Study on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of telecommunications and postal operators
14 December 2018
The purpose of the study was to assess the state of adaptation of websites, mobile websites and applications of telecommunications and postal undertakings for the needs of people who are at risk of social exclusion.
This applies to both elderly and disabled people. It is essential that they are able to navigate freely in the digital space, which will allow them to be independent and participate in the social and economic life of the country, local community, school or workplace.
Poland is currently the most rapidly ageing country in the European Union. The population of people over 65 constitutes 16% of the country's population. In 2024 it will reach the level of 23% and in 2025 - 33%. About 5 million disabled people living ukw
in Poland are exposed to the risk of social exclusion - that is almost 12% of the population. Among them there are about 1.8 million people with sight disabilities. The number of people with hearing disabilities is estimated to be about one million. Disability also includes intellectual limitations, mental illnesses or multiple disabilities (two or more types of limitations).
Accessibility is understood as the property of the environment (physical space, digital reality, information and communication systems, products, services), which allows people with functional limitations (physical and cognitive) to use it on an equal basis with others. Digital space is one of the few areas that has a specific and unified accessibility standard - WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). It is a set of rules that should be followed by the designer of a website in order to prepare it for as many users as possible. An accessible website is one that allows for universal, convenient and intuitive use of its resources.
The President of the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), supervising the telecommunications and postal market, conducts a study on the accessibility of websites for people with disabilities. The annual study of the websites is included in the Strategic lines of actions of the President of UKE for 2017-2021.
The study reports in Polish are available here.