European Centre for Accessible Media
ECAM
The European Centre for Accessible Media (ECAM) is being created to act as a focal point for all organistions which are interested in meeting the information access requirements of disabled people. There are five reasons why organisations should meet this need:
- Human rights. It is increasingly recognsied that all people have the right to information in the public domain and this right is being reinforced by national access legislation
- Market share. Disabled people form a significant segment of the population; many of them have substantial private disposable income and many receive public sector and philanthropic financial support
- Fiscal. In many countries state broadcasting is paid for by citizens
- Alignment to Mission. Where a body is estblished to serve all citizens it has an implicit accessibility requirement.
- Moral. Even where the other three grounds are weak, Corporate Social Responsibility considerations should recognise the moral right of all people to information.
Organisations that are committed to meeting the information needs of disabled people need a focal point to help them. ECAM will promote effective accessibility in the context of convergence by:
- Establishing common standards within and across platforms and national borders
- Providing advice on compliance
- Reducing duplication
- Reducing compliance costs
- Incubating accessiblity services until they are robust
- Advising on new technologies and forward compliance.
- Providing impartial quality marking and training course accreditation
- Publishing and collating research
- Acting as a single voice for Europe
The first major test for ECAM will be the witchover from analogue to digital television. The target date for analogue switchoff in the Euorpean Union is 2012 and so by then accessibility to digital television must be guaranteed to all disabled people. Currently there is not an EU-wide approach to accessibility to digital television and the electronic programme guides which provide access to channel. It is only through a common approach that it will be possible to create a viable market in television access ability devices. On this basis switchover will be ECAM’s first major priority.