Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-06-13-Speech-4-042"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2002-06-13"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:eEurope 2002: Accessibility of Public Web Sites and their Content2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20020613.3.4-042"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2002-06-13-Speech-4-0432
lpv:speaker	lp:Malcolm Harbour2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, I should like to thank Mr Belder for his outstanding work on this report. It is an extremely comprehensive document that involved a lot of research. The task of the shadow rapporteurs has been relatively easy because we have agreed with a lot of the content and we have been looking for ways to further improve the direction of his text. I want to pick up a few specific points in relation to issues that he has kindly incorporated in the final report. Firstly, it is correct to emphasise, as he has done, the remarkable opportunities offered to disabled people in society. The digital revolution will improve the quality of their lives and access to services. That is something we need to try to exploit together in the most effective way possible. Those of us who have sat with someone who is partially sighted and seen them use a website realise that there should be better design, and it would not cost anything. It is a question of education, training and best practice. That is something the Commission is working on, but we need to emphasise it. It is something where public authorities can demonstrate best practice and set a lead for others. As an integral part of that, it is crucial to ensure that we have the instruments in place to benchmark and give access ratings to websites, because public comparison and encouragement of best practice will stimulate everybody to move forward. That is something the Commission is also working on, but we are right to emphasise that in our report. That, of course, links in to the question of commercial services. The users' groups I have talked to – in the United Kingdom in particular – have emphasised the importance of encouraging commercial operators and commercial providers of services to make their websites user-friendly for disabled people. Those crucial commercial services – such as banks, home-shopping services, access to transport – being able to order transport and look at timetables – need to be made accessible to disabled users. They will really help them engage with this new revolution. Having those benchmarks and star ratings will encourage commercial firms to pick them up and to make their websites more accessible which will really deliver the sorts of benefits we are looking for. I am keen to encourage both of those aspects, but overall this report is extremely worthwhile. We will not support all the amendments on this side, but that is more an aspect of detail. The overall thrust of this report is very commendable and I encourage the House to give it its full support."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member_of_the_bureau; EPP-ED (2002-03-08--2003-01-09)3 substitute; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with Japan (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Harbour (PPE-DE )."1

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