PROMOTING DISABILITY EQUALITY: COULD DO BETTER
Disability is too often about some people being unable to communicate in the many ways that others take for granted - leading to exclusion from everyday life. And people with disabilities make up 18% of the UK population.
Electronic communications are crucial, enabling people with visual or hearing impairment or mobility issues to participate much more fully in the workplace and in society. Communications technologies can remove or overcome many of the barriers and this places a special responsibility on the communications industry.
DISABILITY EQUALITY IN COMMUNICATIONS
New technologies continue to emerge, providing more choice and opportunity for consumers to access entertainment and information and to interact with each other but full participation for all is not a given. Ofcom has a duty to ensure that disabled people have fair access to electronic communications and it is keen to ensure that disability equality is fully integrated as part of normal daily business within the industry.
Ofcom is planning to raise the profile of disability equality in 2007 and has identified a number of key issues in its research that it wants Communication Providers to address:
Access
to communications services can be difficult for those on low incomes, including a disproportionate number of disabled people - and some sections of society risk being excluded.
Media literacy
allows people to use new services but disabled people have lower levels of competence. Ofcom sees content producers and platform and network providers as having a key role in improving skills.
Information services and complaints processes can be a barrier for disabled people and are an issue of equality of opportunity.
Participation and consultation will be improved by further recruitment of disabled members to Ofcom committees and boards.
Employment and training disadvantages mean that disabled people are significantly under-represented in the communications sector workforce.
Procurement policies that do not include disability equality provisions.
PLANNING FOR ACTION
Ofcom will review practices and progress on disability equality during 2007. Ofcom will expect all communications providers to acknowledge their special responsibility and to have considered how they might extend electronic communications and make them more easily accessible.