eAccess+ - the eAccessibility Network

The eAccess+ thematic network will establish and systematically develop a cooperative platform for co-ordinating, supporting and improving the implementation of eAccessibility throughout Europe. eAccess+ focuses particularly on the issues highlighted in the EC Communication 2008 "Towards an accessible information society"1 and related feedback such as the Council reaction2. This communication highlighted the three principal topics outlined in the ICTPSP call: • Web accessibility (activities for the first phase:) o Dissemination of Internationally recognized W3C/WAI web accessibility standards, techniques and technical solutions and educational resources with an initial focus on the recently published WCAG 2.0 guidelines o Information on how to provide an accessibility statement on a web system o Dissemination of information and resources on how to make techniques (like javascript) accessible o Discussion and outlining harmonisation requirements of different methodologies for web accessibility conformance evaluation and how to implement an efficient workflow for evaluation o Information and discussion of requirements related to automatic evaluation tools o Facilitating monitoring of example websites by providing criteria and incentives for players like the MeAC3 study • Accessible convergent communications and accessible digital audio-visual systems focusing on o Inclusive Interactive TV : Access to services, programmes, equipment and content, subtitling & audio description, guidelines for Digital Television, Signing Speech Output and Spoken Commands, Interaction design for interactive TV, accessible pod casting o Total conversation: emergency services, standardisation work and development, real time text understanding and development, information on navigation o Accessible ICT interoperability • Self-service terminals (SSTs) and devices for banking and financial services, public transport, tourism and cultural heritage, e-government focusi