Government of the Republic of Serbia
The report “Study on the assessment of digital accessibility policies in the Republic of Serbia” was produced as support for the Government of the Republic of Serbia under the Regional Initiative for Europe by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) “Accessibility, affordability and skills development for all to ensure digital inclusion and sustainable development”.
The main purpose of the report is to provide an overview of the state of accessibility of ICT and digital inclusion in Serbia, along with an analysis of strategies and policies in this field, as well as how technological progress can contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy, and the Accessible Europe initiative. The report will represent the basis for developing future national initiatives aimed at ICT accessibility, as a means for progress and improvement of digital inclusion in the country.
The report also covers a set of good practices and recommendations for national policy creators and stakeholders on how to ensure the prospect of inclusion is an integral part of key areas such as, inter alia, e-government, education, employment, and emergency communication. Furthermore, the report provides general recommendations for creating an ICT accessibility policy framework, and recommendations for the promotion of accessible information and communication technologies and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
This document reviews the overall situation in digital inclusion and accessibility of ICT in Serbia, providing an overview of current social, legislative and institutional frameworks and policies, as well as implemented programmes. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more evident that ICT needs to be accessible, and achieving this goal requires states to include a consideration in their laws, policies, regulations, strategies and standards of ICT accessibility as a key factor guaranteeing equal and equitable access to public information and services.
Consultative meetings were organised with institutions and organisations of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Serbia during the drafting of the report. The presentation of the report was held on 1 June 2021, organised by the Office of the Prime Minister and International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
The drafting of the Serbian-language version was made possible through funds from the project “Support for the Improvement of Social Inclusion in the Republic of Serbia”, implemented by the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit of the Government of the Republic of Serbia with support by the Swiss Confederation.
The report “Study on the assessment of digital accessibility policies in the Republic of Serbia is available in the Serbian and English language.
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