EBU NEWSLETTER
No 56

Published by the EBU Office


With the financial support of
DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
of the European Commission
 

Table of contents :

[ The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EBU. ]





Editor’s Note

Welcome to issue Number 56 of the EBU Newsletter.

In the run up to the EBU 8th General Assembly (Antalya, Turkey, 24-26 October 2007), arrangements are being fine-tuned by our hosts, the Turkish Federation of the Blind. The Board of EBU, meeting in Barcelona over the week-end, was informed that preparations were going smoothly. In the meantime, the Board is putting the finishing touches to the working documents. These will be sent out ahead of time so that delegates can prepare themselves and take an active part in the GA.

Note that participants who are planning to take their guide dogs to Turkey for the Assembly and will be traveling through the UK may face some problems. Turkey is not yet on the approved list of countries from which a dog can travel into the UK and thus, even with the pet passport and appropriate documentation, the dog could be subject to quarantine when returning to the UK.

The “1million4disability” campaign will be culminating in a massive outdoor gathering on 4 October in Brussels. The European Disability Forum is anxious that as many people as possible join the gathering. The more we are, the more chances we have to make our voices heard !

EBU’s work regarding EU legislation is not slackening. In particular, you will be pleased to read outstanding developments of our campaign to retain the free postal service for the blind.

This issue’s Feature Article informs about accessible banking in the Netherlands. We hope this information will help other organisations of the blind to try and bring about similar developments where they do not exist.

I hope you will enjoy reading this issue. Please feel free to send your comments on its layout and contents to ebuoffice@euroblind.org


Back to contents

 

CAMPAIGN « 1million4disability »

MASSIVE CITIZENS’ OUTDOOR GATHERING
4 October 2007 – Rond-Point Schuman – Brussels – 13 h

 

WHY ?

This gathering will be the focal point of the European citizenship campaign « 1million4disability ».

Let’s all gather to make ourselves visible as citizens in their own right, to make ourselves heard and to call for European legislative measures against discrimination towards disabled persons in all aspects of their lives.

Be all there to call for a discrimination free Europe for citizens with disabilities !

Be all there to say STOP to discrimination, YES to equal opportunities and rights.


WHO ?

We need YOU for the success and the visibility of our gathering.

Delegations of persons with disabilities from all over Europe, disabled persons, their families and friends for all the regions of Belgium and neighboring countries, official EU and national representatives, civil society representatives and many more are expected.

The more we are, the more chances we have to make our voice heard!


WHAT ?

A festive, colored and positive gathering... The festive atmosphere will be guaranteed by live music and a simultaneous release of thousands balloons.
Each participant will be invited to write a personal message to be delivered to the European Commission and the European Parliament.



Programme

12h30 : Arrival of participants.

13h00 : Official opening of the gathering (speeches and live music).
13h30-14h30 : Meeting with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament (speeches and live music).

14h30 : Results of the meeting with the EU institutions High Representatives (speeches and live music).

14h45 : Simultaneous release of thousands balloons.

15h00 : End of gathering.


WHERE ? WHEN ?

Date : 4 October 2007.
Time : 13h to 15h.
Venue : Schuman Roundabout (1040 Brussels), strategic place in between the EU institutions buildings.
Metro : Schuman.
Parking bus : Av. de la Joyeuse entrée / Av de la Renaissance.


HOW ?

The participants are invited to bring the flag of their country and/or their region, the banner of their organisation as well as various banners addressing mainly non-discrimination and equal rights for persons with disabilities.

Further information from Valérie Asselberghs, EDF Information and Membership Officer, valerie.asselberghs@edf-feph.org
htpp://www.1million4disability.eu


Back to contents

Postal Services  

Following the adoption in the Transport and Tourism Committee of the amendment to the Postal Directive requiring the maintenance of the free postal service for the use of blind and partially sighted persons, EBU successfully lobbied the European Parliament ahead of its July First Reading. The Parliament adopted the amendment, and we are now lobbying Member States to try to ensure that the Council accepts it.

