Good Practices in ICT Accessibility main contributions

of Accessible Americas 2019

Quito, Ecuador
20-22 November 2019
1. Introduction

On November 20, 21 and 22, the sixth edition of the reginal event Accessible
Americas was held in Quito, Ecuador. On this occasion, more than 400 delegates
from more than 16 countries from the Americas region attended the event.

Accessible America is the main event of the International Telecommunication

Union (ITU) in the region on Digital Inclusion and Accessibility to Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs), which are of vital importance in empowering
people with disabilities, women and girls, youth, older adults, indigenous
populations, among others with specific needs.

The main objective of the event is to present good practices that stimulate the
different actors, join efforts in the search for solutions to eliminate the barriers to
access to ICTs, allow advances in human development and promote accessibility
policies with a view to improving the quality of life of all people, without
discrimination.

This important forum has been transforming and adapting to the reality of the
region, covering issues of relevance for inclusion, not only for people with
disabilities, but for different priority groups such as women, children, rural areas
and people who lack digital skills.

The use of ICT marks what we call the 4th revolution. In these moments of
important transformations at all levels, having digital skills is essential in this digital
economy.

Precisely in the framework of the digital transformation that we are experiencing in

the government, companies, schools, civil organizations, finance sector, commerce
sector, it takes on more relevance that the countries of the Americas region meet
to share strategies and best practices to better face this era and scale the best
experiences.

This three-day event, following the model introduced in Accessible Americas V,

began with a two-and-a-half-hour training called “Fundamentals of ICT
Accessibility: 1st step towards Digital Inclusion”, taught by the International
Telecommunication Union. The main objective of this training is to enable all
participants in Accessible Americas, regardless of their previous training or area of
expertise, to achieve a general understanding of the ICT accessibility ecosystem,
including global commitments, trends, principles, definitions and general topics in
the subject. During the training, participants also learn about the key resources that
ITU makes available to all stakeholders (governments, private sector, academia,
DPOs and other stakeholders) to support them in their efforts to implement ICT
accessibility at the national and regional level.

Participants to this training who submitted their questionnaires properly received a

certificate from ITU on the last day of the event. More than 147 people from 16

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different countries participated and were certified in this training, 60% more
participants than in Accessible Americas 2018.

2. Shared experiences and best practices

2.1. ITU Executive Training: Fundamentals of ICT Accessibility: First
Steps to Digital Inclusion

Best Practice: Training

This training is important for participants to homogenize their concepts of digital

transformation, inclusion, digital literacy and ICT accessibility. In this training
session, topics related to inclusive digital communications were presented in the
global context of digital transformation, as indicated below:

1. Accessibility of ICTs a business opportunity

2. ICT accessibility policies and their implementation strategies (Public Access,
TV, Mobile, Web, Public Procurement, Emergency Communications)
3. Key ITU resources for implementing ICT accessibility at national and
regional levels.

Specific objectives of this training session:

 Understand the concept of ICT Accessibility and the related ecosystem.

 Learn the concept and theoretical framework of digital inclusion, as well as

its impact on the autonomous life of people with disabilities.

 Recognize global commitments to facilitate access to ICT for people with

disabilities.

 Understand the difference between accessibility, connectivity, assistive

technology and affordable ICT.

 Access to the key principles to consider in ICT accessibility to apply to

regulations and policies on topics such as public access, mobile, TV, video,
web and public purchases.

 Have information on the key resources offered by ITU-D in ICT Accessibility

to support the implementation of ICT inclusion at national, regional and
global levels.

 Finally, that the participants understood the key actions and guidelines to
support all the key actors in their efforts to include people with disabilities
and priority groups in the digital transformation.

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 2.2. Ecuador a country towards digital inclusion

Best Practice: public policies of accessibility

Ecuador, as the host country, presented the work they are doing on digital
inclusion. On the topic of digital inclusion today, there are three relevant fields
relevant actors have to work on. The first, obviously connectivity, there is no
transformation or digital inclusion if there is no connectivity. In several sessions of
Accessible Americas, the importance of connectivity was discussed. However,
connectivity and strategies to connect and deploy broadband in countries are
topics that are discussed very thoroughly in other forums.

