Disabled people and ICT: Draft Charter

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Disabled people and ICT: Draft Charter

Below, you can read our draft Charter. Once the Charter is finalised, we intend to lobby business, government and the voluntary sector to sign up to it. However, we would welcome your views on the Charter before we do so. Please send us your comments on the charter, so that we can make it the best possible document!

"Disabled and older people should have the same rights to participate in the Information Society as all citizens. Information and communication technology (ICT) such as personal computers, mobile phones and interactive TV should be tools to help overcome barriers they face in education, the workplace and social life."

"The ICT business sector is responsible for the design, development, manufacture and distribution of digital equipment and its associated software and services."

"ICT businesses will:

  1. Use inclusive design principles to create offerings that will be usable by disabled and older people;
  2. Be creative in reaching out beyond their traditional customer base so that ICT equipment and services are useable, available and affordable by disabled and older people;
  3. Ensure that customer-facing staff are aware of, and signpost to, ICT solutions that meet the needs of disabled and older people."

"Government is responsible for the regulatory and legislative framework that stimulates companies to innovate more inclusive equipment and services. Government will:

  1. Take the lead in using ICT to deliver services to disabled and older people in order to raise their quality of life;
  2. Make available the ICT tools, information and services that disabled people need to access education and employment;
  3. Provide an appropriately structured funding framework for delivering digital inclusion to disabled people."

"The charitable and voluntary sector represents those people most vulnerable to exclusion. The Voluntary sector will:

  1. Identify and prioritise the requirements and challenges of eInclusion;
  2. Raise awareness about the barriers that disabled and older people face and identify the potential of technology to overcome these barriers;
  3. Work together with business and government to provide insight and training for disabled and older people."

"We call on ICT businesses, government and the voluntary sector to recognise their responsibilities and collaborate in achieving these goals."

Last review: 28 September 2007.