Initial feedback from Member States has been mixed - some are much keener on the amendment than others. The Council is expected to reach a common position in November.

Further information from Dan Pescod, RNIB European and International Campaigns Manager, dan.pescod@rnib.org.uk

Back to contents

EU Digital Library

On 25 September, the European Parliament will vote on the own-initiative report by Marie- Hélène Descamps on "i2010 : Towards European digital library". The report calls for Member States to speed up the rate of digitisation of cultural content as well as for the Community to develop new methods of funding for digitisation in order to set up the European digital library called for by the Commission in 2005.

EBU wrote to the Rapporteur on 6 September to ask her to consider amendments pertaining to the accessibility of digitised documents in advance of the plenary vote. Although she was receptive to our concerns, she did not feel it appropriate to table an amendment for the plenary, especially when it had been agreed with other political groups that there wouldn't be any. She also emphasized the fact that her report is more of a political declaration than a technical report. However, she did offer to meet with us in view of future work on eInclusion and eAccessibility issues.

Further information from Anne Spinali, RNIB European Campaigns Officer,
anne.spinali@rnib.org.uk

Back to contents

 

EBU responds to the EC e-Inclusion Consultation

 
The European Commission intends to propose a comprehensive strategy on e-Inclusion by the end of 2007 and has launched a public consultation to this effect. Crucially, the consultation looks at EU measures on e-accessibility.

“e-Inclusion” means both inclusive ICT and the use of ICT to achieve wider inclusion objectives. It focuses on participation of all individuals and communities in all aspects of the information society. e-Inclusion policy therefore aims at reducing gaps in ICT usage and promoting the use of ICT to overcome exclusion, and improve economic performance, employment opportunities, quality of life, social participation and cohesion.

In view of the crucial importance of information technology for visually impaired people, EBU, responded to this consultation. The text of EBU’s response has already been posted by the European Commission on its website at :

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/doc/info_centre/public_consult/review /comments/ebu_european_blind_union.pdf

Back to contents


   

Accessible Publishing

The visually impaired join IPA in Geneva for dialogue on international access


The International Publishers Association invited visually impaired experts and publishing industry stakeholders to discuss the issues of access of blind and partially sighted people across borders to works in accessible formats.

The meeting took place on 2 July 2007 in Geneva and was attended by representatives of the World Blind Union, the DAISY Consortium, and IFLA/Libraries for the Blind Section, by publishing industry specialists and by other international stakeholders.

The recent study by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) was discussed.
This highlights the issue of cross border access to works formatted to suit the needs of visually impaired persons as particularly pressing. Participants at this meeting agreed a shared work programme to identify and analyse different options to solve this issue.

Says IPA President Ana Maria Cabanellas, who participated in the meeting : “Publishers and visually impaired persons share the same aspirations and goals with regard to access of works by visually impaired persons. Together we must find solutions at international level that can replicate the trust and the spirit of cooperation that publishers and VIP charities have built in so many countries around the world.”

The WIPO study by Judith Sullivan can be found at :
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=75696

Back to contents


European Publishers visit RNIB


Anne Bergman, Director of The Federation of European Publishers (FEP), visited RNIB on 29 August, 2007. This was an opportunity to show her RNIB’s latest production processes and update her on various feasibility studies and pilot projects which are being run in partnership with UK publishers.

The way forward at European level was discussed. It was decided to investigate the possibility of identifying one or two publishers in Europe who could act as "champions" for visually impaired people’s interests. It was also decided to try to meet jointly with the designers and vendors of production tools such as Adobe and Quark.


Reviews of European Copyright Directives

The EBU Copyright and Publishing Working Group is looking for an MEP who will table some questions to the European Commission in an attempt to find out what, if anything, it plans to do to follow up the recommendations in the reviews.

Further information from Anne Spinali, RNIB European Campaigns Officer, anne.spinali@rnib.org.uk


Back to contents

TechniFlash

Thunder

 Download the Thunder ScreenReader talking software and your modern XP or Vista computer will be immediately usable by someone who can’t see to read the screen. You will have a talking computer which will speak as you press keys and read out to you what is on the screen.