The second field is accessibility. Capacities must be created at all levels to ensure
accessibility of ICTs. Technical knowledge about accessibility is required, but also
general knowledge about accessibility so that decision makers, governments,
companies, universities and civil society organizations from their field of action can
move towards digital inclusion.

Finally, the third field is affordability. In order to have a digital inclusion we need to
ensure that everyone have access to Information and Communication
Technologies.

In this sense Ecuador presented an initiative that represents a good practice for the
region and an advance in the issue of affordability. As a public policy, taxes on
imports of equipment such as smartphones, tablets and all types of computers
were eliminated. This is an example of a public policy that helps reduce the costs
of ICTs and that will impact the inclusion of priority groups in the digital economy.

On the other hand, within the policy of technological inclusion and equal access to
telecommunications services, the National Telecommunications Council
(CONATEL) established new measures that are incorporated into the Organic Law
on Disabilities, to benefit this important segment of the society. For the payment of
Internet, fixed and mobile telephony services, the following deductions were
established: the fixed telephony service will have a 50% discount of the monthly
consumption value of up to 300 minutes within the same network, which may be
proportionally, totally or partially equivalent to text messages; and the broadband
fixed Internet value-added service will have a 50% reduction in the monthly
consumption value in commercial plans.

According to the page of the National Council for the Equality of Disabilities
(Conadis), in Ecuador there are 63,191 people with hearing disabilities registered.
54.49% are men and 45.51% are women (2018 data). Taking into account the
above, the Ecuadorian government is financing the Communication Mediation
Center (COSORI) so that deaf people in Ecuador can communicate through
access to sign language translators on the skype platform.

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 2.3. The promotion of Digital Inclusion and the Agenda 2030
for the sustainable development of the region

Best Practice: Sustainable Development

Today all processes are being transformed. Within the 17 Sustainable

Development Goals of United Nations1 we can observe a common and transversal
element: the use of technology and innovation as a catalyst.

Recognizing the importance of innovation and the use of technology, the Ministry
of Public Telecommunications of Guyana presented its progress towards moving
towards sustainable development. The Ministry spoke of the use of the Universal
Access Fund to connect and offer internet in all public schools in the country.
Today they have connected to more than 173 primary and secondary schools.

On the other hand, ICT Centers are being created in different communities where
the use of computers and internet access is offered free of charge. Regional
administrations also have these ICT centers where among other services young
people can go to take their exams online.

These ICT Centers seek to impact important areas such as telemedicine, as well
as gender equality by offering training in digital skills to girls.

Finally, in Guyana, value-added taxes were also eliminated by acquiring a

computer to contribute to its affordability.

When talking about Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the challenges

facing countries and regions, the case of the Gran Chaco region in Argentina was
presented. Creole families live in the Gran Chaco Argentina and about 200,000
indigenous people belonging to nine different villages such as Wichí, Guaraní,
Chané, Qom, Chorote, Pilagá and others. In this region one of the biggest
problems for digital inclusion is connectivity. Together with Samsung, they are
working on connectivity for the region. This project works from access to
connectivity, to provide the computer equipment of the centers, digital literacy and
the strategic appropriation of information and communication technologies to
enhance economic activities and local and regional productive enterprises.

There are several projects in our region where artisans are empowered and where
they help them offer their products and crafts online. The appropriation of ICT by
local actors is essential for social development and its participation in the economic
sector.

For effective digital inclusion it is important to strengthen local actors and local
organizations as a collective and include them in digital development and
innovation.

1
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

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"Nothing about us without us" This is the case in Cuba where more than 80% of
government efforts go through users with disabilities to determine their needs

2.4. Success stories on accessibility

Best Practice: Academic Research

To achieve an accessible ICT world, it is essential to build capacities. In this sense

the academy plays a fundamental role in ensuring that the transfer of knowledge
about accessibility of ICTs.

In the case of the National Polytechnic School of Ecuador, seminars on the design
of accessible web applications are being offered since 2011. The Polytechnic
School has a research group on web accessibility.

The involvement of the academy is fundamental for innovation in digital inclusion

issues. Among other projects, the National Polytechnic School has been promoting
and supporting the government in the development of strategies and policies for
the improvement of web accessibility in Ecuador, in accordance with the National
Plan for Good Living 2013 - 2017 that promotes equality.

Similarly, online courses focused on the digital inclusion of senior citizens were
developed.

