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

Some Acts of the Constitution provide guidelines on issues such as accessibility, equal treatment and information provision, but there appears to be no direct reference to eAccessibility in the Constitution and the provisions do not appear to have been invoked to address eAccessibility. The General Equal Treatment Act of 2004 covers discrimination in the provision of goods and services (though not yet in force), while a separate Act on Equal Treatment of 2003 implements the EU Employment Equality Directives.

Goods and services equality

It appears that discrimination is prohibited in the provision of goods and services on the disability ground under Article 7 of the General Equal Treatment Act, however this article of the Act is not in force yet.

Employment equality

The 2003 Act on Equal Treatment on the Grounds of Handicap or Chronic Disease implements the EU Employment Equality Directive in relation to disabled people. The concept of “effective” accommodation is included (similar to “reasonable”), but does not contain explicit references to eAccessibility.

Education

Article 7 of the General Equal Treatment Act prohibits discrimination in the provision of education, however this article is not yet in force.

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