MeAC – Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe

Legislation/regulations

The law for ‘Regulation of Electronic Communications & Decision on Definition Criteria on Selecting Telecommunication Service providers’ (Law 112(I)/2004) addresses the transposition of the EU framework and universal service directives. This law obliges universal service providers to provide accessible services to disabled users. This includes: access to emergency services (112 and 119); access to public telephones by wheelchair users; and equal access in relation to price, quality and choice.

In addition, with regard to social tariffs, the ‘Regulation about Telecommunication Services KDP’ (Regulatory Administrative Act 387/2002) is a social tariff regulation that allows blind people and severely disabled people not to be charged for the fixed costs of telecommunication services but only for the variable costs that are related to the amount of use of these telecommunication services.

The universal service provider offers special provisions for its disabled / blind customers. The major provisions are the following:

1. The first 100 minutes of talk-time are free
2. There are no fixed costs for Internet connection
3. The monthly cost for ADSL is one third of normal price
4. A free phone device

Other initiatives

Under a scheme of the Department of Labour, Service for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Disabled, blind and deaf people are eligible for grants for one mobile phone device, while deaf people can get a fax machine for free. Individuals are given 60 Cyprian pounds to buy a mobile phone, which is reported to be enough for the type of mobile phone needed by people with hearing impairment, but not for people with vision impairment. It is expected that the amount will be increased.

The universal service provider has introduced a free ‘talking phone’ service for visually impaired mobile users that lets them listen to a range of text-only functions. The ‘Speaking Phone’ service is free to all 1,200 registered members of the Pancyprian Organisation for the Blind who are Cytamobile-Vodafone subscribers. The system works through phone software that uses ‘real voice’ technology to convert text information into audio messages. A digitally generated voice reads out incoming SMS messages, letters and words for SMS message composition, the time and date, network coverage and battery status, numbers, call status, a caller’s name and several other functions.

In relation to access to emergency services, an advanced communications system that connects all emergency services is currently under development. Citizens are to be enabled to access any emergency service they request through dialling a single 112 number. For the new system particular technology is to be utilised to support users with speech or hearing impairments, and landline text phones have been suggested for that purpose. A requirements definition phase for the new system was to be finalised by March 2008.

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