motion of a regional-autonomous model for revitalization centered on ICT that regions themselves conceive and execute and that respects regional independence and autonomy. Therefore, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is moving forward with the following regional stimulation policies through the application of ICT.

## (1) Establishment of a comprehensive support system for ICT regional stimulation

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has been dispatching regional IT advisors since FY 2007. And starting in FY 2008, the Ministry opened the Portal Site for Community Revitalization through ICT, which aims to collect and share with a broad audience successful cases of regional stimulation using ICT.

## (2) Promotion of ICT usage and application in local regions

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is conducting and promoting initiatives that make use of ICT applications to help resolve regional issues (a lack of doctors, a decreasing birthrate and aging population, a deterioration in regional law and order, disaster-management measures, revitalization of regional economies, revival of local communities, etc.) and is implementing various measures with the objective of encouraging ICT usage and application in local regions and contributing to the revitalization of regional societies and problem resolution in regional societies.

### 2. Establishment of a barrier-free information environment

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is moving forward with the following initiatives toward establishing a barrier-free information environment in order to realize a world in which everyone, including older people and people with physical and mental challenges, can make use of ICT and enjoy its benefits.

## (1) Promotion of and assistance for ICT usage by challenged people

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications grants subsidies under the Subsidy Program to Assist the Development and Provision of Communications and Broadcasting for the Challenged to help businesses that develop or provide communication or broadcasting services for the physically challenged who have problems with regular communications or broadcasts (such as a telephone-relay service for people who are aurally challenged). The subsidies are based on the Act on Promoting Businesses that Assist the Communication and Broadcast Utilization by Challenged People to Contribute to the Improved Convenience of Challenged People and have the objective of eliminating digital divides caused by physical conditions.

## (2) Promotion of broadcasts for visually and aurally challenged people

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is engaged in promoting the widespread adoption of broadcasts for visually and aurally challenged people to enable visually and aurally challenged people to smoothly obtain information through broadcasts. As part of these efforts, the Ministry provides assistance to people creating close-captioned programs and programs with spoken descriptions of the content.

## (3) Promotion of a universal usage environment

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications established in December 2005 the Operational Models for Government Websites for Everyone, which aims to maintain and improve the Web accessibility of local governments so that everyone, including older people and challenged people, can make use of government and public sector Websites. In FY 2010, the Ministry revised and released the Updated Edition of Operational Models for Government Websites for Everyone, which is based on recent standardization developments.

### 3. Promotion of Content Distribution

As a means of expanding the Japanese economy and bolstering our international competitiveness, expanding the content market is one of our country's basic policies. The New Growth Strategy (a June 2010 Cabinet decision) set intellectual property and standardization strategies and the international expansion of Cool Japan as national strategic projects. The Intellectual Property Strategic Program 2011 (adopted by the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters in June 2011) set out four priority strategies, including cutting-edge digital network strategies and Cool Japan strategies, and promotes joint public-private initiatives.

In its interim report (July 2011), the Panel on Strengthening Innovative Digital Content Resources, led by the Vice Cabinet Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, set out five priority promotion areas — strengthening the capability to deliver content overseas, strengthening content creation capabilities, revitalization through content usage, establishing a content delivery environment, and strengthening personnel training — and recommended specific initiatives and future promotion measures. Based on this report, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is moving ahead with various initiatives in this area.