MeAC – Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe

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

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 Portugal, as measured in 2008, were as follows:

• 3 out of 5 of the selected public web sites passed the automatic evaluation, but none passed both the automatic and manual evaluations
• 1 out of 6 of the sectoral/commercial websites passed 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 across 27 countries. In Portugal the following situation was identified in 2008:

• The main emergency number (112 or other) was not yet directly accessible by means of text telephones
• Neither a text relay service nor a video relay service was available
• Of the two main mobile telephony operators, neither operator provided eAccessibility-related information to customers with disabilities via its website. Neither of them offered models that are labeled as hearing aid compatible via their online sales channel
• Of the two main landline telephony operators, one operator provided eAccessibility-related information to customers with disabilities via its website. One operator 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 Portugal, the following situation was found by the MeAC study in 2008:

• Of the two main public TV channels (operated by the same broadcaster), in 2007
  • both provided some programs with subtitling although the coverage of national language programs is not clear. In terms of volumes provided, subtitled programs amounted to 10,8% and 1,6%, respectively, of their overall programming
  • both provided programs with signing. In terms of volumes provided, these programs amounted to 4,7% of their overall programming
  • one provided some programs with audio description once a week
• Of the two main commercial broadcasters, in 2007
  • both provided programs with subtitling although the coverage of national language programs is not clear. In terms of volumes provided, subtitled programs amounted to 5,3% and 6,84%, respectively, of their overall programming
  • both provided programs with signing. In terms of volumes provided, these programs amounted to 4,8% and 3,94%, respectively, of their overall programming
  • none 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 the Portugal, the following situation was found by the MeAC study in 2008:

• Of the two main retail banks operating in the country, one bank had installed talking ATMs. By mid 2008, 2310 “talking” ATMs were deployed by this bank (amongst the overall installed base of 2677 ATMs). It is planned to install “talking” features for all deployed ATMs. A timeframe was not given. The bank provided information on the location of the “talking” ATMs via its website

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