Executive Summary

International programs for inclusion of persons with disabilities have gained attention with significant achievements in light of the 2030 Sustainable Development Initiative, The Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) and the Marrakesh Treaty. The momentum motivated by the advancement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which is taking the leading role in finding creative solutions to integrate marginalized groups and providing an opportunity for fair access to information and effective integration of persons with disabilities into society. However, social and economic inequalities in many parts of the world, including the Arab region, are having adverse impact on inclusion of persons with disabilities despite the technological advancements in many of these countries. In addition, the political unrest and armed conflicts in some Arab countries like Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya or with economically challenged countries like Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon adversely affect the conditions of people with disability.

To address some of the short comings of persons with disabilities inclusion in the Arab region, this report is developed as part of ESCWA’s 2020 Project “The Arab Digital Inclusion Platform” (ADIP) to support policy makers in the region to develop or improve their e-accessibility national technical guidelines related to digital accessibility program by following best practices.

Based on sound and practical international standards, the proposed guidelines, range from the simple and easy to implement to the more challenging and hard to follow, will definitely make the lives of persons with disabilities easier and more productive in spite of having minimal functionalities in websites accessibility and accessible digital platforms.

The report begins with an overlook at the status of e-accessibility at the global level in light of the CRPD and the 2030 Agenda, and assesses the work done by various countries in promoting e-accessibility and digital inclusion of persons with disabilities in their societies.

The report also includes the ranking of states in terms of their commitment to international agreements to involve people with disability in public life without discrimination and to harness technology to integrate them into their societies. In addition, it reviews the achievements made by the European Union at the legislative level and the real implementation of the principles and guidelines of international standards.

The European Accessibility Act of 2019 is considered as a major achievement in making “The continent” an accessible place for persons with disabilities by enforcing the implementation of e-accessibility requirements on all e-services and digital platforms. The requirements cover a range of products ranging from regular general-purpose computers to popular technologies such as smartphones, smart TVs, IP TVs, and e-readers. With focus on government websites, e-books and e-commerce websites, the requirements cover products ranging from regular general-purpose computers to popular technologies such as smartphones, smart TVs, IP TVs, and e-readers.

For example, by 2021 all mobile applications in the EU countries must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WCAG 2.0–AA.

The report also identifies the main international technical standards and guidelines for enhancing access of persons with disabilities to ICT devices, services, websites and tools.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed a number of guidelines for accessibility in general, mainly the important Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) which is the cornerstone for all other international standards.

In addition to EU standards, other standards could be mentioned such as the US Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the ISO and ITU standards.

Multimedia and other ICT issues such as e-Publishing, accessible kiosks and ATMs, social collaborating platforms, social media, security and privacy have specific guidelines to ensure comprehensive accessibility coverage of all aspects of the ICT ecosystem.

The report also examines the commitment and current status of digital accessibility in the Arab region and the efforts done by member states for inclusion of persons with disabilities. Knowing that all Arab countries are signatories to the CRPD since its declaration, some countries did not ratify the convention or the optional protocol. However, all Arab countries have a responsible governmental organization that oversees the progress of issues of persons with disabilities either through social development ministries or independent Councils.

Challenges and opportunities for e-accessibility in the Arab countries, in general, are similar but with minor differences based on local issues. However, absence of reliable data and accurate statistics and data on disability makes it difficult to objectively evaluate the state of disability and hinders many opportunities for assistance from international or even NGOs and local institutions. Nevertheless, the legislative commitment of Arab governments to the overall issue of disability is seen by many as an enabler to promote digital accessibility. Other positive indicators such as the high penetration rate of the Internet and high use of smartphones among the young generation in Arab societies, who are often educated and passionate about technology, would greatly impact the role of ICT in e-accessibility.

The report ends with proposing a set of technical guideline templates for e-accessibility adoption in the Arab region. The templates cover web accessibility, mobile accessibility and public service terminals accessibility. They are proposed to give those responsible for the implementation a gradual buildup for capabilities and encourage adoption and gradual compliance with accessibility guidelines.

All templates are based on the latest available international standards and guidelines with few localization points to accommodate the language differences. In addition, a minimal requirement template is developed for countries or organizations that prefer not to go along the implementation and compliance process.