2.5. Accessible ICTs and artificial intelligence to improve the quality

of life of people with disabilities

Best Practice: Artificial Intelligence

Facebook has more than 2.55 million active users. Aware of the different needs
each of its users and their role as a relevant actor to promote inclusion, Facebook
presented two tools developed to improve the accessibility of his platform.
Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, Facebook offers a real-time subtitling
service on its platform. This means that live videos that are published on Facebook
can now have live captioning to include people with hearing impairment to that
content or facilitate understanding of the content in different circumstances such as
very noisy environments for example.

Thanks to the use of facial recognition and object recognition, the Facebook
platform now offers descriptions of images through alternative texts. Today 75% of
the photos published on Facebook have a description.

However, it is important to consider the limitations of this technology. Not all

descriptions or automatic subtitles are faithful representations of reality. This can
have a counterproductive effect on access to information and digital equality.

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The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to validate the accessibility of
websites or digital content can be of great impact in terms of rights of access to
information.

Emergency communications is a fundamental issue to ensure the quality of life of

people. Any inhabitant must have access to emergency communications to receive
adequate care. In this sense much is done and must be done to ensure that
emergency telecommunications are accessible to people with disabilities. In the
case of 911 Costa Rica, 11 emergency institutions have converged within a virtual
platform accessible simultaneously. This platform receives about 12,000 daily calls
that are distributed according to the user's needs. This application includes voice
messages for deaf users as well as an emergency button.

2.6. Special session: Gloria Project: Artificial Intelligence for the

benefit of women

The Commission for the Defense of Women's Rights in Brasilia, Brazil, launched
the Gloria Project, an artificial intelligence platform aimed at fight violence against
women. Social and technological companies partnered to create the Gloria robot
through intelligent interfaces and self-learning from a set of algorithms that can
evolve with natural language interactions with the user. Through experiences of
interaction with artificial intelligence, users can experience behaviors and attitudes
of a real person. The Gloria robot will understand the facts and identify solutions to
break the cycle of violence against women and girls. The objective of the project is
to reach more than 20 million people, as well as generate reports with
segmentation by age group, location, socioeconomic data and pattern of
occurrences. The platform also identifies, supports and educates on the issue of
violence against women and girls.

2.7. Labour inclusion and the Development of digital skills. A human

rights issue

Best Practice: Labour Inclusion

In this 4th transformation, digital skills are necessary to have good opportunities in
the labour market. The purchase of accessible technology opens the doors to
labour inclusion in institutions. If within the labour organizations, whether public or
private, the technologies available for job performance are accessible then people
with different characteristics may participate in working life.

To achieve the above, it is important to have policies that, on one hand ensure a
work force with minimum digital capabilities to obtain decent jobs, on the other
hand, that promote labour equality.

An example of good practice is Éntrale. Éntrale, "Alliance for the labour inclusion of
people with disabilities" is an initiative of the Mexican Business Council that was
created with the purpose of linking wills, connecting opportunities and changing
paradigms to favor the labuor inclusion of people with disabilities in Mexico.

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Éntrale.org.mx is a digital platform that promotes labour inclusion by linking
companies, civil society organizations that provide services for the implementation
of inclusion programs and people with disabilities. Today the Alliance has more
than 500 companies, more than 16,000 registered users on the platform and more
than 6000 people with disabilities hired.

To help member States, the ITU published a series of tools on digital skills so that
governments can have guidelines and a guide on the digital skills required in this
information economy2.

There is a shortage of people with digital skills in this digital economy. In the
coming years there will be tens of millions of jobs for people with advanced digital
skills. In Europe, for example, estimates suggest that there will be 500,000
vacancies for ICT professionals by 2020. Each region faces similar challenges. In
addition to the existing skill gaps, experts predict that advances in areas such as
artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, 3D printing and other technologies will mark
the beginning of a new era that will radically alter consumption, production, and
employment patterns. Many countries see digital skills as one of the fundamental
bases of transformation and economic and social growth.

According to the Disability Living Foundation, 80% of disabilities are acquired

between the ages of 18 and 64 - the age of the workforce. This means that 80% of
people with disabilities acquired their disability while employed. Taking into account
such important information it is of the utmost importance that companies are
prepared and have accessible work environments to absorb all these people.

