The European Commission (EC), the European Parliament (EP) and the Council have reached an agreement on a draft directive on rules to make public sector websites and mobile apps more accessible, especially for the blind, the deaf and hard of hearing, throughout the European Union (EU).
The directive will cover public sector bodies' websites and mobile apps, from administration services, courts and police departments, to public hospitals, universities and libraries. In order to make this more accessible, it is foreseen that there should be text for images or that websites can be browsed without a mouse which can be difficult to use for some people with disabilities. This also requires regular monitoring and periodic reports by the Member States, which will be communicated to the EC and made public.
This directive complements the proposals http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-6147_en.htm presented in December 2015 regarding the Internet accessibility directive and the European Accessibility Act, which forms part of the efforts of the EC to help persons with disabilities to participate fully in society.
The next step, following this tripartite agreement, will be the formal approval of the text by the European Parliament and the Council, its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and its subsequent entry into force. The Member States will have 21 months to transpose the text into the respective national legal systems.
Further information:
- Commission welcomes agreement to make public sector websites and apps more accessible http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1654_en.htm
