September 4, 2024 Inviting Candidate Devices and Services for "Information Accessibility Good Practices 2024"

 The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has decided to invite ICT devices and services with good information accessibility as candidates for "Information Accessibility Good Practices 2024" for promoting the dissemination of accessible ICT devices and services.

1. Background and outline

 It is becoming increasingly important to ensure information accessibility of ICT devices and services to realize a society where everyone can enjoy the convenience of digital utilization and live a fulfilling life.
 To ensure information accessibility, it is important for companies and public institutions to understand the necessity and consider ways to ensure information accessibility at the development, production and procurement stages of ICT devices and services.
 In light of the above background, the MIC will call for ICT devices and services with good information accessibility as candidates for "Information Accessibility Good Practices 2024" for promoting the dissemination of accessible ICT devices and services.

2. Application period

 Wednesday, September 4, 2024 to Friday, November 8, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.

3. Target products

 The ICT devices and services that meet all of the following criteria ((1) to (3)):

• 1.
  The ICT devices and services that take information accessibility into consideration.
• 2.

  The ICT devices and services that meet criteria (1) above, are developed, manufactured and sold by the same companies as their own products (including the company’s own final products that incorporate other companies’ technologies, parts or software, etc.), and fall under any of the following:

  • a.
    Personal computers (products subject to JIS X 8341-2)
  • b.
    Website content and computer applications (products subject to JIS X 8341-3/WCAG 2.1)
  • c.
    Telecommunications equipment (products subject to JIS X 8341-4*)
  • d.
    Office equipment (products subject to JIS X 8341-5)
  • e.
    Interaction software (products subject to JIS X 8341-6)

  
  

  • *
    Telecommunications equipment refers to "the equipment that is directly operated by a user of telecommunications services in telecommunications facilities." Note that new conceptual products and product groups that do not fall under the category of conventional telecommunications equipment may fall under (c) if they have functions that are included in conventional telecommunications equipment.
• 3.
  The ICT devices or services that are sold to or provided for businesses or consumers at the time of application.

4. Review criteria

　The ICT devices and services applied to the "Information Accessibility Good Practices 2024" will be examined at a review committee consisting of academic experts, industry groups and organizations for persons with disabilities primarily based on the following criteria:
(Examination items)

1. Correspondence to information accessibility:

• (i)
  Are the ICT devices and services designed to be easy to use for the elderly and persons with disabilities, etc. according to their own state and level of disability?
• (ii)
  Can the elderly and persons with disabilities, etc. achieve an accessible environment by using the ICT devices and services in question? (For example, making it easier for them to move around on their own, and keep track of a conversation.)
• (iii)
  When providing the ICT devices and services, are there any efforts being made to explain how to use them to the elderly and handicapped persons with disabilities, etc., in manuals or on a website, etc., and respond to inquiries by telephone, email or online chat, etc.?

2. Development based on the needs of particular users:

 When the relevant ICT devices and services are developed, have the opinions of the elderly and persons with disabilities, etc., their supporters, and experts who understand the circumstances of those users been taken into consideration?

3. Corporate initiatives:

 Is the company taking steps to address information accessibility? (Examples include formulating company-wide rules regarding information accessibility during development, or forming an information accessibility team, etc.)

5. Publication of review results

 The review results are scheduled to be announced around March 2025.