2.8. ICT and quality of life for the elderly

Best Practice: Accident Prevention

According to data published by ECLAC, 11% of the population in Latin America is

older than 60 years. This number is going to double by 2050.

Taking into account the above, much research and work are being carried out to
ensure a better quality of life for the elderly.

One of these projects is IoTE-FALL. Falls are today one of the most important
health problems worldwide for the elderly. Therefore, researchers from the
Polytechnic University of Valencia, in collaboration with the National Polytechnic
School of Quito (Ecuador), have developed IoTE-Fall, a system that detects and
warns in real time of any fall. The system is placed on the waist of the elderly
person and instantly detects any anomalous movement of the user, being able to
discern whether he has suffered a fall or not.

2
The document published by the ITU on Digital Skills can be found at: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Digital-
Inclusion/Documents/ITU%20Digital%20Skills%20Toolkit.pdf

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Another project in which Ecuador is working together with Europe is a large-scale
pilot in ACTIVAGE independent living environments. The objective of the project is
to provide the evidence and use of the Internet of Things that allow developing
profitable solutions for active and healthy aging, contributing to the sustainability of
health and care systems and improving the quality of life and autonomy of older
adults in the form of independent living.

2.9. The accessibility of telecommunications and ICT in the Americas

region

Best Practice: National Efforts and Alliances

Organized by the Mobile Manufacturers' Forum, the Global Accessibility

Information Initiative (GARI) is a project designed to help consumers learn more
about the accessibility features of mobile devices and identify devices that have the
features that can assist them with their particular needs.

GARI has alliances with several governments in the region to disseminate such
important information for users with disabilities. The objective is to raise awareness
about the existence of different devices and assisted solutions is the cornerstone of
many government policies in this area. GARI plays a useful role in relation to
mobile devices and the accessibility features they offer. Here are some examples
that illustrate how different actors use GARI:

Governments of the region:

Brazil: Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel)

http://www.anatel.gov.br/consumidor/index.php?option=com_content&view=article
&id=13&Itemid=350

Mexico: Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT)

http://movilesaccesibles.ift.org.mx/catalogo_desktop/app/web/busqueda.php

United States: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Accessibility

Clearinghouse
http://ach.fcc.gov/products-and-services

Industry of the region:

Brazil: Brazilian Electrical and Electronics Industry Association (ABINEE)

http://www.abinee.org.br/programas/prog11.htm

Canada: Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA)

http://wirelessaccessibility.ca

Mexico: ANATEL
http://anatel.org.mx/inclusion.php

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Mexico: AT&T
https://www.att.com.mx/legales/accesibilidad-att/index.php

Mexico: Telcel
http://www.telcel.com/portal/footer/capacidades_diferentes/capacidades_diferentes
.html?mid=4401

Mexico: Telefónica México

http://www.telefonica.com.mx/rc-sostenibilidad/transparencia-y-dialogo/nos-
importa-mexico

United States: AT&T

https://www.att.com/features/accessibility.html

United States: Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA)

http://www.accesswireless.org/Find/Gari.aspx

Persons with Disabilities Organizations:

United States: Hearing Loss Association of America

http://www.hearingloss.org/content/telephones

Best Practice: National Efforts

Costa Rica’s El Fondo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (FONATEL) presented the

four initiatives that are financed with the national telecommunications fund:
1. Connected communities and community centers
2. Connected homes program (home fiber)
3. Connected public centers (libraries, 117 Wi-Fi zones already connected to
the 500 target)
4. Online courses

The National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) of Brazil presented its free

relay center program for all deaf persons in the country where all
telecommunications operators participate by offering infrastructure. This is a good
practice of public-private partnership for the sake of digital inclusion.

Finally, much was said about the importance not only of regulation, but of the
implementation of this regulation. The Mexican Federal Telecommunications
Institute, in this sense is a good practice of regulation and implementation. In fact,
in 2016 the Federal Telecommunications Institute published accessibility guidelines
for telecommunications operators. Within these guidelines, the operators were
obliged not only to have accessible websites, but also to offer contracts and
accessible digital billing and staff sensitized and trained to serve people with
disabilities. Three years after the publication of this obligation, operators improve
accessibility conditions and ICT by 100%.

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In August 2018, the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Institute published the
accessibility guidelines for national coverage channels, which must have hidden
subtitling or sign languages.

