Title: Web Accessibility Policy Making: An International Perspective
Editor: Nirmita Narasimhan
Pages: 106 pp.
Publisher: G3ict & the Center for Internet and Society, Bangalore
Date (published): 15/02/2010
Date (accessed): 24/02/2010
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
This paper seeks to identify some of the initiatives and best practices which have been adopted by countries around the globe as a first step towards policy formulation for countries. Many of the countries included in the study are developed nations since the aim is to look not merely at a collection of policies in place, but at a wide gamut of regimes where the principle of accessibility has taken shape in different forms, ranging from legislations and policies to directives and ordinances, and observe the efficacy of these forms in their respective national environments. It is hoped that the various frameworks embodying this principle illustrated in this study, would serve as an inspiring example to other developing countries in Asia and neighbouring continents to enact similar legislations and policies and help to build a more inclusive world. The paper explores 15 countries and the European Union as subjects of study. The countries include the United States and Canada from the Americas; the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden in Europe; and Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, Korea and Thailand from the Asia Pacific.
This document contains a detailed report on the initiatives taken by each country and concludes with a brief summary and a set of generic recommendations for policy makers.

Title: Technology for employability in Latin America: Research with at‐risk youth & people with disabilities
Authors: Joyojeet Pal, Jay Freistadt, Michele Frix, and Phil Neff
Pages: 94 pp.
Publisher: Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington
Date (published): 06/11/2009
Date (accessed): 20/11/2009
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Since the early 1990s, there has been an increasing interest in technology training centers to build employability options of socially excluded groups in Latin America. This study examines the recent investment into computer centers providing basic technology training for people with disabilities and at‐risk youth. Using primary research in five countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela, we discuss the ways in which technology training impacts the employability concerns of two populations with diverse needs and histories of social and economic exclusion from formal labor markets. The goal of this report is to provide scholars and policy‐makers an expansive survey of the landscape of issues around technology employability for socially excluded populations. Our findings are broadly divided into three segments. We first examine the environmental factors that impact such projects including the aspirational environment and the discourse of technology. We then discuss the short‐term impacts of these programs including the creation of pathways to employment, community‐building, as well as impacts on selfesteem and stigmatization and the potential of mismatched employment expectations from access to these programs. We finally turn to factors that influence the success of such programs including cost, certification, and accessible technology.