The OW2 Open Source Accessibility Initiative emphasizes the importance of accessibility as a social and legal obligation, highlighting various legislative frameworks across Europe and the USA. It discusses the economic potential of open source solutions in enhancing accessibility, alongside the opportunities in technology and innovation that can better serve an aging population and individuals with disabilities. The initiative promotes collaboration among multiple stakeholders to develop best practices and tools aimed at improving accessible technology.

1. OW2 Open
Source
Accessibility
initiative
Christian Paterson
17/11/2016
Paris Open Source Summit, 2016

2. QualityQuality
SustainabilitySustainability
IndependenceIndependence
Economic
efficiency
Economic
efficiency
AgilityAgility
Social
catalyst
Social
catalyst
Open source provides multiple benefits

3. Accessibility is a broad range of
concepts

4. …and leads to enhanced usability

5. Accessibility is a social and legal
responsibility
 EU : European Disability Strategy 2010-2020
 France : SÉNAT PROJET DE LOI (21 octobre 2004)
 UK : Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)
 USA : Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
http://www.out-
law.com/en/articles/2004/august/travel-sites-settle-
new-york-accessibility-investigation/
Ramada.com and Priceline.com,
successfully sued in New York over
the accessibility of their websites.
http://www.webcredible.com/blog/disability-discrimination-act-dda-web-accessibility/
http://jimthatcher.com/book2/chapter16.html
WebAIM : http://webaim.org/articles/laws/world/
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?
uri=COM:2010:0636:FIN:en:PDF
http://www.senat.fr/leg/tas04-
018.html
… some examples
National Federation of the Blind won
a website accessibility lawsuit against
the Target Corporation for six million
dollars
http://www.ssbbartgroup.com/whitepapers/accessibilit
y-business-case/

6. Accessibility is huge numbers
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityan
dhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-
all.html
http://www.who.int/disabilities/infograp
hic_en_rev1_510.jpg?ua=1
= 63 million
people

7. … with demographics that are evolving
Median age of population EU
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php/Population_structure_and_a
geing
 By 2020, a quarter of Europeans will be over 60 years of
age.
European Commission : https://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/policy_reviews/kina26426enc.pdf
 In the last 20 years, people all over the world have, on average,
gained 6 years of life expectancy.
 Children born after 2011 have a 1 in 3 chance of reaching their
100th birthday.

8. Global ICT revenue 2005 to 2019 (in billion
euros)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/2685
84/worldwide-ict-revenue-since-2005/
the ICT revolution holds the potential of
transforming economies and societies … this ICT
revolution is well under way … it is even
accelerating. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_IT_Report_2015.pdf
*ICT (information and communication technology)
2019
4.4 trillion euros
ICT* is huge numbers

9. … in a world that is increasingly digital
http://www.theverge.com/2016/7/20/122348
58/first-click-real-wold-colonized-digital
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digital-
transformation-world-turning-mobile-you-gina

10. Accessibility + open source = opportunity
“huge opportunities for Europe to think creatively and innovate in terms
of new technologies, improved services and new business models”
European Commission : https://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/policy_reviews/kina26426en
Manage Legal Risk
Protect and Grow Public Sector Revenues
Access the Global Public Sector Marketplace
Increase Market Share
Protect Brand
In the USA
62 million disabled
persons
purchasing power 175 billion $
http://www.ssbbartgroup.com/white
papers/accessibility-business-case/

11. leveraging open source working models
collaboration
innovation
meritocracy
within the framework of a recognized open source alliance
reduced CAPEX
open formats / open APIs
roadmap control
reduced lock-in
community
Open Source Accessibility
initiative
lobbying
events and out-reachrepresentation
experience and
skills sharing
mature tools
neutral forum

12. Open to all
Projects
Domains
Steering
Committ
ee Strategy
 Coordination
 Meritocracy
 from many contributions to few contributions
 from code projects to guidelines
 from developers to HR experts to evangelists
 from multi-nationals to PME to SOHO
 from corporates to governments
 from academia to private individuals
 Collaboration
 Passion

13. Situation today
projects identified
17
https://www.ow2.org/bin/view/OSAi/
domains of collaboration
7  Guidelines & best
practices
 Measuring & auditing
 Training
 Tools for communication
 Development tools
 Accessible user
interfaces
 Navigating and mobility
Direction interministérielle du
numérique et du système
d'information et de
communication de l'État
DINSIC
French government
 France
 Italy
 USA
International reach
founding
member
Fantastic interest & support
+ many others

14. thank you