Session
Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability
Round Table - U-shape - 90 Min
Outline: DCAD is a resource in evaluating the online and onsite accessibility of each IGF through the lived experience of disability of its members. The DCAD session will discuss what has improved since the previous IGF meeting and strategies to work with the IGF Secretariat to make the IGF even more accessible in future. DCAD will liaise with other accessibility sessions at IGF and consider ways to work with other relevant DCs that should consider accessibility in their work. Draft agenda 1. Opening remarks and introduction to DCAD 2. Accessibility of IGF 2019 3. Liaison with accessibility sessions at IGF 2019 4. Future DCAD activities 5. Closing remarks Issues for discussion: Online and onsite accessibility of IGF meetings Liaison with IGF accessibility workshops Liaison with other DCs
Andrea Saks, Coordinator of DCAD – ITU-T Gunela Astbrink, Women With Disabilities Australia
Speakers: Derrick Cogburn, American University Shadi Abou-Zahra, W3C Gunela Astbrink, Women With Disabilities Australia Gerry Ellis, Feel The BenefIT Muhammad Shabbir, ISOC Islamabad Pakistan Chapter Deirdre Williams, Caribbean IGF member Judith Hellerstein, Founder/CEO of Hellerstein & Associates Eleonora Mazzucchi, IGF Secretariat Louis Bobo, Technical officer of IGF Secretariat Gent Bajrami, IT department of ITU-TSB Kaoru Mizuno, DCAD Secretariat, ITU-TSB Lidia Best Vice Chair EFHOH (following the captioning URL on mobile phone) Jorge Manhique, Disability Rights Fund and Disability Rights Advocacy Fund Patrick Ojok, Kyambogo University, Uganda Vashkar Bhattacharjee, Access to Information (a2i) Program of Bangladesh Nidhi Goyal, Rising Flame, India Moderator: Andrea Saks, Coordinator of DCAD – ITU-T Rapporteur Kaoru Mizuno, DCAD Secretariat – ITU-TSB
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequalities
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Reference Document: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/accessibility/dcad/Pages/default.aspx
Report
1. Inclusion of persons with disability in IGF program, communication and venue
2. Embedding ICT accessibility policy in digital inclusion policy discussions
3. Liaising with Dynamic Coalitions to enhance accessibility policy directions.
The accessibility of the IGF venue and online facilities raised a number of points, mainly positive but with suggestions for improvement. The venue itself was mostly good for physical accessibility. However, cables in some areas need to be better located away from traffic. The availability of volunteer assistants for persons with disabilities was greatly appreciated. The complexity of the scheduling software together with accessibility and usability of the website were of concern.
Embedding Internet accessibility in digital inclusion policy raised useful suggestions as accessibility is a cross-cutting issue. Increased liaison with other Dynamic Coalitions will raise awareness of the needs of persons with disability. Increased communications with NRIs that include accessibility in their programs and sharing this information with the broader NRI community will be another avenue.
The stewardship of DCAD may change in the near future. Discussions were held on various options to ensure that DCAD's website, mailing list and other resources will be available going forwards. A core DCAD committee was formed to help plan for this eventuality.
Members of DCAD will identify particular Dynamic Coalitions with which to build strong communications.
DCAD will explore mechanisms to collect data on accessibility sessions at NRIs.
31 onsite and online participants of whom 18 were women
The discussions were gender neutral