FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Francesca Cesa Bianchi fcesabianchi@g3ict.org

NEWLY RELEASED CRPD ICT ACCESSIBILITY PROGRESS REPORT DEMONSTRATES THE NEED TO INCORPORATE ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY AND MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTENRSHIPS IN NATIONAL DISABILITY-INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES AS A CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR FOR TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE
Analysis of 54 data points tracks progress accomplished by CRPD ratifying countries in promoting and implementing ICT accessibility and assistive technologies Report underlines critical global gaps and opportunities in access to information infrastructure! participation of persons "ith disabilities in implementation processes and a"areness and capacity building activities NEW DELHI, In !a "F#$%&a%' (), *+(,- . The Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and Disabled eo!le"s International (D I) announce the release of a ne# re!ort on benchmar$ing !rogress in ma$ing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) accessible in com!liance #ith the Convention on the %ights of ersons #ith Disabilities (C% D). &e' findings #ill be !resented this #ee$ in (e# Delhi at Techshare India )*+,- a conference and e.hibition discussing accessibilit' and assistive technolog' at a national level #ith international !artici!ation- hosted b' BarrierBrea$- in !artnershi! #ith the (ational Centre for romotion of /m!lo'ment for Disabled eo!le ((C /D )- the %o'al (ational Institute of Blind eo!le (%(IB)- 0& and #ith the su!!ort of G3ict. In its third edition- the CRPD #$%& ICT Accessibility Progress Report offers disabilit' advocatesgovernments- civil societ' and international organi1ations monitoring the !rogress of the im!lementation of the C% D b' 2tates arties- uni3ue benchmar$s for countr' la#s- !olicies- and !rograms !ertaining to accessible and assistive ICTs. Based on the findings from the )*+* and )*+) editions of the Progress Report- it is clear that digital accessibilit' is not merel' about greater use of technologies b' !ersons #ith disabilities. It is about transforming information4based !olicies and the ICT ecos'stem. 5ddressing the ICT arena is !art of a larger effort to build an information societ' based on ensuring !eo!le"s right to communicate- use $no#ledge for their o#n ends- and overcome barriers on freedom to use- share and modif' ICTs and information content. This com!orts #ith the theme of the 2e!tember )*+3 6igh47evel 8eeting on Disabilit' and Develo!ment of the 0nited (ations General 5ssembl' on the reali1ation of the 8illennium Develo!ment Goals and other internationall'4agreed develo!ment goals for !ersons #ith disabilities. *+() K#' F!n !n/0: S!/n!1!cant A 2anc#0 o1 t3# B%oa CRPD L#/!04at!2# A/#n a, $&t S!/n!1!cant Ga50 !n I654#6#nt!n/ !t0 ICT Acc#00!$!4!t' D!05o0!t!on0 9hile noting !rogress in develo!ing national legislations reflecting the core dis!ositions of the C% D- the re!ort documents significant deficits in !romoting !olicies and !rograms to ma$e essential services accessible to !ersons #ith disabilities around the #orld. For e.am!le: 9hile ;< !ercent of ratif'ing countries no# have a general legislation !rotecting the %ights of ersons #ith Disabilities- and <3 !ercent have a definition of =%easonable 5ccommodation= included in la#s or regulations 44 a significant advance since the launch of the C% D 44 basic !olicies for the im!lementation of its ICT accessibilit' dis!ositions are lac$ing.

In 5a%t!c&4a%, t3# acc#00!$!4!t' o1 t3# !n1o%6at!on !n1%a0t%&ct&%#, a 2!ta4 a%#a o1 ICT acc#00!$!4!t' 7!t3 t3# /%#at#0t !65act on t3# 4a%/#0t 5o5&4at!on o1 &0#%0, !0 4a//!n/ $#3!n %at!1'!n/ co&nt%!#08 /#n#%a4 co66!t6#nt0 to t3# CRPD: 8ore than ;* !ercent of countries surve'ed in )*+3 re!ort no or minimum levels of im!lementation of !olicies or !rograms !romoting accessibilit' in critical areas such as mobile tele!hon'- #eb sites- fi.ed tele!hon'- trans!ortation !ublic address s'stems- television or 5utomatic Teller 8achines (5T8s).

>aved 5bidi- Chair!erson of Disabled eo!le"s International stated: 'Depriving persons "ith disabilities from e(ual access to essential ICT based applications and services violates the core dispositions of Article ) of the Convention of the Rights of Persons "ith Disabilities and creates an unsustainable economic and social development gap in our digital age*+ A 0#con c%!t!ca4 /a5, 73!c3 05#a90 to t3# %o4# o1 5#%0on0 7!t3 !0a$!4!t!#0 !n t3# !654#6#ntat!on o1 t3# CRPD, !n2o42#0 t3# 0&55o%t o1 D!0a$4# P#%0on0 O%/an!:at!on0 "DPO0-; Stat#0 Pa%t!#08 5o4!c!#0 a%# !ncon0!0t#nt 7!t3 A%t!c4# , "!- ) o1 t3# CRPD an %#14#ct a 4ac9 o1 %#05#ct 1o% t3# 5a%t!c!5at!on o1 5#%0on0 7!t3 !0a$!4!t!#0; 5bout << !ercent of countries surve'ed in )*+3 do not offer financial su!!ort for D ?s and (G?s for their #or$ in develo!ing !olicies and !rograms. @et- regression anal'sis across A< countries data sets reveals that the !artici!ation of !ersons #ith disabilities is a common denominator among countries #ith the most successful ICT accessibilit' im!lementations.

