The MeAC project
This study, called “MeAC – Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe”, was implemented as part of the follow-up to the European Commission’s Communication on eAccessibility of 2005. This Communication highlighted the need for improving access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by people with disabilities. Depending on a benchmarking exercise to evaluate the status of, and the progress in relation to eAccessibility in Europe, to be presented two years after the publication of the Communication, the Commission reserved the option to consider additional measures including new legislation if deemed necessary.
Currrently, eAccessibility is one of the priority themes within i2010, the European Commission’s strategic policy framework laying out broad policy guidelines for the Information Society and the media in the years up to 2010. A Communication on eInclusion was published in 2007, following up on the eAccessibility Communication of 2005.
The MeAC study provided key background input to this development, by means of empirical research and subsequent analysis of eAccessibility policy measures as well as the current status (i.e. availability) of eAccessibility in the European Union, but also in Australia, Canada and the United States of America.
See “The MeAC approach” to learn more about how the research was planned and conducted and “Key results: eAccessibility in Europe” to get an overview of the results.
The MeAC study was conducted by a joint team of research consultancies and disability organisations, see “The MeAC Team” to learn more about them.
