European Blind Union to EU ministers: 'Our right to access the web is not negotiable'

As the 28 EU ministers prepare to attend the Telecoms Council meeting in Brussels on Friday (12 June), where they will discuss the Latvian Presidency Progress Report on the Accessibility of Public Sector Bodies' Websites Directive [1] the European Blind Union (EBU) is calling on ministers to reject the Presidency’s proposals to drastically reduce the scope of the proposed Directive.

The Presidency’s report shockingly suggests that only a very limited number of public websites would be accessible to disabled people. It also suggests that apps, which are by far the most common way people access online content and services today, should be excluded from the directive.

EBU President Wolfgang Angermann said: “We are 30 million blind and partially sighted people in Europe. We are also citizens and consumers. We use smartphones and apps to access content. These proposals are not fit for purpose.”

In signing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) [2] member states committed to provide disabled people with equal access to information. The EU and most EU countries have now ratified the UNCRPD.

The proposals which will be discussed on Friday are at odds with binding legal provisions on equal access to information set out in articles 4, 9, 21, 29, 30 and 33 of the Convention.Members of the European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a set of progressive amendments to the proposal in February 2014. Since then, there has been no meaningful progress on the directive in Council.

“Ministers have clearly not given this dossier the priority that it deserves,” Angermann said “and this is preventing us from accessing the online information and services that everyone else takes for granted. This is unacceptable.”

EBU is calling on ministers to reject any proposal that would limit blind people’s access to online content. Blind and partially sighted people need to be able to shop online and access the same range of online public and private services as other citizens. EBU published as set of recommendations for Council in May 2014 [3] and are urging Ministers to take these on board.

“Ministers must acknowledge that most people now routinely access content on mobile devices and that apps are the easiest way to access services or information, including for us” Angermann said. “Our right to access the web is not negotiable - we need ministers to act.”

EBU is urging all 28 ministers to challenge the proposals, prioritise work on the directive during the next presidency and uphold blind people’s right to equal access to online information and services.

[1] http://bit.ly/1FqtTxZ ) (External link)

[2] http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/convtexte.htm

[3] http://www.euroblind.org/media/position-papers/EBU-recommendations-to-Council-public-sector-bodies-websites-directive-May-2014.doc

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