2.10. ICT in favor of mobility

Best Practice: Mobility with Security

Alert Network is an application available in Ecuador to ensure safe and intelligent

tourism. When a person faces an emergency, the family can find out about the
emergency and where the family member is in order to contact the authorities. The
communication is done on a digital platform where the user with disabilities can
issue alerts.

Guia de Ruedas is a collaborative mobile platform available in more than 1300

cities. Users share with the network the conditions of physical accessibility of
places in more than 1300 cities.

CONADIS in Ecuador published the technical standards of accessibility to the

physical environment, more than 1000 people have been trained in this Ecuadorian
technical regulation. As the standard for the physical space the rule of accessibility
to web content was published.

In the city of Riobamba, Ecuador, investments are being made to become a smart
city, today you can search for buses accessible through GPS.

2.11. The accessibility of ICT as a business opportunity

According to the Global Economics of Disability Report, people with disabilities,

along with their friends and family, have a purchasing power of US $8 billion. Eight
billion dollars available since only 4% of companies worldwide have offers of
products and services accessible to people with disabilities.

Accessible products and services are:

 synonymous with quality and inclusion

 contribute to sustainability and corporate social responsibility
 guarantee the safety, autonomy and satisfaction of products and services
 generate business opportunities for different actors in the value chain
 diversify the client/user profile and promote excellence in the service and/or
product
 encourages public-private collaboration
 supposes a competitive advantage over other countries
 services and products of a higher level of quality enabling its use for all
customers/users/citizens.

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Governments worldwide are modifying their ICT procurement policies including
accessibility features. Government purchases generally equal 20% of the GDP of
any country.

Technology in this new society, is the opportunity to create social benefit with
economic benefit. By becoming global, the economy opens up huge opportunities
and business niches for any company in any sector.

Now the customer and consumer, of products and services, is anywhere.

The accessibility of ICT generates opportunities for:

 Incorporate new Clients (PwD). Accessible and usable goods, products and
services.
 Higher consumption.
 Greater social welfare.
 Greater autonomy and participation. It generates competitiveness
(affordable prices)
 Integrated communication solutions (voice, text, signs).
o Tourism, Leisure and Entertainment
o Education, Health and Employment
o Home Automation, Home
o Transportation Systems
o Smart Vehicle

2.12. Web accessibility: Web for all!

Best Practice: Web Accessibility

The user's perspective is fundamental to make progress in web accessibility. Users

with visual and hearing impairment showed the importance of digital accessibility
for the empowerment and independent living of people with disabilities.

To support countries in advancing web accessibility issues, ITU developed several

resources available on its Digital Inclusion website:

 Policy models

o ICT Accessibility Policy Model;

o Make television accessible;
o Make mobile services and phones accessible

 Provides policy guidelines and legal and regulatory framework.

Designed to help countries develop their own accessibility policies and regulations.

The modular design includes independent sections in:

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 1. Model of the legal, regulatory and regulatory framework of ICT
2. Model of ICT accessibility framework in public access
3. Model framework for the mobile communications accessibility policy
4. Accessibility framework model for television / video programming
5. Model framework for web accessibility policy
6. Accessible public procurement model of ICT

Online training

1. Online training on procurement (free).

Understanding of accessibility to ICTs, including knowledge of international

standards for the acquisition of accessible ICTs and implementation of acquisition
policies

 Module 1. Enable communications for all through the accessibility of ICT

 Module 2. Regulations and standards of the ICT accessibility policy
 Module 3. Achieve ICT accessibility through public procurement

2. Online training at your own pace, free of charge - Certified by the ITU
Academy

Develop a general understanding of the main issues related to web accessibility for
Governments and all other interested Parties

 Module 1. Executive tools to develop a web accessibility policy

 Module 2. Fundamentals of implementing a web accessibility policy
 Module 3. Technical skills to design and develop accessible websites

National Programme on Web Accessibility – Internet for All

Five-day program developed by ITU to support countries to implement web

accessibility and capacity building policies.

Political dissemination: Presentations on accessibility of ICTs to relevant actors,

including ministers (ICT, education, health, etc.), telecommunications operators,
university deans, civil society organizations, representatives of people with
disabilities, industry, among others.

The ultimate goal of this series of conferences is to consolidate the government

and national commitment to digital inclusion, particularly in web accessibility, to
ensure accessible digital information, products and services for all citizens without
discrimination and promoting socio-economic integration.

