MeAC – Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe

Below are the results of the MeAC eAccessibility status measurement for Luxembourg.

Websites

The MeAC survey assessed the accessibility of a similar sample of 12 key websites in each of the EU Member States, as well as the USA, Canada and Australia. These included 6 key public websites (national government, national parliament, and key ministries such as social, employment, health and education) and 6 key sectoral/commercial websites (e.g. railways, TV, newspapers, retail banking). All websites were evaluated against WCAG 1.0 Level A criteria, including both automatic and manual evaluation. (For methodological details see Annex II of the project report).

The results for Luxembourg, as measured in 2007, were as follows:

• none of the selected public websites passed even the automatic evaluation
• none of the sectoral/commercial websites passed even the automatic evaluation

Telecoms

Utilization of telecoms services and equipment can pose a variety of accessibility challenges for different disability groups. For the purposes of the MeAC study the availability of a number of selected accessibility provisions was surveyed in each of the 27 countries. In Luxembourg the following situation was identified in 2007:

• The main emergency number (112 or other) was not directly accessible by means of text telephones, although initiatives to enable SMS and fax access have been implemented
• Neither a text relay service nor a video relay service was available
• Neither of the two main mobile telephony operators provided eAccessibility-related information to customers with disabilities via their website. Neither offered models that are labeled as hearing aid compatible via their online sales channel
• Neither of the two main landline telephony operators provided eAccessibility-related information to customers with disabilities via their website. Neither of them offered models that are labeled as hearing aid compatible via their online sales channel

Broadcasting

To ensure that people with disabilities can access and enjoy TV broadcast programs in the same manner as everyone else, a variety of accessibility provisions need to be made available, including subtitling and sign language interpretation for people with hearing impairments and audio description for people with vision impairments. As regards their availability in Luxembourg, the following situation was found by the MeAC study in 2007:

• Of the two main public TV channels (due to the small size of the country, the two main public channels received in the country are the German channels), in 2006:
  • both provided some national language programs with subtitling. In terms of volumes provided, these programs were estimated to amount to 15-25% and 23%, respectively, of their overall national language programming
  • both provided programs with signing. In terms of volumes provided, no data are available
  • both provided programs with audio description. In terms of volumes provided, one broadcaster reported an amount of 1,8% of its overall programming
  • Information on TV access services provided was made available on the public broadcaster’s website and via teletext.
• Of the two main commercial TV channels
  • one provided programs with subtitling (data available for 2005). In terms of volumes provided, these programs were estimated to amount to 28% of its overall programming
  • neither provided programs with signing
  • neither provided programs with audio description

Self-service terminals

The utilisation of standard self-service terminals can pose various accessibility challenges to different groups. In the banking sector, for instance, automatic teller machines (ATMs) which are designed to meet the needs of vision impaired people are now being manufactured. Usually referred to as “talking” ATMs, such machines have a voice output option via headphones and/or external loud speakers.

As regards the availability of such banking terminals in Luxembourg, the following situation was found by the MeAC study in 2007:

• Of the two main retail banks operating in the country, neither had installed talking ATMs. One bank planned to use a new software to upgrade existing ATMs, but it is not clear how many machines would be enhanced to talking ATMs in this way, and over what timeframe

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