To enjoy the internet, you will need to use WebbIE which is installed with Thunder. WebbIE will appear within the All Programs Menu. WebbIE is a text browser which cuts out visual clutter and presents a website in clear line by line text. You can adjust the font size.

You also get Accessible live and listen again radio, a huge online free library etc. You will find this listener’s paradise within All Programs under Accessibles when you install your Thunder software.


Further information from Roger Wilson-Hinds, ask@screenreader.net

www.screenreader.net

Back to contents


Voice on the Goo

Discover the possibilities of having your email and organizer data delivered in a whole new way – by the power of your voice.
Make the most of your time and stay connected with family, friends, and work with voice access to your email, contacts, and calendar. Voice on the Go provides hands-free and eyes-free voice access to your email and other critical information so you can safely respond to important messages, review and create appointments, search contacts and place calls anytime, anywhere – while in transit, travelling, or in between meetings.

www.voiceonthego.com


Back to contents

2009 - Bicentenary of Louis Braille’s birth

 
The “Comité International pour la Commémoration du bicentenaire de la Naissance de Louis Braille” (CINAL) has been set up to deal with preparations for the commemoration of Louis Braille’s bicentenary in 2009. It gathers the major French organisations of blind and partially-sighted people. Organisations in Europe and worldwide are also invited to join !

A number of events have already been planned, including : inaugural ceremonies at INJA, the school for the blind where Louis Braille studied and taught ; and at the Pantheon, Louis Braille’s burial place ; a concert at Notre-Dame de Paris ; conferences and a touring exhibition on braille and its future.

Money is being raised to fund the planned activities. Names of donors will be listed in a golden book, as follows :

A contribution of 50 euros per person who would like to have her/his name, surname and address mentioned in the golden book.
of 75 Euros for an additional brief message of 10 words.
of 100 Euros for a longer message of 30 words.

Organisations wishing to join the CINAL need to pay a membership fee of 250 Euros for the 3-year period up to 2009. A General Assembly is planned in Paris on 29 November 2007 at the premises of the French Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.


For further information, please contact Vincent Michel, President of CINAL, at cinal@cinal.fr

 

Back to contents

FEATURE
Access to Electronic Money Systems

Accessible Banking and Paying

By Mildred Theunisz – VIZIRIS, the Netherlands


Introduction

VIZIRIS (formally known as the Netherlands Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired) protects the medical and social rights of all persons in the Netherlands with a visual impairment. VIZIRIS speaks up and lobbies for their interests and works on concrete solutions to problems with respect to :

mobility and access to public areas
accessible media including books and printed material
ICT
law and regulations
accessibility to payment transfer and banking

In this article, VIZIRIS would like to highlight the work it has been doing in the field of banking and paying and the necessity to continue this work on a more international level.

Until recently, people went to the bank to make a withdrawal from their bank account when they needed cash money. Purchases in shops were paid either cash or with a cheque. Credit transfer was done manually on paper.

At the end of the 1990’s it became more and more clear that technology was replacing these methods of banking and paying. More ATMs were seen in the streets, and shops and supermarkets offered payment terminals which made electronic payment with PIN-card possible. Advantages of these systems are for example the possibility to make a withdrawal from your account 24 hours a day. In addition, the ATM does not need to be the one of your own bank ; in the Netherlands it can be of any bank. Paying by PIN-card makes it possible to shop without money in your wallet (for some of us that might be a disadvantage !).

Situation in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the banking system has always been very efficient. When these technologies became available, banks saw the opportunity on the one hand to offer new and more sophisticated ways of paying and banking for their clients and on the other hand to cut on their costs, for example on bank employees and buildings. Supermarkets welcomed electronic payments because this new technology saved time in checking out and closing the accounts at the end of the day. Also, it increased the safety in the shops because there was less cash money. With the increasing availability of reasonably priced technological products, more and more PCs and internet entered the Dutch households. This encouraged banks to start the development of Internet banking at the end of the 20th century.

