Introduction
Information and Communication technologies (ICT) offer persons with disabilities new possibilities to achieve independent living and full participation in social, economic, and cultural activities. However there is a digital divide between non-disabled and disabled persons just as there is one between developed and developing countries and between the rich and the poor. In order to solve this digital divide and promote digital opportunities for persons with disabilities what kind of strategy should we come up with?
To find a solution ICT Task force of the Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns (TWGDC), a UNESCAP -organized working group mechanism to promote and monitor the implementation of "Biwako Millennium Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive Barrier-free and Right-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific 2003-2012" (BMF) decided to conduct an ICT survey for persons with disabilities related to the BMF targets in the priority area on information and communications. Another goal of this survey was to supplement information to the replies to the UNESCAP 2004 BMF review questionnaire which aimed to further assess the implementation of the BMF targets in the priority area on information and communications.
This report reviews replies to the questionnaire on the progress of ICT for persons with disabilities in the Asia and Pacific region1 circulated by the Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities to the Governments, international organizations and NGOs of Members States (53) and Associate Members (9) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on behalf of the ICT Task Force of TWGDC.
The questionnaire was prepared, based on the actions required to achieve the goal of the targets concerning the information and communication area and the survey was done from 2005 to 2006, with the hope that the data obtained from the responses of the questionnaire would contribute to the UNESCAP-organized high-level intergovernmental Meeting on the mid-point review of the BMF in 2007.
As of December, 2006, 20 governments, seven international organizations and 43 NGOs in the region had returned replies to the questionnaire. While the survey was being carried out, two major events were held to solve the digital divide for person with disabilities. One was the Second Phase of the World Summit Information Society (WSIS) held in Tunis, Tunisia in 2005 and the other was the adoption of the International Convention of Persons with Disabilities at the General Assembly of United Nations in December, 2006. These events gave us great hope for promoting access to information and communications by utilizing information and communication technologies for persons with disabilities. The following section summarizes the result of the survey in light of those important events.
This report consists of five sections. The first section is the executive summary. The second section reviews replies submitted by governments the third deals with replies from international organizations and the fourth deals with replies from non-governmental organizations.
The fifth section describes disability advocacy one of best practices in the area of information and communications, as carried out by the ICT Task Force of TWGDC at the WSIS although it is no longer a body in UNESCAP.
It is hoped that this report will be useful in promoting ICT for persons with disabilities to ensure their access to information and communications including information and communication technologies.