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

The Finnish Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. The Non-Discrimination Act of 2004 is the main equality legislation, however there is no specific reference to eAccessibility in this legislation.

Goods and services equality

The Non-Discrimination Act does not prohibit discrimination in the supply of goods and services on the disability ground.

Employment equality

More recently, the Equality Act of 2004 (L21/2004) transposed the EU Employment Equality Directive into Finnish law. The Equality Act includes disability as one of the grounds covered in relation to employment equality. It includes the concept of reasonable accommodation at work and, in principle, covers eAccessibility in this context. Some financial support to the employer for necessary adaptations at the workplace is available from employment offices. The Act also provides for compensation to be paid in cases of discrimination, to a maximum of 15,000 euro. A Discrimination Tribunal is in place to which people may submit complaints.

Education

The Non-Discrimination Act of 2004 extends the protection against discrimination in access to education to all grounds including disability.

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