In general, the Dutch consumers saw a lot of advantages in the new technologies for banking and paying, and its use increased enormously over a short period of time. (In 2006 payment with PIN-cards increased by 9 %). Banks took this increase in electronic banking and paying as a sign, showing that the old ways of banking were in less demand. This was evidenced by figures of overall use : in 2004, 95 % of cash withdrawals were made via an ATM and only 5 % at the desk of a bank. As a result, many banks closed down some of their branches, replacing them by ATMs. Others kept their branches, but with no safe and thus no cash withdrawal possibilities at the desk. Another way to push consumers towards the use of ATMs was the introduction by some banks of a new rule that only withdrawals over 500 Euros would be handled at the counter, otherwise the ATM would have to be used.

Closing of bank branches was at its peak in the period 2000-2004 ; there were 6278 in 1997, 6152 in 2000, 3800 in 2004 and 3700 in 2006. In the same period, the amount of ATMs rose from 6397 in 1997 to 8000 in 2006.

The same development has shown in internet banking. More and more products and services from banks can be obtained and handled via Internet. Banks are starting to push customers, more or less gently, towards Internet banking instead of using the old ways. The use of conventional banking, e.g. written credit transfer, is no longer free, whereas Internet banking is (except for the online connection costs). Although the costs are low, by charging certain ways of banking, banks hope that clients will turn to (free) Internet banking.

The general public experiences the advantages of Internet banking: at all time, you have an immediate overview of your bank account. In 2006, more than 8 million people in the Netherlands used Internet banking.

 VIZIRIS’ point of view

People with a visual impairment should be able to do their own banking and payments for their purchases if they wish to do so. There should be no technical barriers to do this. Of course, not everybody likes to do their own banking; some prefer to let somebody else do it in their stead. That should be the choice of the individual, no matter his/her ability to use the technology.

At the end of the 1990s, VIZIRIS saw the shift towards more electronic payment systems and started a working group within EBU on this matter. The Working Group on Electronic Money Systems produced a checklist of user requirements for visually impaired people to make this technology accessible.
VIZIRIS used this document as a starting point for the work in The Netherlands. VIZIRIS’ action in the first years mainly consisted in informing banks and other stakeholders about problems caused by the new technologies and possible solutions to overcome them. Also, banks needed to be convinced that people with a visual impairment were entitled to do their own banking without being dependent on others and that design for all would overcome many of the problems. Some banks were tempted to deliver special services for people with a disability. Of course this can be valuable. However, VIZIRIS believes that visually impaired people are entitled to enjoy the benefits of new technologies just like other customers, and that this can only be achieved by implementing the principle of design for all. Assistance, e.g. provided by bank employees, can be thought of as an additional option.

Not only visually impaired people were affected by the negative effects of the new technologies in banking and payment, other groups of disabled persons also found that their dependency was higher because they could not use ATMs on their own. Similarly to the disabled, the elderly often felt vulnerable and unsafe using an ATM. Together with organizations of the elderly and the national disability council, VIZIRIS took action. In 2001, a telephone hotline was opened for three days and was overwhelmingly successful. The issue was raised at parliament and discussed extensively in the media. This was the start of a new development.

Banks realized then that this group of customers was large and could not be ignored. In the good political tradition of the Netherlands several consultative bodies were started ; first the banks met with several consumer groups (amongst them VIZIRIS) ; In the frame of the National Forum on the Payment System (Dutch acronym : MOB), initiated in 2003 by the Minister of Finance, stakeholders meet on a regularly basis to inform each other, discuss problems and solutions and make baseline agreements.

Activities of VIZIRIS

The first activity VIZIRIS started to work on was the accessibility of ATMs. This was an urgent problem (see the figures above). In spite of special arrangements allowing the elderly and the disabled to make withdrawals of less than 500 Euros at the desk, the closing down of bank branches still continued on a large scale.

