Electronically delivered public services should be accessible to people with disabilities, the National Disability Authority (NDA) said today.
The NDA Chairwoman, Ms Angela Kerins, said that State funding allocated to "eGovernment" had to ensure that the services developed were fully accessible to the maximum number of people, including people with disabilities.
"eGovernment will allow citizens to access a wide range of Government information and services, from ordering a birth certificate to filing a tax return. Just like the physical modifications required to make public buildings accessible, these electronically-delivered public services must also be accessible," she explained.
Ms Kerins was speaking at the NDA’s launch of Information Technology Accessibility Guidelines. The production of the guidelines forms a central part of the NDA’s objective to make all public services accessible to people with disabilities within the next five years, as provided for in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and the Government’s commitment to eGovernment.
The guidelines cover the accessibility of public access terminals, the internet, ATM’s and mobile phones for people with disabilities.
According to the guidelines, voice activation technology would provide greater access in these areas as well as uniform design and, in the cases of public access terminals and ATM’s, lower heights for wheelchair accessibility.
"The Guidelines have been developed to ensure that products, services and information is fully available to and usable by the widest possible range of people.
"Fairness and inclusion are no longer aspirations for Ireland, they have become a practical part of how we do our business, and the launch of these guidelines is a very tangible manifestation of our commitment to ensuring that all aspects of Irish life are open to, and accessible by everyone, including people with disabilities, whether the disability is life-long or temporary," added Ms Kerins.