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Trainings:

 Training in the creation and remediation of accessible digital documents.

It is aimed at all people who create digital content.

Target audience: government representatives, university professors, NGOs, people

with disabilities representatives, will understand the requirements to create
accessible digital content.

Accessibility features will be exposed. Participants will learn to use Microsoft Office
Word, PowerPoint and Excel accessibility validators, PDF documents, as well as
accessibility features found in social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and
online services such as Google.

The ultimate goal of this training is for participants to understand the importance of
accessible digital content and obtain the tools and information to become trainers
on the subject.

 Training in design and development of accessible websites

All technical personnel and programmers are digested to learn to develop
accessible websites in accordance with the WCAG 2.0 Internet Content
Accessibility Guidelines for compliance levels A, AA and AAA.

 Video tutorials
The ITU developed 5 tutorial videos on the creation of accessible digital documents
and their remediation (available in English, French and Spanish).
1. General accessibility requirements for electronic documents
2. Accessibility documents in word format
3. Accessibility documents in excel format
4. Accessibility documents in power point format
5. Accessibility PDF documents

2.13. Women and social entrepreneurship

The Rinconsito Inclusivo is a social entrepreneurship project created by a Costa

Rican woman with visual impairment. This organization works to inform about the
inclusion of people with disabilities. The organization offers workshops and
practical advice for all people to be part of an equitable and inclusive society.

2.14. Women in ICT: Equality and Equal Opportunities

The digital gender gap in ICT is a major challenge in the Americas region. Taking
this into account, ITU is promoting initiatives at the global level to support women
and encourage their participation in the ICT sector.

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International Girls' Day in ICT is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of
April and next April 23, 2020. The ITU invites everyone to organize events that
attract as many girls and young women as possible.

Some ideas to organize and celebrate the International Day of Girls in ICT may be:
 Practical workshops and activities.
 Open days at ICT companies, government agencies, universities or any
institution related to ICT.
 Competitions
 ICT career fairs
 Know and participate from role models
 Social networks
 Working with partners and sponsors

Statistics on the ICT sector were presented that need to be changed in the coming
years as many women are heads of households and represent an essential force
in society and for economic growth. Special attention is given to women living in
rural areas and the importance of contributing to the development of these
women's digital skills, especially so that they can play a social and economic role
through digital entrepreneurship.
The importance of academia in working to attract young women to ICT careers was
highlighted, as well as the broadening of the discussion in public education policy
bodies so that ICTs become part of the school curriculum from the perspective of
fundamental education in the different countries.

2.15. ICT in favor of education and development of digital skills

Good Practice: Technology in Education

The available technologies could empower educators to customize the educational

experience for each individual. In this way we will achieve a more inclusive
educational system in accordance with the needs of each student.

Fundación Telefónica: links with educational systems to provide technology in

populations of high vulnerability. Its objective is the incorporation of new
technologies in educational environments in order to develop new skills. In its
Profuturo program tablets are given to children under 12 years.

The connect employment program is an alliance between universities to support

young people to find employment. Universities must work together to impact and
reduce unemployment rates among young people.

Online university programs are the ideal platform to scale education to rural areas.
The Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) serves students throughout the
country, 64.44% live in rural areas and 35.56% live in urban areas. More than 66%
of students are over 25 years old. Thanks to the ebook project, students can

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purchase a tablet thanks to a technology scholarship and be able to follow their
online courses.

Jobs of the future will require digital skills. Students must acquire them to be
competitive in the future. The ECX Labs team in Ecuador uses virtual reality videos
to teach students different topics.

2.16. Digital inclusion to promote the digital economy

G3ict3 is a non-profit organization that, globally, analyzes the progress of countries
in terms of the access to information commitments established in the Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities4.

