Committed to Connecting the World
ASEAN-ITU Seminar on ICT Accessibility and Assistive
Technologies for Equity in Society
25-26 August 2014, Bangkok, Thailand
ITU-T work on
Accessibility to ICTs
Xiaoya Yang
Head of WTSA Programmes Division
Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU
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About ITU
 The United Nations Specialized Agency
for Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs)
 Founded in Paris in 1865 as the
International Telegraph Union
 2015 will mark 150 years of experience
and innovation
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ITU’s Global Presence
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Leading Private Sector Members
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ITU’s Structure
Radiocommunication
ITU-R
Coordinates global wireless communication
Standardization
ITU-T
Development
ITU-D
Produces interoperable
technical ICT standards
Provides assistance to
the un-connected
The General Secretariat provides
intersectoral coordination
for the whole organization
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ITU-R: Radiocommunication Sector
Manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits
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ITU-D: Development Sector
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ITU-T: Standardization Sector
Produces international standards covering all fields of telecommunications.
Defines tariff and accounting principles for international telecommunication services
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Importance of standardization
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Why is standardization important?
1. Technical compatibility (Interoperability)
2. Standards promote innovation, competition and
international trade
3. Allows end users to enjoy wider choice range of
services and products, richer functionality and
lower costs with mainstreamed accessibility
features
4. Facilitates transfer of technology between
developed to developing countries and reduces
digital divide
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Open standards promote a
“network externality effect”
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Accessibility Standardization in ITU
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ITU-T groups promoting
Accessible ICT’s
Expert Groups
• Study Group 16 - Multimedia - lead ITU study
group on telecommunication/ICT accessibility
for persons with disabilities Question 26/16 and work items
• Study Group 2 on Operational Aspects -
Question 4/2 focused on human factors and
related work items
• Study Group 9 on Broadband Cable and TV
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Study Group 16
 Multimedia coding, systems and
applications
 The lead study group on
telecommunication/ICT
accessibility for persons with
disabilities.
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Question 26/16
 Q26/16 is the group specifically designated to deal
with Accessibility to Multimedia Systems and
Services for persons with disabilities.
 Q26/16 is responsible for developing (or assisting
in the development of) multimedia technical
standards addressing accessibility needs of
persons with disabilities
 It also reviews accessibility features included in
telecom standards developed in other Study
Groups
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Examples of active work items
 Terminology of accessibility to audiovisual media
 Relay services: Architecture, user requirements
and functionality
 Technical Paper: Telecommunication relay service's
user requirements for persons with disabilities
 Accessibility Features for mobile media devices
 Technical Paper on methods for improving the
intelligibility of audio (or speech)
 Guidelines for provision of captioning and of sign
language in A/V content
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ITU-T Study Group 2
 SG2 organizes its accessibility
work under Question 4/2
“Human Factors related issues for
the improvement of the quality of
life through international
telecommunications”.
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Question 4/2
 Question 4/2 covers more than
just the needs of persons with
disabilities
usability for all covers the needs of
children and persons who may or
may not have disability.
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Study Group 9
Broadband Cable and TV
 Requirements, methods, and
interfaces of the advanced service
platforms to enhance the delivery
of sound, television, and other
multimedia interactive services
over cable television network
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ITU’s most famous
accessibility standard
 ITU-T E.161
(2001): “Bump”
on key “5”
 “To assist blind
and visually
impaired people…
and others to
facilitate dialing
under low light
conditions”
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Other Experts Groups
 Intersector Rapporteur Group on Audiovisual Media
Accessibility (IRG-AVA)
(launched 25 February 2014)NEW!
 Joint Coordination Activity on Accessibility and Human
Factors (JCA-AHF)
 ITU-T Focus Group on Audiovisual Media Accessibility
(FG AVA)
(concluded Oct. 2013)
 Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability
(DCAD) on Internet Governance
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FG AVA - Focus Group on Audiovisual
Media Accessibility
 Focus Group on Audiovisual Media Accessibility (FG AVA), open
to all, including non members
 May 2011 created and ended October 2013
 Mandate was to stimulate the development of studies and
deliverables that
 would improve the awareness for standard writers of possible accessibility
features for persons with disabilities to include in future standards of
audiovisual (AV) media

Results: delivery of specific studies and deliverables applicable
to giving better access for Persons with Disabilities for further
study
 to SG16, the parent study group of FG AVA
 and to IRG-AVA
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FG AVA deliverables

Focus Groups are open to non members, therefore cannot write standards
 they can give the benefit of specialist knowledge from worldwide experts

Examples of some of the deliverables from the FG AVA:
 Final Report of Activities: Working Group A “Captioning"
 Draft recommended production guidelines for sign language service
 Draft recommended characteristics for audio descriptions and/or spoken
subtitles
 Vocabulary for ITU-T Focus Group on Audiovisual Media Accessibility
 Methods for improving the intelligibility of audio (clean audio)
 Requirements and good practice for supporting remote participation in meetings
for all
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Overview of Inter Sector Rapporteur
Group on Audiovisual Media
Accessibility (IRG-AVA)
 Coordination of the work of audiovisual media accessibility
 ITU-R and ITU-T working together on making audiovisual
media accessible
 ITU-R Study Groups 6 (Broadcasting Service) working to
make better video and sound and better ways to include
sign language, captioning audio description
 ITU-R Study Group 5 (Terrestrial Service) Working Party
5A
studying how digital hearing aids could work globally
 ITU-T SG16, SG2 and SG9
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HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
 Work progresses on the basis of contributions received
 Provide experts to attend meetings and to submit
contributions
 Members submit written technical proposals to create
recommendations and standards
 No contributions, no international standards, no proposals
= no progress
 Participate in the JCA-AHF, the group responsible for
coordinating the accessibility work throughout ITU as it
is open to all
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Sharing knowledge at ITU workshops

Workshops review existing and next-generation accessibility technology,
services and assistive technologies (AT) for persons with disabilities

Workshops provide open forums to discuss business case uses for
accessibility implementation in all areas of communication

Workshops explore the benefits of Universal Design to prevent expensive
refits later in the deployment of accessibility features in standards by
designing from the beginning for the inclusion of persons with disabilities

Workshops provide experts to share knowledge and good practices to
further work on including persons with disabilities into the standardization
of multimedia, as mandated by the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (article 9 of the UNCRPD)

Workshops provide a showcase for accessibility services and devices
currently on the market and under development by the private sector and
research institutes

ITU Workshop on Making Media Accessible to all: the options and the
economics (October 2013)
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HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
 Propose topics and provide panelists for
workshops and related events to further
assist in educating the public on the
need for Universal Design and the
mainstreaming of accessibility into
standardization
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… and some demos
on audiovisual work 1/3
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… and some demos
on audiovisual work 2/3
… and
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some demos
on audiovisual work 3/3
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By working with us on making
technology accessible to all and
including persons with disabilities,
we are connecting the world.
Help us in this valuable work by
joining us at the ITU.
Thank you