Lok Sabha Question No. 2460 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-01
Subject: ICT Services for Differently-Abled Persons
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2460 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ST  AUGUST, 2018

## ICT SERVICES FOR DIFFERENTLY-ABLED PERSONS

2460. SHRI B. VINOD KUMAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the TRAI has recommended that all mobile manufacturers producing five or  more  handset  models  be  mandated  to  bring  out  at  least  one  handset  that  meets accessibility criteria for the differently-abled by 2020 and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the TRAI has also mooted that TV set top box makers or importers have at least one model 'in accessible format' by 2020 and if so, the details thereof
- (c) whether  the  TRAI  has  suggested  that  telecom  and  broadcast  operators  have special  desks  in  their  call  centres  to  handle  calls  from  the  differently-abled  using 'assistive technologies' and their staff be sensitised to handle such queries or issues and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  TRAI  also  suggested  that  all  Government  websites  be  made 'accessibility compliant' and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the TRAI has also suggested formation of a Steering Committee to create guidelines,  implementation  and  monitoring  mechanism  to  improve  ICT  accessibility  for Persons  with  Disabilities  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  response  of  the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) to (e) Yes, TRAI had recently submitted its recommendations relating to 'Making ICT accessible for Persons with Disabilities' , to the Government on 09.07.2018, interalia,  recommending  measures  including  those  mentioned  at  part  (a)  to  (e)  of  the question. Salient features of the recommendations is enclosed as Annexure-I.

## Information Note to the Press [Press Release No.  76 /2018] For Immediate Release

## TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA

## TRAI releases Recommendations on 'Making ICT accessible for Persons with Disabilities'

New Delhi, 9 th  July 2018 : The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today issued its recommendations on 'Making ICT Accessible for Persons with Disabilities'. The recommendations are available on TRAI website (www.trai.gov.in).

2. Telecommunication  today  provides  the  underlying  infrastructure  over  which  several services like banking, education, healthcare and public services are delivered. However, Persons with  Disabilities  (PwDs)  are  not  able  to  fully  access  these  ICT  services  mainly  due  to  lack  of necessary accessibility features or unaffordable prices of the equipment or due to unavailability of required services. For having an inclusive society and in view of growing focus on digitalisation, it is necessary that benefits of ICT technology are passed on to every person in the society including PwDs.
3. In  view  of  the  above,  TRAI,  Suo-moto,  issued  a  Consultation  Paper  on  ' Making  ICT Accessible for Persons with Disabilities ' on 20 th December, 2017 to engage the stakeholders in a constructive dialogue to identify the barriers being faced by the PwDs in accessing telecom and broadcasting  services  and  to  identify  key  areas  where  policy  interventions  are  needed.  The comments received from the stakeholders on the paper were placed on TRAI's website. An Open House Discussion (OHD) with stakeholders was organised on 5 th April, 2018.
4. After analysing the responses received from the stakeholders, deliberations held during the OHD and  considering  the  present  legal  framework  and  identifying  action  points  to  encourage access of ICT services by PwDs, the Authority has come out with recommendations on the matter.
5. The salient features of the recommendations are as follows:
- i. Disabilities as specified in Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD), 2016 are comprehensive and do not require any modification for formulating policies for enabling ICT access to PwDs.
- ii. A Steering Committee under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with  Disabilities  be  setup  with  Members  from  Department  of  Telecom  (DoT), Ministry  of  Information  &  Broadcasting  (MIB),  Ministry  of  Electronics  &  IT (MeitY), Ministry of Corporate Affairs  and Ministry of Finance  with a mandate to (i)  Review  from  time  to  time  accessibility  of  ICT  to  PwDs  (ii)  Formulate guidelines, implementation and monitoring mechanism to improve ICT accessibility for PwDs  (iii) Suggest additional measures required by the

## Annexure

Government  including  funding  requirements;  and  (iv)  Collaborate  with  state Governments  for  proper  coordination  and  harmonisation  of  the  activities  to  be undertaken.

- iii. The Measures suggested by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) viz. (i) ensuring availability and affordability of accessible equipment & assistive tools (ii) PwD  specific  products,  tariff  plans  &  accessible  customer  care  services  (iii) Making  services  and  interfaces  like  television  and  internet  accessible  to  PwDs through  closed  captioning  and  audio  description  etc.  (iv)  undertaking  awareness campaigns  on  availability  of  accessible  content  and  tools,  should  be  adopted  in India.
- iv. Government should mandate the device manufacturers/importers not to curtail the accessibility  features  available  in  popular  operating  systems  in  any  manner  from their  devices  (manufactured  or  imported  in  India).  An  undertaking  to  this  effect may be taken from manufacturers/importers while lab certification.
- v. TSPs to identify and register PwDs under special category and necessary changes in Customer Acquisition Forms (CAF) should be made to this effect.
- vi. TSPs, MSOs  and DTH  operators to have a special desks in their call centres/customer  support  centres  to  handle  calls  from  PwDs  using  assistive technologies.
- vii. To facilitate accessibility of emergency services by PwDs, separate desks in each Pubic  Safety  Answering  Point  [to  be  setup  following  earlier  recommendations made by the Authority on 07.04.2015 regarding 'Integrated Emergency Communication  and  Response  System  (IECRS)']  to  be  setup  where  attendant executive  should  accept  calls/SMS/Social  Media  calls  from    PwDs  and  provide them assistance. The desk would also have Relay Centre to cater to requests from deaf and speech impaired people.
- viii. TSPs,  MSOs/DTH  and  PSAP  operators  to  provide  sensitivity  training  to  their executives to deal with issues of PwDs.
- ix. Specific essential accessibility standards for mobile phones, landline phones and set top boxes have been identified and prescribed.
- x. Percentages of channel content to be developed in accessible format for PwDs with audio and visual impairment have been prescribed; with 50% of the channels to be developed in accessible format by next five years.

- xi. By  the  end  of  2020,  all  mobile  handset  manufacturers  producing  5  or  more different  models  to  produce  atleast  one  mobile  handset  satisfying  accessibility criteria for PwDs.
- xii. Set Top Box (STB) manufacturers/importers should make/import atleast one model in different variants of STBs in accessible format by 2020.
- xiii. Government creating and maintaining a database of devices and ancillary equipment satisfying prescribed accessibility standards.
- xiv. Government to mandate that ICT products (Computer Hardware, Mobile Phones, STBs) procured by Government agencies should be accessible to PwDs and should have associated support documentation and services in accessible format.
- xv. All Government websites to be accessibility compliant to the PwDs.
- xvi. Department  of  Telecom  (DoT)  and  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting (MIB) to instruct TSPs and DTH/MSOs to conduct awareness campaigns regarding accessibility issues, design, affordability, availability of assistive tools and products and about various Government policies/schemes pertaining to accessible ICT that can be availed by PwDs.

6. For  further  details,  Shri  Sanjeev  Banzal,  Advisor  (CA&IT),  TRAI  may  be  contacted  at Telephone: 011-23210990 or email ID: advisorit@trai.gov.in.

Sd/(U .K Srivastava) Secretary I/C (TRAI)

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