MeAC – Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe

Policy approaches based on equality / anti-discrimination legislation have considerable potential in the eAccessibility field. Such approaches can provide people with disabilities – individually or collectively – with a right to seek redress if they are confronted with inaccessible ICT equipment or services, either in relation to ICT-based goods and services in a general sense or in relation to specific usage contexts.

Legislation/regulations

There is no direct horizontal equality/anti-discrimination legislation in Denmark, however a 1993 parliamentary decision sets out that Danish policy on disability rests on the principle of equal opportunities. A cooperative approach is taken between stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of policy. The principles of compensation for people with disabilities and sectoral responsibility are applied. To further this cooperative approach, the Danish Ministry of IT and Research published an action plan on IT for people with disabilities in 1996 which aimed to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities in relation to information technology. This was followed up by the ‘Disability No Hindrance’ action plan in 2002 which established the KIA (Competence center IT for All) agency.

Goods and services equality

While there is no legislation prohibiting discrimination in relation to goods and services, the equal opportunities approach has included initiatives to promote accessibility of ICTs for private as well as public goods and services. One of the commitments of the 1996 action plan was that IT facilities installed in public places should be accessible to everyone, including disabled users, regardless of whether they were supplied by public or private providers.

Employment equality

The EU Employment Equality Directive was transposed into Danish Law in Act No. 1417 of 2004 amending the Labour Market Discrimination Act of 1996. An employer must adapt the workplace in order to accommodate the employment of disabled persons, unless this will place a disproportionate burden on the employer.

In order to function in a job, employees with disabilities may require special tools or equipment, i.e. audiovisual or computer equipment. Such equipment is financed by the public authorities with no extra costs to the employer. This strong public support for AT also helps reduce the risk that employers refuse workplace adaptation due to unreasonable accommodations.

The Danish Council of Organisations of Disabled People (DSI) and the Ministry of Labour have a three-year project on both physical accessibility and eAccessibility at the workplace entitled ‘I job Nu’. Companies volunteer to register themselves as accessible workplaces, and are awarded a quality sign as “accessible workplaces”. This pilot project runs until 2008.

Education

Under the Danish system, devices including computers are provided free where required for education.

Impacts – cases and other activity

There have not been any anti-discrimination cases taken up in relation to eAccessibility in Denmark.

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