Circular No. 26/2020/TT-BTTTT application of standards and technology assisting persons with disabilities

CIRCULAR

On the application of standards and technologies to assist people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services ^[1]

Pursuant to the June 29, 2006 Law on Standards and Technical Regulations;

Pursuant to the June 29, 2006 Law on Information Technology;

Pursuant to the June 17, 2010 Law on Persons with Disabilities;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 64/2007/ND-CP of April 10, 2007, on the application of information technology in activities of state agencies;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 17/2017/ND-CP of February 17, 2017, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

In furtherance of the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 753/QD-TTg of June 3, 2020, promulgating the Plan on implementation of the XII^th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat’s Directive No. 39-CT/TW of November 1, 2019, on enhancement of the Party’s leadership toward affairs related to persons with disabilities;

At the proposal of the Director of the Science and Technology Department,

The Minister of Information and Communications promulgates the Circular on the application of standards and technologies to assist people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services.

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular provides for the application of standards and technologies to assist people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services.

Article 2. Subjects of application

This Circular applies to:

1. Producers and distributors of information and communications products and services, including hardware, software and digital information contents.

2. State agencies, including ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies, People’s Committees at all levels, and non-business units using the state budget for designing and developing their websites/portals/public service portals;

3. Press agencies licensed to carry out radio and television broadcasting activities; and press agencies having websites/electronic newspapers.

4. Public service and public administrative service providers.

Article 3. List of standards

1. Standards on assistance for people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services are in two groups of those for compulsory application and those for recommended application. The group of application of each standard is specified in the Appendix to this Circular.

2. Organizations and enterprises are encouraged to apply new-version standards on assistance for people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services.

3. The list of standards on assistance for people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services shall be periodically revised and updated to suit practical conditions.

Article 4. Regulations applicable to press agencies licensed to carry out radio and television broadcasting activities

1. Press agencies licensed to carry out radio and television broadcasting activities that provide television broadcasting channels serving the nation’s essential political and information and communications tasks shall apply standards and technologies to assist people with hearing impairments in accessing daily general political news programs on their channels.

2. Press agencies licensed to carry out radio and television broadcasting activities of provinces and centrally run cities to apply standards and technologies to assist people with hearing impairments.

Article 5. Regulations applicable to websites/portals/public service portals

1. Websites/portals/public service portals of agencies and organizations specified in Clauses 2 and 3, Article 2 of this Circular shall apply standards and technologies to assist people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services specified in the Appendix to this Circular.

2. Other organizations and individuals are encouraged to apply to their websites/portals/public service portals standards and technologies to assist people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications products and services specified in the Appendix to this Circular.

Article 6. Implementation provisions

1. This Circular takes effect on January 1, 2021, and replaces the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Circular No. 28/2009/TT-BTTTT of September 14, 2009, on the application of standards and technologies to assist people with disabilities in accessing and using information and communications technologies.

2. In case an agency or organization specified in Clauses 2, 3 and 4, Article 2 of this Circular has not yet updated its website/portal/public service portal to comply with the regulations in the Appendix to this Circular, it shall apply, update and improve such website/portal/public service portal within 12 months from the effective date of this Circular to ensure compliance with this Circular.

Article 7. Organization of implementation

1. The Chief of the Office, the Director of the Science and Technology Department, heads of agencies and units of the Ministry of Information and Communications, directors of provincial-level Information and Communications Departments, and related organizations and individuals shall implement this Circular.

2. Any problems arising in the course of implementation of this Circular should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Information and Communications (the Science and Technology Department) for consideration and settlement.-

Minister of Information and Communications
NGUYEN MANH HUNG

* The Appendix to this Circular is not translated.