Every person has the right to access information on an equal basis. This is supported by over 150 countries that have signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In today’s information society access to information is a key factor in personal empowerment and meaningful participation in society.
The Accessible Information Provision for Lifelong Learning (i-access) project has identified four guiding principles underpinning recommendations for policy.
Acknowledging access to information as a fundamental right changes the question ‘If accessible information should be provided’ to ‘How can accessible information be provided’. Policy can promote the uptake of accessible information provision. The i-access project provides recommendations for accessibility policy on an organisational, national and European level.
i-access has formed the basis for a follow-up project providing practical Guidelines for accessible information provision: the ICT for Information Accessibility in Learning.