On the basis of the UK Guideline for an Accessible ATM (2002), a Dutch version was produced. The guideline was translated and some new items were added, all in compliance with international standards available and applicable. Following the UK’s example, we worked together with the banks to make sure that they would support the use of the guideline in practice. The guideline was published in October 2004 and presented at the National Accessibility Week.

In addition to the Guideline, research was done to find out if there were sufficient ways for consumers to access banking services, focusing on services that one needed on a regular basis, such as making cash withdrawal. ‘Cash back’, i.e. the possibility to get cash money back in a shop when paying more than the indicated price with a PIN card, was introduced and widely promoted. Also, the possibilities of sharing bank services were researched. Pilot projects for sharing different sorts of services, for example services of the city council, library and banking were started by banks individually.

After the guideline for ATMs, a similar guideline for payment terminals was produced. For this guideline, VIZIRIS had to start from scratch because internationally there was no complete set of technical specifications yet made. Concerning the terminal, for the keyboard there were detailed specifications and for some other parts there were more general descriptions available. The experience of VIZIRIS is that when industry and other relevant stakeholders are convinced about accessibility, they are best helped by detailed technical specifications. The guideline on user-friendly payment terminals is published in English and has just been finalized in the end of May 2007. Promotion throughout the Netherlands and Europe will start after the summer.

In 2007, a large survey was commissioned by the National Forum on the Payment system (at the initiative of VIZIRIS) about the way elderly and people with disabilities do their banking and payment. It was the first time that such a survey was conduced in the Netherlands. One of the outcomes is that people with a visual impairment have significantly more problems in banking and paying in shops than people with other disabilities. It also became clear that amongst visual impaired people, telephone banking is very popular and used as an alternative in doing one’s own banking. The results of this survey will be published in autumn of 2007.

VIZIRIS is also one of the organizations that is consulted about the Single European Payments Area. As of 2008, the euro area countries will gradually form a Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). Euro area residents will be able to make payments in the same way, using the same payment instruments, throughout the whole euro area, both domestically and to other euro area countries. What VIZIRIS already sees in this transition towards SEPA is that banks are looking into detail into the way they offer services and products. With SEPA the trend towards digitisation and the use of technology will continue to increase. For example, it is still under negotiation whether there will be a written credit money transfer when SEPA becomes reality. There are no specifications or rule books made on a Europan level for this product, so banks cannot transfer this product into a SEPA-product. The Netherlands Bankers Association has already aknowlegded that for this particular issue something has to be done.

Results

Looking back over the work that Viziris has done in this field in the Netherlands, we have to state that Viziris is seen by the partners in the National Forum and the National Bank as a valuable partner to work with and to consult in banking matters and payment systems. Stakeholders seem willing to act to make sure that people with a handicap can do their own banking and paying. However, not always in the direction Viziris thinks is the best. So there is still work to be done. The first ATM with speech output still has to be installed. Accessible online banking via Internet is only offered by one of the banks in the Netherlands. Viziris still experiences that in the developments of new services and technologies in banking and paying, the requirements of consumers with a disability are not yet taken on board naturally.
Viziris still has to lobby and work on raising consciousness in all departments of banks. And so we will.

The developments in the Netherlands will one day or the other also happen in other European countries. With SEPA banking, credit transfer and paying in shops will be handled in a uniform way, and therefore become a European issue. This is the reason why VIZIRIS would like to share her knowledge and experience with other organisations of the partially sighted and blind in EBU.

Furthermore, it is clear that the world of banking and payment is international. Suppliers and manufacturers operate on an international level. Guidelines for accessible ATMs and payment terminals will only be effective if they are implemented at least on a European level. The Netherlands being very small, it is not a market of sufficient importance to e.g. push manufacturers of payment terminals to make them accessible. Consultations with European organisations of bankers, retailers, European divisions of multinational companies, relevant commission of the European Commission etc. are needed. VIZIRIS would like to discuss the possibilities of (re)starting work on this matter within the European Blind Union.