A t3!% 2!ta4 a%#a o1 !n1o%6at!on an ICT acc#00!$!4!t' %#4at# to t3# CRPD, an 73!c3 %#6a!n0 4o7 a6on/ 0&%2#'# co&nt%!#0, !n2o42#0 a7a%#n#00 %a!0!n/ an ca5ac!t' $&!4 !n/ 1o% 5#%0on0 7!t3 !0a$!4!t!#0 an 9#' 0ta9#3o4 #%0; 9hile B) !ercent of the countries surve'ed in )*+3 !romote a#areness4raising and training !rograms about the C% D- a mere ++ !ercent !rovide mandator' training !rograms for future !rofessionals about digital access for !ersons #ith disabilities. This is inconsistent #ith 5rticle ; of the Convention and reflects a lac$ of understanding of the relationshi! bet#een digital access rights and the ca!abilit' of countries to engage in ca!acit' building and inclusive develo!ment efforts to reflect C% D dis!ositions.

&no#ing ho# much !rogress is actuall' accom!lished b' C% D ratif'ing countries in ICT accessibilit' is an essential ste! for all sta$eholders in order to address ga!s and o!!ortunities in their o#n countries. 9hile most countries are generall' a#are of their basic obligation to im!lement ICT accessibilit'- the' have not: (+) translated essential C% D dis!ositions into actual !olicies or !rograms- and ()) included !ersons #ith disabilities in the foundational countr'#ide !olic' develo!ment !rocesses and ca!acit'4building necessar' to achieve valued outcomes. 5s a result- more than one4fifth of the #orld"s !o!ulation ma' be vulnerable to a digital divide. 5.el 7eblois- resident and /.ecutive Director of G3ict said: 'This #%$& edition of the CRPD ICT Accessibility Progress Report! "hich covers t"o third of the "orld population! documents critical global gaps in ICT accessibility* Those facts call for the ,nited -ations post.#%$5 agenda to incorporate ICTs as a critical success factor for the inclusion of persons "ith disabilities*+ /ach of the critical areas of the Convention cited above !resent o!!ortunities for im!rovement b' ratif'ing countries!articularl' in relation to their ca!acit' for im!lementation and involvement of !ersons #ith disabilities and other sta$eholders. Bridging those vital ga!s re3uires more than Governments #or$ and resources. It re3uires a long4term !artnershi! bet#een the !ublic sector- industr'- D ?s and (G?s.

Not# on M#t3o o4o/' The third edition of the CRPD ICT Accessibility Progress Report covers A< countries including A, ratif'ing countries2outh 2udan (formerl' !art of a ratif'ing countr' 2udan) and the 0nited 2tates as a benchmar$ countr'. Those A< countries re!resent A) !ercent of the #orld !o!ulation and ;+ !ercent of the total !o!ulation of ratif'ing countries. T#o sets of surve's C one for legal e.!erts- one for accessibilit' e.!erts C #ere filled out b' ;A local res!ondents in A< countries. Data collection for the third edition of the Progress Report #as com!leted in coo!eration #ith Disabled eo!le"s International (D I) and various disabled !erson"s organi1ations and e.!erts in countries #here D I corres!ondents #ere not available. The !ublication of this re!ort #as su!!orted #ith grants from 5dobe 2'stems- 5TDT- Google- IB8- 8icrosoft- and Time 9arner Cable. Stat!0t!ca4 ta$4#0 a%# a2a!4a$4# at: 3tt5:<</)!ct;o%/<%#0o&%c#=c#nt#%<CRPD=*+()=ICT=Acc#00!$!4!t'=P%o/%#00 T3# 1&44 %#5o%t 7!t3 #ta!4# ata ana4'0!0 !0 a2a!4a$4# a0 a 1%## o7n4oa on t3# G)!ct 7#$0!t#;

A$o&t G)!ct G3ict C the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies C is an advocac' initiative launched in December )**< b' the 0nited (ations Global 5lliance for ICT and Develo!ment- in coo!eration #ith the 2ecretariat for the Convention on the %ights of ersons #ith Disabilities at 0(D/25. Its mission is to facilitate and su!!ort the im!lementation of the dis!ositions of the Convention on the %ights of ersons #ith Disabilities (C% D) !romoting digital accessibilit' and 5ssistive Technologies. artici!ating organi1ations include industr'- academia- the !ublic sector and organi1ations re!resenting !ersons #ith disabilities. G3ict organi1es or contributes to a#areness4 raising and ca!acit' building !rograms for !olic' ma$ers in coo!eration #ith international organi1ations- such as the IT0- I7?- 0(/2C?- 0(IT5%- 0(/2C5 - 0( Global Com!act and the 9orld Ban$. In )*++- G3ict launched the 84 /nabling 2ummit 2eries to !romote accessible mobile !hones and services for !ersons #ith disabilities in coo!eration #ith the IT0 and the FCC (0.2. Federal Communications Commission). G3ict !roduces Eointl' #ith IT0 the e45ccessibilit' olic' Tool$it for ersons #ith Disabilities (htt!:FF###.e4accessibilit'tool$it.org)- as #ell as s!eciali1ed re!orts #hich are #idel' used around the #orld b' !olic' ma$ers involved in the im!lementation of the C% D. Gisit htt!:FF###.g3ict.org A$o&t DPI Disabled eo!le"s International (D I)- established in +H;+- #as the #orld"s first successful cross4disabilit' endeavour to convert the tal$ about full and e3ual !artici!ation of !ersons #ith disabilities in to action. Till toda'- 3* 'ears after it #as formed- D I continues to be the #orld"s onl' cross4disabilit' global disabled !eo!le"s organisation (D ?). It is head3uartered in ?tta#a- Canada and has an un!aralleled reach in more than +3* countries s!anning across A regions: 5frica- 5rab- 5sia4 acific- Common#ealth of Inde!endent 2tates (CI2)- /uro!e- 7atin 5merica and (orth 5merica D Caribbean. Gisit: htt!:FF###.d!i.org