Transcript IST

Information Society Technologies (IST)
The e-Europe initiative and the IST programme
Lisboa, 10 April 2000
Manuel Monteiro, “Applications for People with Special Needs” Unit
DG Information Society, European Commission
The EU Summit on Employment,
Economic Reforms and Social Cohesion
“The application of digital technologies has
become the key factor for growth and
employment…”
“…the e-Europe initiative seeks, at the highest
level, to have immediate and significant impact
to accelerate the smooth transition to the
Information Society”
2
e-Europe: 3 Key objectives
First, we must bring every home, every school, every business
and every administration on-line.
Second, we need to create a digitally-literate Europe, which
benefits from the support of an entrepreneurial culture, ready
to develop and finance new ideas.
Third, we must ensure that the transition to the digital age is
a socially inclusive process – that it builds consumer trust
and strengthens social cohesion.
3
e-Europe:
A vision of the Information Society for All
An open, inclusive Information Society, accessible to all citizens
without discrimination. Based on...
e-Participation for citizens of all ages and abilities.
e-Empowerment - enabling all citizens to have access to
information, enhance their capacities and contribute to society.
…opening up new markets, stimulating industry, creating wealth
and improved quality of life.
- to be driven by Information Society Technologies
4
e-Participation
The access bottlenecks must be removed!
1. Telecommunications - “Universal Access”
- Access to technologies is unevenly distributed
across countries, social groups, regions…
2. “Access for persons with disabilities”
- access to systems, software and content can be
difficult or even impossible for persons with
disabilities...
Reduced access is holding back the delivery of
the benefits of the Information Society to all.
5
3 out of 4 Europeans are not using the Internet!
800
700
Internet users per 1,000 people
North America
600
Western
Europe
500
400
300
200
Worldwide
100
0
1995
1998
2000
2005
Source: Computer Industry Almanac Inc.
6
55% of Europeans don’t have a mobile phone!
Mobile subscribers per 100 inhabitants
(December 1999)
70
60
50
40
EU average
30
20
10
0
B
DK
Source:
D
EL
E
F
IRL
I
L
NL
A
FT Mobile Communications
USA: Cellular Telecoms Industry Association
P
FIN
S
UK
USA
7
e-Participation
Demographics of disability:
10% - 15% of Europeans have a disability, of which:
2 % have a visual impairment
3% have a hearing impairment
over 2% have learning difficulties
 20% of the European population are over 60 years
of age – many of whom have never tried to use a
personal computer.
8
“e-Participation” targets
By the end of 2000:
1. Review Information Society legislation and standards on
accessibility.
2. Recommendation to take account of people with
disabilities in the public procurement of information and
communications products and services.
By the end of 2001:
3. Commitment to make all public Web sites and their
content accessible to people with disabilities.
By the end of 2002:
4. Create centres of excellence in each Member State to
develop an EU curriculum in Design-for-All.
9
IST Programme: organisation
Key Action 1
Systems & services
for the citizen
Key Action 2
Key Action 3
New methods of work &
Electronic Commerce
Multimedia
content & tools
Cross Programme Actions
Key Action 4
Essential technologies & infrastructure
Research networking
Future & emerging technologies
10
IST Programme
IST High-Level Advisory Group (ISTAG):
”...Start creating the ambient intelligence landscape for
seamless delivery of services and applications in
Europe relying also upon test-beds and open source
software, develop user-friendliness, and develop and
converge the networking infrastructure in Europe to
world-class".
11
IST Programme: a new research paradigm
Ambient intelligence =
ubiquitous computing
+ ubiquitous communication
+ intelligent interfaces
which will allow…
...The realisation of innovative, user-friendly,
intelligent and communicating products and systems,
delivering leading- edge services to persons with
special needs, including disabled and elderly people.
12
IST Programme
Research and technological development in
association with users and industry shall be a
key driver of development towards the inclusive
Information Society and shall provide support to
the e-Europe initiative with projects and actions
related to the 4 targets for “e-Participation of
persons with special needs”.
13
IST Programme… and earlier programmes
We are not starting from Zero:
Since 1990, the European Community has funded
over 120 projects with 120 MEURO of Community
funding to develop assistive technology and
telematics applications for disabled and elderly
persons.
 TIDE initiative - Telematics for the Integration of
Disabled and Elderly persons
 TAP - Telematics Applications Programme
14
IST Programme… and earlier programmes
Making Information and Communication
technologies accessible.
Examples of previous RTD projects:
 Graphic User Interface for blind persons (GUIB).
 Standardisation of “Smart Cards” (SATURN).
 Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines for the design
of accessible web pages and web content (WAI).
 “Design-for-All” RTD projects, Telephones for All.
15
IST Programme
Examples of RTD themes in the IST
Workprogrammes 1999 - 2000:
 IST Systems and services for independent living
 Intelligent assistive systems and interfaces to
compensate for functional impairments
 Sustainable workplace design
 Extended home environments (Cross Programme
Action)
 Advanced user interfaces, displays and sensors
16
e-Europe and the IST Programme
References on the Web
e-Europe Initiative goes on-line
http://europa.eu.int/comm/information_society/eeurope
/index_en.htm
and
The Information Society Technologies programme
http://www.cordis.lu/ist
17