Further information from Mildred Theunisz, VIZIRIS, m.theunisz@viziris.nl

Back to contents


Standards are needed

Over the last three years, the EBU Access to Technology Working Group has looked into Accessible Electronic Banking and found that barriers are not related to the new technologies themselves. They are mainly generated by the lack of standards at the design and manufacturing stages. EBU should address this issue as a priority from a political and institutional perspective.


Back to contents

 

Coming Events

 

EBU Board


   14-15 September 2007,                     BARCELONA   (Spain)

Contact : Vaclav Polasek, EBU Secretary General
Email : polasek@sons.cz

   23 October 2007                                 ANTALYA         (Turkey)

Contact : Vaclav Polasek, EBU Secretary General
Email : polasek@sons.cz

 

EBU Commissions


   12 - 13 October 2007                         QAWRA             (Malta)

Commission for Liaising with the EU

Contact : Rodolfo Cattani
Email : inter@uiciechi.it


____________________________________________________________
 

Other organisations


July/August 2007,                              ESPOO             (Finland)

14th International Computer Camp for blind and partially sighted teens.



   20 - 21 September 2007                 GRAZ              (Austria)

VALORisation of project results for blind and Visually Impaired People (VALORVIP)

The group of blind and visually impaired people still faces discrimination and disadvantages in the European society, on the labour market and in education and training systems. During the last few years a range of innovative development projects, particularly within the Leonardo da Vinci programme, have been created throughout Europe that, if adequately distributed and utilised, will reduce the barriers in vocational education and training. It is a central concern of the ValorVIP conference to match the demand for innovative concepts and approaches to reduce barriers with offers, products and results from EU projects.

For further information : http://www.valorvip.eu/




   27 – 28 September 2007             Iceland

The Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities - from Social Policy to Equal Rights.

The aim of this international conference is to examine important legal developments in the area of disability rights at the global and European level and their transposition into domestic law.

The conference is part of the Icelandic programme during the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. The expected conference audience includes academics, postgraduate students and professionals from various fields of law, sociology, political science and disability studies.

For further information and registration, see www.disabilityrights.is

Icelandic Human Rights Center : www.humanrights.is




   16 – 18 November 2007             MADRID             (Spain)

European Disability Forum - CERMI conference on women and disability

The purpose of the conference – which is targeting women and men of the European Disability Movement – is to promote equality and improve the lives of girls and women with disabilities in Europe, within the framework of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, in order to mark the tenth anniversary of the EDF Manifesto by Girls and Women with Disabilities in Europe.

The participants will actively contribute to achieve the objectives of the conference, which are :

1. Analyse in depth the key issues affecting girls and women with disabilities in terms of their full participation as citizens.

2. Raise awareness within the European Disability Forum and its member organisations of the need to develop specific measures to guarantee equal opportunities in the involvement of women, thus addressing the risk of multiple discrimination and exclusion from the movement on the grounds of gender and disability.

3. Promote equality between men and women by setting up and supporting women’s committees or groups in national and regional structures of the European disability movement, thus facilitating dialogue on key issues related to girls and women with disabilities and mothers of children with disabilities.

More information : maria.nyman@edf-feph.org




   28 - 29 November 2007             LONDON                 (UK)

In Touch With Art - An International Conference on Art, Museums and Visual Impairment

The first collaboration between St Dunstan's, The V&A and Goldsmiths College, In Touch With Art will investigate methods of teaching art to people with visual impairment, explore the experiences of practising artists with visual impairment, and identify how people with visual impairment engage and interact with visual art in gallery and museum environments.

www.st-dunstans.org.uk

 


   6 - 10 July 2008                         MONTREAL             (Canada)

9th International Conference on Low Vision

The Conference will feature plenary and concurrent sessions during which distinguished academics and researchers will present the results of their work on vision science research, services of rehabilitation and psychosocial aspects of reintegration.

www.vision2008.ca




   4 – 7 January 2009                    PARIS                     (France)

200th Anniversary of Louis Braille Birthday - International Conference

Information and draft programme are available from Association Valentin Hauy. Contact : Christian Coudert, ch.coudert@avh.asso.fr
 

Back to contents