With information from public civil society organizations, the Digital Accessibility
Rights Index (DARE) is a tool that can be very useful to monitor your country's
progress in implementing digital accessibility policies and programs. This index is a
consistent human rights monitoring framework. Through information provided by
civil society organizations from different countries, it is possible to analyze:
 Country commitments
 Country capacity to implement
 Implementation and results

Some results of the region:

Latin America
Countries that: and the Global Results
Caribbean

Ratified the CRPD 95% 93%

General laws that protect persons with

80% 84%
disabilities

Definitions and reasonable adjustments 65% 63%

Definitions on accessible ICTs 50% 49%

Universal Design obligations for PwD 40% 35%

Average commitment 66% 65%

3
G3ICT: https://g3ict.org/
4
UN CDPD: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rightsof-persons-with-
disabilities.html

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 Governments with persons with disabilities
75% 84%
special agencies

Governments with ICT agencies 100% 99%

Processes that involves PwD in the digital

15% 23%
accessibility policy creation process

Countries that refers to international

25% 40%
accessibility standards

Trainings on accessibility in principal

35% 37%
universities

Average for implementation 50% 57%

Advances in ICT accessibility areas Latin America Global Results

and the
Caribbean
TV 45% 48%
e-books 45% 40%

Internet appropriation by persons with disabilities 40% 33%

Web 35% 45%

Assistive technologies and independent living 35% 34%

ICTs for education 30% 44%

ICTs for employment 30% 39%
E-government and smart cities 30% 35%
Mobile 20% 32%
Procurement 15% 31%
Average 33% 38%

The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) is an

international organization that seeks to promote and improve the worldwide
accessibility profession through networks, education and certification of different
accessibility functions. To date, more than 1600 professionals have been certified
and more than 1000 companies are members.

“When the government says it needs to build technology in a certain way, for
suppliers like us, that is a very convincing maxim. We need to build products that

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can be sold to the government. It is not very practical for us to build multiple
versions of our products. ”Adobe

 The global disability / accessibility market has a value:

o 2017 $ 1.3 trillion / for just 1.1 billion people who need accessible ICT
o $ 2050 + 5 trillion / for more than 4.3 billion people who will need
accessible TICS

 People with disabilities are consumers:

o More than 20% of people worldwide will benefit directly from
accessibility
o An estimated 50% of people worldwide will benefit indirectly

 Development of accessible ICTs is worth it because:

o Encourage manufacturers and suppliers to innovate and produce
better
o Improves the overall quality of ICTs by making them easier to use
o Create a market for accessible ICTs.
o Improve business profit

An example of good practice is that carried out by the Scotiabank Bank in Latin
America and the Caribbean. The bank software factories aim to create a bank that
you can see, that you can hear, that you can play and that you can understand.
They developed a design system for all their products where users with disabilities
are involved from the beginning of the process to ensure the accessibility of the
developments.

The staff of the software factories in Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia are
frequently trained in digital accessibility (web, IOS and Android).

3. Interactive Session

At the end of three intensive days of presentations, best practices and exchanges
in this interactive session led by ITU, participants have the opportunity to express
comments, doubts and suggestions for future e-inclusion events.

In addition to congratulating the ITU for this effort, some participants proposed to
reinforce the trainings, which were very useful.

The issue of labour and justice was one of the most mentioned, in fact it is
important for the development of vulnerable groups to ensure access to work in
this industrial revolution, as well as access to justice.

Finally, participants are invited to further encourage the participation of people with
disabilities and vulnerable groups in this important event.

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4. Conclusions

Best practices were shared to help stakeholders to ensure a more inclusive digital
society. The discussions that took place on a variety of topics helped to conclude
that:

a) Accessibility to ICTs can eliminate the barriers faced by people with

disabilities.
b) The appropriation of ICTs is essential for all vulnerable groups to participate
in this digital economy.
c) Research and innovation should be encouraged for inclusion.
d) Artificial intelligence, machine learning are tools that should be used to
benefit everyone in the digital society.
e) ICT products and services must be accessible and affordable.
f) Accessible ICTs are key to the social and economic inclusion of people with
disabilities and essential for their independent life.
g) All stakeholders are encouraged to participate in regional and global
activities that promote the accessibility of ICT. Increase public awareness
about the accessibility of ICT.
h) Strengthen the use of ICT for the education of people with disabilities;
i) Use accessible ICTs and provide ICT skills and capacity building as a
means to promote the employment of people with disabilities;
j) Promote the use of accessible ICTs to promote human rights; and
k) Promote intersectoral collaboration to empower people with disabilities.

The participants in this regional event thank the ITU, the Ministry of
Telecommunications and Information Society of Ecuador for organizing this
valuable meeting and presenting contributions and achievements to continue
the development of accessibility of telecommunications and ICT in the
Americas region.

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