Disability and Information Technology: A Comparative Study in Media Regulation

Disability and Information Technology examines the extent to which regulatory frameworks for information and communication technologies (ICTs) safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities as citizenship rights. The book adopts a comparative approach focused on four case studies: Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The discussion focuses on the tension between social and economic values in the regulation of ICTs and calls for a regulatory approach based on a framework of principles that reflects citizenship values such as equality and dignity. The analysis identifies common challenges encountered in the jurisdictions examined and points toward the rights-based approach advanced by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a benchmark in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities to have equal access to information. The research draws on a wealth of resources, including legislation, cases, interviews conducted at organisations representing persons with disabilities, consultation documents and responses from organisations representing persons with disabilities.