[A2k] European "eYou Guide" and web accessibility for people with reading disabilities

[Anne-Catherine Lorrain]

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The European Commission today launched the
"eYouGuide<http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eyouguide/index_en.htm>
"*, **"a new online tool giving practical advice on the "digital rights"
consumers have under EU law". *
See the Commission's press release
here<http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=3DIP/09/702&fo=
rmat=3DHTML&aged=3D0&language=3DEN&guiLanguage=3Dnl>
.

Web accessibility is among the key topics of the guide:
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eyouguide/fiches/8-ii-a/index_en.ht=
m

The issue of access to content by people with reading disabilities is
addressed. The guide is meant to be very concrete, and the answer formulate=
d
by the Commission (see below) precisely indicates the difficulties
encountered to have access to works from one country to another...
I am a blind user and sometimes I have difficulties accessing some literary
or artistic works online. What can I do about this?

*Example: **I am a blind user and I would like to access e-books, audio
books and other literary, scientific and artistic works online. However som=
e
of these works are not accessible to me because they are covered by
technological protection measures. What can I do about this?*

*Answer: **EU law requires Member States to adopt all necessary measures to
facilitate access to works by persons suffering from a disability and to pa=
y
particular attention to accessible formats. *

Member States can therefore allow works protected by copyright to be
reproduced and made available to people with disabilities for their private
use. This possibility has been used in different ways according to the
country concerned. For instance, the UK allows copyright exceptions for
visually impaired people but not for others.

You should therefore *check the specific situation in the country where you
live* to know if, as a disabled user, you can benefit from a right of acces=
s
to works covered by technological protection measures.

It is also important to mention that in some Member States a limited number
of institutions =96 libraries or organisations representing disabled people=
 =96
receive copies of copyright works and then put them into accessible formats
(e.g. e-books or audiobooks). People with disabilities can then go and
consult them, or they may be given a special ID so they can access them
online.

For more information on the situation in your country, you can contact
the national
organisation representing disabled
people<http://www.edf-feph.org/page_generale.asp?docid=3D19438>.


*Useful links:*

The European disability forum <http://www.edf-feph.org/>

*Relevant EU documents:*

EU directive on copyright in the information
society<http://eur-lex.europa.eu/Notice.do?val=3D259975:cs&lang=3Den&list=
=3D483585:cs,454158:cs,272233:cs,262958:cs,259975:cs,&pos=3D5&page=3D1&nbl=
=3D5&pgs=3D10&hwords=3D>


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Anne-Catherine Lorrain
aclorrain@gmail.com
Mob.: +32 473 99 97 92
www.tacd-ip.org/blog