On May 19, 2022, on the Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the Internet Society in Bosnia and Herzegovina organized a panel in Sarajevo on the topic: “ICT Accessibility for persons with disabilities”.
During the panel, topics were discussed about the importance and role of information and communication technologies in education, creating business opportunities, and exercising the rights of persons with disabilities.
After the panel was held, the following conclusions were formed as recommendations:
- It is necessary to include digital assistive technologies/aids in the unique list of orthopedic and other aids to make them accessible to persons with disabilities at the expense of the Health Insurance Institute.
- It is necessary to improve research in the field of digital assistive technologies, in which educational and scientific research institutions such as electrical engineering faculties play a key role (initiate the establishment of laboratories for digital assistive technologies, raise awareness of the importance of digital accessibility and increase students’ interest in digital assistive technology).
- It is necessary to enable persons with disabilities to have access to the Internet, computer, and individual computer training.
- It is necessary to improve the legal preconditions for the application of European directives and standards for accessibility of websites, as well as requirements for accessibility of products and services, and to make websites, products, and services accessible to people with disabilities. In this regard, it is recommended to establish a commission that would include persons with disabilities, and experts in the field of digital assistive technologies, for advisory support provision.
Internet Society in Bosnia and Herzegovina