Letter from CEO
ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities is a priority for Xyples LLC. At the last board meeting, members recognized the need to ensure that the one billion people living with some form of disability can use our information and communication technology (ICT) product and service for their empowerment.
How do we make ICT accessibility a reality?
ICT accessibility means removing barriers so that persons with disabilities can use ICTs. The barriers faced depend on a person’s disability. One of the key steps to make ICT a reality is to establish an enabling environment for ICT accessibility. A little over ten years ago, countries around the world created policy and regulatory frameworks that unleashed unprecedented growth in mobile and Internet use. These frameworks led to universal access and service levels beyond the imagination of policy-makers in earlier years.
Despite these advances, very few organizations today have acted to ensure that persons with disabilities are part of this technology revolution. Persons with disabilities continue to face barriers in using ICTs. I believe that creating and implementing ICT accessibility policy frameworks will lead to unprecedented growth in accessible ICTs and the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
It is my hope that this policy will serve as a valuable resource for Xyples LLC and all stakeholders as we strive to implement successful ICT accessibility policy. My sincere appreciation goes to everyone who contributed to creating this policy.
I am convinced that we can make ICT accessibility a reality. Let us now move from words to action and begin formulating, implementing, and monitoring our products and service in close consultation with persons with disabilities.
Tochukwu Okonkwor
CEO
Xyples LLC
How do we make ICT accessibility a reality?
ICT accessibility means removing barriers so that persons with disabilities can use ICTs. The barriers faced depend on a person’s disability. One of the key steps to make ICT a reality is to establish an enabling environment for ICT accessibility. A little over ten years ago, countries around the world created policy and regulatory frameworks that unleashed unprecedented growth in mobile and Internet use. These frameworks led to universal access and service levels beyond the imagination of policy-makers in earlier years.
Despite these advances, very few organizations today have acted to ensure that persons with disabilities are part of this technology revolution. Persons with disabilities continue to face barriers in using ICTs. I believe that creating and implementing ICT accessibility policy frameworks will lead to unprecedented growth in accessible ICTs and the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
It is my hope that this policy will serve as a valuable resource for Xyples LLC and all stakeholders as we strive to implement successful ICT accessibility policy. My sincere appreciation goes to everyone who contributed to creating this policy.
I am convinced that we can make ICT accessibility a reality. Let us now move from words to action and begin formulating, implementing, and monitoring our products and service in close consultation with persons with disabilities.
Tochukwu Okonkwor
CEO
Xyples LLC
Objectives of this policy
The Xyples LLC ICT accessibility policy is developed for the public, stakeholders active in ICT and/or disability issues, including policy-makers, regulators, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), organizations of persons with disabilities, and parliamentarians.
This policy addresses a range of facets of the ICT and is designed to assist in the implementation of ICT accessibility across all of Xyples LLC products and services. It also provides a framework for teams and department to follow, through regulations, standards and guidelines, to provide an institutional framework for ICT accessibility.
It recognizes that in many instances, and in particular with reference to a disability policy framework, "soft law" or voluntary initiatives, negotiated roadmaps, codes of conduct, and compliance can also be effective in promoting equitable access to information and communications technologies for persons with disabilities in a fast changing technology environment.
This policy has been prepared pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in line with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), G3ict ICT Accessibility Policy Toolkit for persons with disabilities (www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org), Section 508 Law (https://www.section508.gov/), Department of Justice (DOJ) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design (http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/services/ada-compliance), WCAG 2.0 Compliance (https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.0), Standard on Web Accessibility Canada (https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=23601) and Web Accessibility for European Union (http://ec.europa.eu/ipg/standards/accessibility/index_en.htm).
This policy will assist Xyples LLC teams and departments to understand the generic steps and requirements necessary to promote accessibility by persons with disabilities and provides guidance in areas where they can be adapted to meet the organizations circumstances.
This policy addresses a range of facets of the ICT and is designed to assist in the implementation of ICT accessibility across all of Xyples LLC products and services. It also provides a framework for teams and department to follow, through regulations, standards and guidelines, to provide an institutional framework for ICT accessibility.
It recognizes that in many instances, and in particular with reference to a disability policy framework, "soft law" or voluntary initiatives, negotiated roadmaps, codes of conduct, and compliance can also be effective in promoting equitable access to information and communications technologies for persons with disabilities in a fast changing technology environment.
This policy has been prepared pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in line with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), G3ict ICT Accessibility Policy Toolkit for persons with disabilities (www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org), Section 508 Law (https://www.section508.gov/), Department of Justice (DOJ) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design (http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/services/ada-compliance), WCAG 2.0 Compliance (https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.0), Standard on Web Accessibility Canada (https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=23601) and Web Accessibility for European Union (http://ec.europa.eu/ipg/standards/accessibility/index_en.htm).
This policy will assist Xyples LLC teams and departments to understand the generic steps and requirements necessary to promote accessibility by persons with disabilities and provides guidance in areas where they can be adapted to meet the organizations circumstances.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities addresses the risks of exclusion of persons with disabilities from participating equally in society by defining ICT accessibility as integral to general accessibility rights and on a par with accessibility to the physical environment and transportation. It came into force in May 2008 and enshrines the principle that persons with disabilities must be able to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others.
It is the first international human rights treaty requiring that information and communications technologies and systems be accessible as a necessary condition for persons with disabilities to fully enjoy these fundamental rights without discrimination. Its dispositions provide a human rights foundation for existing policies and programs, such as universal service and access policies for telephony, video programming and/or web accessibility, and set a clear roadmap for State Parties lacking such policies.
Article 9 of the Convention sets out general obligations for States Parties to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to information and communication technologies and systems. Articles 21, 29 and 30 expand on this and refer to media, communications and ICTs serving as platforms for furthering the rights of persons with disabilities to freedom of expression and opinion, access to information, participation in political and public life and participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.
These Articles collectively call for all content, communication, information, hardware, software and interfaces to be accessible. They further call upon States Parties to encourage the private sector to deliver accessible products and services.
It is the first international human rights treaty requiring that information and communications technologies and systems be accessible as a necessary condition for persons with disabilities to fully enjoy these fundamental rights without discrimination. Its dispositions provide a human rights foundation for existing policies and programs, such as universal service and access policies for telephony, video programming and/or web accessibility, and set a clear roadmap for State Parties lacking such policies.
Article 9 of the Convention sets out general obligations for States Parties to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to information and communication technologies and systems. Articles 21, 29 and 30 expand on this and refer to media, communications and ICTs serving as platforms for furthering the rights of persons with disabilities to freedom of expression and opinion, access to information, participation in political and public life and participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport.
These Articles collectively call for all content, communication, information, hardware, software and interfaces to be accessible. They further call upon States Parties to encourage the private sector to deliver accessible products and services.