Presentation: **ICT accessibility standardization and its use in policy
measures**

By Hajime Yamada, Toyo University, Japan

Presented at TEITAC, May 23, 2007

Slide 1

**ICT accessibility standardization and its use in policy measures**

Hajime Yamada

Toyo University, Japan

Presented at TEITAC

May 23, 2007

Slide 2

**Remarks**

l This paper was first presented at Design for all and Assistive
Technology Standardization Coordination Group (DATSCG) in Brussels on
March 15, 2007

l This paper is prepared to contribute to the work in Europe to
implement accessibility requirements into public procurement through a
study on accessibility standardization and conformity assessment

l During development of this paper I received a lot of suggestions and
comments from colleagues

l This paper represents my personal view

Slide 3

**Contents**

l Use of standardization to promote ICT accessibility

l Alternative approaches of conformity assessment

Slide 4

**Development of standards**

l Development of standards is a political process

l Resulting standards are a result of compromises of various
stakeholders

-- Users tend to insist on higher technology hurdles

-- Providers try to lower technology hurdles

-- It can be useful to include a neutral party in the drafting committee

Slide 5

**A standard everyone ignores is not influential but**

l A technology hurdle that is too high will reduce providers' incentive
to design products that conforms to the standards

l But it is recommended not to lower the hurdle too much

-- Every provider can easily ship products conforming to that ICT
accessibility standard

-- Users may still face difficulty in using the resulting products that
are deemed "accessible"

Slide 6

**Voluntary use of ICT accessibility standards**

l Providers use standards

-- to prioritize user needs by referring to standards

-- to "educate" young designers

l Users can

-- acquire in the marketplace mainstream products that implement some
accessibility functions

-- make their own decision whether to "buy mainstream products," "rely
on assistive technologies" or "some combination of both"

l Information must be disclosed effectively to users in the form of
documentation or via the Internet

Slide 7

**Use of standards as a mandatory requirement for public procurement**

l Government procurement can be an incentive for providers to develop
and market accessible products

-- Development and production of accessible products will likely incur
additional cost

-- If the cost is compensated by public procurement, companies can be
more aggressively implement accessibility functions in their mainstream
products

l In the long run, accessible ICT mainstream products will enjoy a
dramatic cost reduction that is a common phenomenon in ICT industry

Slide 8

**Tax payers also get cost benefits**

l e.g.

-- If an e-Government system is developed which is accessible only by
limited range of people, the government needs to continue the service of
conventional (not e-Government) system in parallel

-- We must pay tax for the operation of two parallel systems

-- It is reasonable to spend additional expenses to further develop
accessibility functions in e-Government system

Slide 9

**Qualitative nature of ICT accessibility standards**

l Most requirements in accessibility standards are qualitative not
quantitative, measurable and testable

l Qualitative nature makes determining product conformance very
difficult

-- It is easy to judge if a requirement is "the character size printed
on operable controls shall be 5 mm or larger and the contrast ratio
shall be 4:1or higher"

-- It is difficult if a requirement is "a screen display device shall
support advanced functions such as character enlargement and contrast
adjustment"

Slide 10

**We tend to think only two alternatives**

l Two alternatives of conformity assessment that are usually considered

-- Self declaration

-- Third part testing

l We can develop other ways that

-- Encourage providers to manufacture accessible mainstream products

-- Benefit users

Slide 11

**Self declaration**

l Self declaration remains as an important approach to conformity
assessment

l Self declaration is used widely around the world and in various
scenarios

-- Japan and US, telecommunication terminals

-- Europe, product safety and electromagnetic compatibility

Slide 12

**Self declaration with challenge or post-market surveillance**

l The first company tests accessibility of its product by itself and
discloses the test results

l The second company monitors the first company's self declaration and
challenges to them when it feels they are not correct

l If challenged, the first company is asked by the government agency to
provide its test results

l And if it fails to prove conformance, the first company is required to
correct the situation or may be prevented from bidding the product to
the government

Slide 13

**Best practitioner method**

l Self police mechanism implies a penalty\
Best practitioner method rewards the best company

l Government, user community or industry association organizes a
committee

l The committee researches products in the market and determines the
best product (or the product that meets accessibility requirements most)

l Survey results are disclosed to the public

l The best product receives an award e.g. "The best accessible ICT
product award"

Slide 14

**Top runner approach**

l Government uses the survey results of best practitioner method as
criteria of public procurement

l The criteria become severer year by year

-- In Japan, energy efficiency of air conditioners has improved 67.8%
since the introduction of the approach in 1997. Energy efficiency of
gasoline passenger vehicles had been improved 22.0% between 1995 and
2004

Slide 15

**Third-party testing system**

l A third-party testing approach may have an advantage that the test can
be more objective than self declaration

l Third-party testing needs quantitative metrics, a viable, consistent
validation process, and accumulation of expertise in inspection bodies

l To ensure credibility of inspection bodies, it is necessary to
identify an accreditation organization. The necessity of accreditation
scheme significantly increases the social and business costs

Slide 16

**Accessibility management system standard**

l The company shall have an information accessibility policy

-- The company shall specify user requirements for accessibility and
produce design solutions

-- The company shall evaluate accessibility design solutions of ICT
products with users

-- The company shall have a transparent way of receiving and handling
user complaints

-- The company shall keep records of their activities

-- The company shall disclose information how accessibility is improving
in their products

Slide 17

**Top management's declaration of accessibility policy**

l The declaration must be disclosed to the public so that the top
management takes the responsibility upon itself

l The declaration improves perception of the key accessibility issues by
their employees and the public

Slide 18

**What is important are**

l Alternatives are not mutually exclusive

-- e.g. big enterprises use self declaration while small and medium size
enterprises use third party testing system

-- At the same time awards can be given to facilitate accessible product
development

l It is a desire to establish a win-win situation among parties concern