One content, three devices, the same need: access to information by people with special needs

ABSTRACT

In our days the PC, the TV and the telephone, mainly the mobile phones, will be the privileged equipment to accede to the information. How the information can draw to serves the needs of each one of these equipment? It will be this possible? How to make compatible the necessities of each one, in a standard one that it serves at all? Will not have been always this the question when we spoke about citizens with special needs? Who is special? The citizens or the devices they use? How to obtain this Standardization? The hurry of industry to put products on the market will forget the standards need? And the users, what it is that they ask for?This paper it presents 3 documents: the first one arrests with an effort of implementation of the web accessibility guidelines (on the basis of the WAI) in the Portuguese Public Administration. The second guidelines is resulted of public consultation and international gauging of that the users need to use the digital television and the last document mentions the third generation of mobile phones.In a word, as the users can usufruct of a constitucional law: that is the right to access to information.

REFERENCES

• 1: Audetel (Audio Description of Television for Visually Impaired and Elderly People) http://www.rnib.org.uk
• 2: Bobby test of Accessibility http://www.cast.org/bobby
• 3: DVB-T Introduction in Portugal http://www.icp.pt/actual/dvbdoccon.html
• 4: Lynx Viewer http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.html
• 5: Microsoft Accessibility Technology for Everyone http://www.microsoft.com/enable/
• 6: Omnitor AB http://www.omnitor.se/
• 7: Portuguese Accessibility Special Interest Group http://www.acessibilidade.net
• 8: PROMISE http://www.stakes.fi/promise/respack/actions/pract1.htm
• 9: STAKES and COST 219 bis http://www.stakes.fi/cost219/
• 10: TAW - Test Web Accessibility (Spain) http://www.tawdis.net/
• 11: Telecommunications services for people with disabilities http://www.oftel.gov.uk/consumer/
• 12: The Telecommunication Charter http://www.stakes.fi/cost219/charter.htm
• 13: Tiresias Project (Devices specifications for people with special needs, BlueTooth Technology) http://www.tiresias.org
• 14: ITV Accessibility Guidelines http://www.acessibilidade.tv
• 15: UMTS Accessibility Guidelines http://www.acessibilidade.net/umts/access_guide04.html
• 16: Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines http://www.utad.pt/wai/wai-pageauth.html
• 17: Web Accessibility Symbol http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/ncam/currentprojects/symbolwinner.html
• 18: Web Accessibility HelpDesk of Public Administration WebMaster [e-mail]

INDEX TERMS

General Terms:
Design, Legal Aspects, Standardization

Keywords:
DVB-T, MHP, PC, UMTS, access, design for all, digital video broadcast, disabled, elderly, guidelines, impairment, information, multimedia home platform, personal computer, total conversation, web