MeAC – Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe

Legislation/regulations

The EU Universal Service Directive was transposed into national law in 2003. Universal service is defined in the same way as in the Directive, including public pay-telephones in line with the needs of disabled users, special terms services and special options for disabled users or users with particular social needs. No new universal service provider has been designated. The incumbent has continued to provide the universal service.

Under the national directive (DPR 19 September 1997, n. 318, art.7, comma 11) and related resolutions (314/00/CONS and 330/01/CONS), affordability, accessibility of payphones at public places, and [some aspects of] an obligation to supply accessible equipment are regulated. (The universal service provider also provides accessible domestic phones to disabled people upon request, at the same prices as for standard telephones.)

The decree (DPR) of the 19th of September 1997 sets the duty for the national telecoms provider to supply accessible telephones to disabled people. A resolution based on this decree specifies how many public telephones should be provided. This depends on the size of the Municipality and of the local population (Article 1 of the resolution). Moreover, the resolution specifies the location of public phones. Currently, airports and train stations are provided with such phones; however it appears that the provision for the country as a whole is not as good.

There are also various provisions in relation to social tariffs, including for disabled users.

In addition, Article 25, Section 1 of the decree sets out that:

1. The Ministry of the Postal Service and Telecommunications contribute to the realisation of projects carried out by radio-television and telephone service concessionaires, designed to facilitate access to radio-television information and telephony, if necessary via the installation of decoders and additional equipment, as well as through modernising telephone boxes to make them accessible.
2. Upon renewal or modification of conventions for radio-television or telephone service conventions, initiatives will be put in place to facilitate provision of information, cultural and entertainment programmes to people with sensory disabilities as well as the distribution of decoders.

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