The European Commission has adopted the European Media Freedom Act. The proposed Regulation includes safeguards against political interference, independence, and stable funding of public service media, transparency of media ownership, allocation of state advertising in editorial decisions, and against surveillance. It also sets out measures to protect the independence of editors and disclose conflicts of interest. The Act will address the issue of media concentrations and create a new independent European Board for Media Services, comprised of national media authorities.
Ms. Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, said: ‘We have seen over the past years various forms of pressure on the media. It is high time to act. We need to establish clear principles: no journalist should be spied on because of their job; no public media should be turned into a propaganda channel. This is what we are proposing today for the first time ever: common safeguards to protect media freedom and pluralism in the EU’. The Commission also adopted a complementary Recommendation to encourage internal safeguards for editorial independence.
The President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Mr. Yaw Acheampong Boafo while addressing the 2022 Bar conference in Ho, Ghana, reminded the participants that freedom of expression as guaranteed and protected under the 1992 Constitution is not absolute.
He explained that ‘the constitution attaches a corresponding and even a greater deal of responsibility and circumspection to freedom of expression, hence the media and for that matter Ghanaians should not hide behind such a right to violate the legal interests and rights of other citizens and of society or the national interest or public order’.
Article 12 (2) of the 1992 Constitution states that; ‘Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this chapter but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest’.
Attorney General Merrick Garland through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) received a letter from thirty-two House Democrats, to request the department address digital accessibilityissues by making regulations and other administrative actions well known. In the letter, the Democrats addressed the recent DOJ’s issuance of guidance; the March 2022 Guidance on Web Accessibility, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is noted that while the DOJ issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 2010 to increase clarity in ADA regulations, the notice was withdrawn in 2017 by the Trump administration and a proposed rule was never issued. While the DOJ has stated that the Americans with Disabilities Act does apply to digital spaces like websites, there is currently a lack of specific requirements or compliance standards in regulation. The Democrats behind the letter believe DOJ needs to take further steps to improve website accessibility. The letter states that access to digital services for persons with disabilities ‘is not simply a luxury or convenience, but a necessity’.
Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi has called for regulations to be introduced for a more inclusive financial system that would include Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and allow them to perform banking transactions. Adiba Radzi, said in a statement that shifting to online and mobile channels could help to improve financial accessibility for PwDs for example by removing the need to visit a physical location.
‘Most banking industries do not provide sufficient digital accessibility to PwDs and fail to meet the standards of Web Content Accessibility. I urge the government to introduce and implement Inclusive Financial Policy: Web Content Accessibility to tackle issues that occur among the PwD community’, she said ‘this includes building infrastructure and banking services that are disabled-friendly for customers with physical, mental, sensory, intellectual, and multiple disabilities’.
‘Disability issues are a cross-cutting issue that needs to be handled in a comprehensive and multi-sectoral manner. It takes a strong commitment from various parties to realise financial inclusion in Malaysia. To improve, we need to be willing and able to measure ourselves and see where we are falling short. Many organisations are working to improve diversity and inclusion in many sectors. We need the Finance Ministry’s help to solve the myriad challenges facing us today and tomorrow’, she said.
After the National Communications Commission (NCC) announced the postponement of the fourth and final public hearing of the digital intermediary service bill draft, in the month of August, the Vice Chairperson and spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said there was ‘no timeline for reintroducing a draft bill to regulate the content of online platforms’ adding that the agency was back to square one following a public outcry over its original proposal. He said that ‘the commission would review and further research some of the controversies that have been raised in the proposed bill and would focus more on platform accountability and user protection among other issues’.
The federal Office of Science and Technology Policy has issued guidance on making federally supported research and publications available to all without embargo or cost. This announcement about open access has the potential to remove information barriers that have long held back social and scientific progress. However, issues regarding access to information for persons with disabilities must be considered as this policy takes shape. For example, a researcher who has a visual disability is disadvantaged when the data and peer-reviewed publications are not available in an accessible format. Scientific information is not limited to downloading journals and databases. Accessing research data can mean using online software, interactive websites or maps, and attending webinars or conferences. When researchers, policymakers, advocates, etc who have disabilities are not able to access information fully, their research knowledge, participation, and inclusion are limited.
During the opening of the High-level discussion co-hosted by the Office of the President of the Human Rights Council, Ms Nada Al-Nashif, Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights said, ‘we have the opportunity today, once again, to collectively underline that freedom of expression is essential for any society to realise its people’s fullest potential and aspirations. It is a necessary condition for the realization of the principles of transparency and accountability that are, in turn, the key to the promotion and protection of human rights. Freedom of expression is also the basis for the full enjoyment of a wide range of other rights, such as the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, the freedom of peaceful assembly, and the right to vote. Yet, freedom of expression nowadays faces increasing limitations, both legal and practical, both in countries with restricted civic space as well as in those with longer histories of active public debate and exchange. Some of these limitations involve generalised assertions of what may be a legitimate objective — typically national security or public order — but without the barest demonstration of legality, necessity or proportionality, as required by international human rights standards’.
In promulgating the national digital access policy, the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MoTCIT) issued an official communication to all the government departments and public and private firms to ensure that people with disabilities and the elderly get fair living opportunities and have free access to services made available via digital platforms. In the circular, the ministry emphasized that persons with disabilities and the elderly should have easy access to transfer digital services propagated on electronic sites, applications, and mobile phones. The public and private establishments concerned are also required to upgrade their websites on par with global digital access criteria. The National Digital Access Policy in the Sultanate of Oman offers electronic access to all segments and individuals of society to enable them to benefit from all opportunities on ICT platforms.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has updated its online content and has made it accessible to those who have disabilities. The content has also been posted on the Gospel Library app in the Life Help section, including materials for individuals, parents, and caregivers of those with disabilities. All the Church materials including the scriptures are available in the following accessible formats: American Sign Language, Audio, Closed Captions, DAISY format, Materials on talking book cartridges, Victor Reader Stream Files, and Web Braille.
Rwanda is set to have its first digital census for persons with disability. The traditional data collection with pen and paper has proven futile to have a national database of disabilities, their causes, and the challenges that those with disabilities face. After the exercise, the government is set to roll out a Disability Management Information System (DMIS), which will also facilitate researchers in the disability sector. According to the National Council of Persons with Disability, data on disabilities in Rwanda is collected occasionally, however, there is a gap in nationwide reliable, disaggregated data, which makes it difficult for evidence-based planning and advocacy of inclusive policies. The census will cost $1 million (over Rwf1 billion), and 60 percent of it will be spent on data collection.
