telecommunication/information and communication technology accessibility for persons with disabilities
Publication: The ICT opportunity for a disability-inclusive development framework 2013
Limited references
Biwako Millennium Framework for Action & Biwako Plus
General references to Biwako in policy documentsBiwako’s: “Access to information and communications, including information, communications and assistive technologies”
Limited or no reference to ICT
Framework for Action on ICT for Development in the Pacific 2010
Includes connecting up disadvantaged groups such as people with disabilityBut no strategies or methods to achieve this
Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability 2010 - 2015
Relevant prioritiesStrengthen political leadership and an enabling environmentDisability inclusive development
BUT no direct reference to ICT
Gulf between ICT and accessibility
Are policies on ICT and on disability on parallel paths?How do we break this cycle?Some ICT training offered by donor organisations and by APCD
Next steps need support
Internet Society workshops on ICT accessibility
Community Grant to set up & deliver capacity-building workshops on Internet accessibility from policy perspectiveDelivered in Papua New Guinea & Vanuatu as part of annual conference by Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet SocietyInterest by government representatives and NGOs at conferences on how to move forwards
Proposal for Pacific ICT accessibility projects
Systematic approach to build accessible ICT usage for people with disabilityObtaining baseline data as foundationAnalysis and assessment of baseline data to move forwards with pilot projects in targeted countries
ITU has key roleMajor theme of ICT accessibility Many related initiatives including work by G3ict
Commitment to ICT accessibility in AP region Much work done in Asia but now we need to consider the Pacific region as well
The importance of partners
No one organisation can usually fund a set of projectsThe importance of partners is both in funding and involvementThis project proposal is seeking partners to collaborate in moving forwardsPacific Disability Forum may have key involvement
Project proposal elements
Stage 1: Data collectionStage 2: Building awarenessStage 3: Increasing accessibilityStage 4: Consolidation and assessment
Stage 1: Data collection1. Current ICT usage by people with disability in
designated number of PI countries indicating issues such as availability, affordability or accessibility
2. Audit of government web sites in designated PI countries
3. Review of legislation, regulation & policy in terms of ICT accessibility
4. Analysis of data to determine priorities for Stage 2
Stage 2: Building awareness
Development of Pacific-appropriate disability awareness toolkit and training for government and the community Development of Pacific-appropriate toolkit and training for policy-makers on incorporating accessibility into legislation, regulation and policy Inclusion of Pacific accessibility information in relevant web portal
Stage 3: Increasing accessibility and usage
Training and mentoring of people with disability in the use of the Internet in community centres Training in web accessibility for government web designersStudy with regulatory bodies whether Universal Access Funds could be source of affordable and accessible ICT for people with disabilityMany other activities needed eg disaster risk managementBUT need to prioritise
Stage 4: Consolidation and assessment
Evaluation of project activities Surveys of people with disability in usageWeb accessibility auditsReview of legislation, regulation & policyReport with recommendations on achievement and gaps
ConclusionMany challenges!But ICT should give Pacific Islanders with disability more opportunities to take an active part in their communityLooking forward to being part of this exciting voyage!
