There have been minor overall improvements in accessibility between 2010 and 2011, recorded as an increase of one point (from 42 to 43 per cent) in the average level of accessibility of the countries analysed. This improvement is due to the global results of the EU countries studied (whose average score rose from 40 to 41 per cent), while the non-EU, as an average, maintain the same score as for the previous year.
In the case of the EU countries, the most important improvements were recorded in Ireland and the UK, while Australia, a non-EU reference country, also showed improvements. Minor improvements were also recorded in the Czech Republic, Germany and Spain. Together with the general trend of improvement, there has also been a slight reversal in the global level of accessibility recorded in Denmark, France, Hungary, Canada and Norway.
Figure . eAccessibility status, by countries, 2010-2011
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Improvements in the level of accessibility can be observed in all the technologies analysed, with the exceptions of Internet, where a significant reversal was recorded (basically due to a change in the selection criteria for the websites analysed), television and public procurement, where no significant variations were recorded. The most important improvements were observed in computers, home environment and urban environment.
The trends are basically similar in all the EU countries analysed as a whole, and in the four non-EU reference countries, although in the latter case, contrary to what has happened in the EU countries, there has been a slight reversal in the level of accessibility in assistive technologies.
Figure . eAccessibility status, by technologies, 2010-2011. All countries
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Figure . eAccessibility status, by technologies, 2010-2011. EU countries
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Figure . eAccessibility status, by technologies, 2010-2011. Non EU countries
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Telephony
The level of accessibility in telephony improved slightly between 2010 and 2011, mainly due to advances recorded in Ireland, Spain, Germany, and the Czech Republic, in the case of EU countries, as well as in the USA.
In principle, the telephony accessibility level presented the similar figures or just some of limited level variations.
Figure . Telephony accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Internet
Due to certain changes in the selection criteria for the sample of websites analysed and which were introduced at the requirement of the European Commission, the level of Internet accessibility recorded quite a serious reversal, but which does not necessarily correspond to an actual deterioration in website accessibility.
In 2010 the websites analysed only looked at the reality of the top tier of each country's political and administrative structure (central government) and they were the websites of: National government, National parliament and National ministries of social affairs, health, education and employment/labour. However, in 2011, with the aim of providing a step in the approach to state government web accessibility in Europe, we analysed a larger and more representative sample, which included, besides the main websites of central government and those of local regional governments (as appropriate to the territorial organisation of each state) and government electronically-delivered services. We increased the number of websites analysed in each country from 6 to 8, as follows: two central government websites, two regional government websites, two local government sites, two websites for access to public eGovernment services.
Figure . Internet accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011. Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
The sharpest falls in the levels of Internet accessibility were recorded in Denmark, Canada, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands and Norway. Spain, Australia and Italy, however, recorded higher levels in 2011 than in 2010.
Computers
The overall level of accessibility of computers increased between 2010 and 2011, both for the EU countries taken as a whole, and for the non-EU reference countries, although the rise was not uniform in all cases. The greatest increases were recorded in Germany, the UK, Australia and Ireland, while there were slight decreases in Spain and Greece.
Figure . Computers accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Television
The level of accessibility for television hardly varied, in global terms, between 2010 and 2011. However, in some countries, such as Ireland, Spain, Australia, UK, Germany and the Czech Republic, there were improvements which were offset by the reversals in others, such as Greece, the Netherlands, France and Denmark.
Figure . Television accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Home environment
The overall increase in the level of accessibility for the home environment is due to the improvements observed in Ireland, UK and Australia. A slight fall was observed in Italy, while in the remaining countries there were no changes in the situation between 2010 and 2011.
Figure . Home environment accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Urban environment
The overall improvement also observed in the case of the urban environment between 2010 and 2011 is due to sharp increases in some countries, of which the Czech Republic, Ireland and Sweden are the most noteworthy. Values stayed the same or increased only very slightly in the remaining countries.
Figure . Urban environment accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Educational environment
Although the overall level of accessibility in the educational environment increased only slightly, some countries, such as the UK, and to lesser degree, Greece and Australia, recorded more significant increases which offset the deterioration observed in Hungary and Italy. In the remaining countries, there were few changes in the level of accessibility to the educational environment.
Figure . Educational environment accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Assistive Technologies
The level of accessibility to the assistive technologies varied little in global terms between 2010 and 2011. However, some countries, such as the UK, and to a lesser degree, Italy and Ireland, recorded increases in this field, while others, such as the Czech Republic, France and Hungary registered falls. In the remaining countries, changes in the level of accessibility to assistive technologies were minor.
Figure . Assistive Technologies accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages
Public procurement
The level of accessibility in public procurement has remained constant in all countries, except in Germany, where there was a quite a significant decrease.
Figure . Public procurement accessibility status, by country, 2010-2011.
Source: Own Elaboration Unit: Percentages