Disabled people and ICT: Top tips for the Voluntary Sector

The leaflet "Top tips for the Voluntary Sector" gives a list of recommendations on their sector's role in implementing the eInclusion Charter. This is what it says:

Provide a clear point of contact: Many people out there are looking for ways to change/develop their products or services but are not sure of a starting point. Providing a clear and knowledgeable point for information can help. You may have to publicise this access point to those you feel will benefit the most from using it.
Have a prioritised list of requirements: Providing companies and organisations with a clear and realistic set of requirements can give them a clear set of objectives to work towards. This will allow them to meet key goals and provide a benchmark against which they can measure themselves.
Work with organisations to establish awareness of the problems and solutions: Many organisations are unaware of the problems faced by disabled and older people. Raising the awareness of a problem is the first step towards creating a solution. Make sure that for each problem raised, you can provide advice or guidance, even if it is just referring them to an expert in the area.
Create specialised training schemes for your user group: Many training organisations are not set up towards training disabled and older people, while the cost of meeting a wide range of specialised needs can be prohibitive. Organisations with specific user groups can be best placed to deliver training. Specialised courses can allow for the users to receive the best possible tailored training.
Provide access to end users: Many product and service developers struggle to involve end users simply because they are unsure of how to get their views. Provide access to these user groups and provide support and advice for gathering and interpreting data. Collaborating with other user group representatives can allow for product and service developers to have an easier time designing inclusively.
Work with other voluntary sector organisations: It is no longer enough for each organisation to pursue its own agenda. The charity sector must have a unified front when lobbying industry or government as well as providing advice. Orga-nisations can be intimidated if different charities are calling for vastly different and sometimes mutually exclusive requirements.
Do not reinvent the wheel: use existing resources. There is a large and still growing body of knowledge and expertise on inclusive design. This website provides pointers to this information.

You can download the pdf version (70KB) of the leaflet.