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IMPROVING DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY WILL DEMOCRATISE TECHNOLOGY IN 2023 AND BEYOND.

It is not only the devices that provide access – it is also the individuals. The internet’s infrastructure has enabled populations to connect and communicate in unprecedented ways, becoming a platform for exploration, experimentation and sharing. This democratised version of the internet has evolved over time – from the static, linear structure of Web 1.0 to the dynamic, social-media dominated Web 2.0, and the futuristic, interactive Web 3.0. Simultaneously, access to the internet has broadened considerably.”

Public space has evolved alongside the digitisation of our world. The ‘modern’ internet has thus become a public space – one that can be used and shared by all. Its infrastructure provides a platform to create, to communicate and to cooperate.

In 2007, Cyril Houlier, a sociologist at the Centre de Recherches Economiques et Statistiques (CES) in Paris, coined the term ‘digital divide’ to describe the socioeconomic gap between those who can access and use digital technologies as opposed to those who cannot. The internet has not always been widely available – in fact it was not until the 1990s that the widespread use of the internet intruded into the lives of most advanced societies and economies. Since then, this hybrid social structure has utterly transformed interactions and communications.

The key to increasing digital accessibility is to empower everyone to access the internet. This means providing access via many different devices such as smartphones and wearables, tablets, laptops and desktops. It also means offering affordable internet speeds – with no data limits. Finally, it means strengthening existing infrastructure – by investing in government run internet hubs to ensure that everyone has easy access at home or work wherever they are in the world. The benefits of this model would be further maximised if it were implemented across all countries so that there is no digital ‘digital divide’ between rich and poor nations.

Statisca estimates that while approximately 14 million people used the internet in 1993, this figure is now closer to 5.03 billion. In theory, the internet has become democratised, and as a result, products, services, and digital assets are now available to everyone around the world. In practice, however, we know that this is not the case. True internet and technology democratisation remains an aspiration. Today, there is a caveat to the perception of technology as the greatest enabler. Despite its widespread and global use, the internet and its technologies are far from democratic. Many people simply do not have access to the internet or its resources. This is especially true for people with disabilities, who constitute the world’s largest single minority group.

Many people have been able to grow their  business remotely, use digital public services, communicate with colleagues, and purchase products online with ease thanks to technology.Legislation has been proposed at the EU and international levels to ensure that websites, digital assets, and experiences are accessible to all, putting technology democratisation on a firm legal footing. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates that public and private sector websites be fully digitally accessible by June 2025.This mandate now applies to all EU Member States, including digital services/products sold in the EU (regardless of where they are based). So far, three Member States – Estonia, Italy, and Denmark – have transposed this into national law, with more expected to follow.

To put this in perspective; companies across Europe have less than three years to ensure that their websites are digitally accessible and can be used by a person living with a disability. Far from a daunting prospect, at IA Labs, we maintain that this legislative mandate is an opportunity for businesses to unlock access to a domestic and global market of consumers, who have considerable spending power. Developing an accessible website is inexpensive and time efficient – but the challenge is procuring specialists with the technological expertise and lived experience to build it.

Ireland therefore has a unique status as an international technology hub and as a location for continued investment in the sector. 

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