When ICT accessibility is not considered by public sector entities in the procurement phase, it reduces the employment possibilities for persons with disabilities. Every day in Europe, over 100 million persons with disabilities face barriers in accessing technologies owned by their public authorities. Inaccessible technologies such as websites, mobile apps, online services, and self-service terminals, purchased with taxpayers’ money, make persons with disabilities feel like second class citizens.
The European Disability Forum (EDF), has joined forces with the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ICT) and Microsoft to start a campaign to raise awareness among policymakers, public procurers and disability organizations about the importance of accessible ICT in public procurement.