Maldives

User Guide

The Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation Index is designed to assist in-country advocates, governments and other stakeholders assess the progress of their countries in comparison to international benchmarks.

• DARE Index Score represents the total points measuring the progress of the country in commitments, capacity to implement and actual outcomes for persons with disabilities.
• Global Ranking is the ranking of the country out of 137 countries surveyed based on their DARE Index Score.

To facilitate benchmarking with relevant comparable countries, two peer group rankings are posted:

• Regional Ranking is the ranking of the country among surveyed countries of the same region, based on their DARE Index Score.
• Peer Economic Development Group Ranking is the ranking of the country among peer countries by income per capita, based on their DARE Index Score.

To facilitate benchmarking for outcomes, one ranking is offered:

• Implementation Ranking is the global ranking of the country based on outcomes only (third leg of the Index measuring progress in ten essential areas of ICT accessibility and assistive technologies).

By comparing a country performance with benchmarks, and analyzing gaps in scores, advocates, governments and other stakeholders may be in a better position to identify areas of opportunities and priorities to adjust their legislative, regulatory and policy framework; enhance their capacity to implement or focus on improving specific areas of outcomes. Feedback and suggestions to contribute additional information about country developments, data adjustments or country references of interest are welcome and will be incorporated in G3ict’s work for future updates of the DARE Index and can be sent via email at: [email protected]

Definitions

• Marrakesh Treaty Ratification/Accession: The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted on June 27, 2013 in Marrakesh, Morocco, and it forms part of the body of international copyright treaties administered by WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization. It has a clear humanitarian and social development dimension and its main goal is to create a set of mandatory limitations and exceptions for the benefit of the blind, visually impaired, and otherwise print disabled (VIPs).

• Reasonable Accommodation: Under Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), “ ….'Reasonable Accommodation' means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Additional dispositions affirming and detailing several areas of applicability of the notion of ‘Reasonable Accommodation,’ which relate directly to ICT Accessibility and Assistive Technologies are included in the following articles: Art. 2.3; Art.5; Art.14 (Liberty and Security of the Person); Art. 24 (Education); Art. 27 (Work and Employment).

• Universal Service Obligation (USO) is a legislation adopted by most countries to equalize telecommunications services opportunities among all citizens. While historically USOs targeted rural populations, an increasing number of countries designate Persons with Disabilities as an underserved segment of the population. The main benefit of such designation is that it supports a funding mechanism (generally named as Universal Service Fund) based on recurring revenues generated by a tax on telecommunications services collected by operators. This provides a predictable source of funding, independent of annual governments budget cycles, to support services such as relay services or other ongoing accessibility services.

References

• Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) Ratification and Signatories
• Disability at a Glance Report 2019
• Human Development Report 2019
• International Telecommunication Union ICT Development Index 2017
• Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO-Administered Treaties)
• The World Bank Indicators
• The World Bank Country Classification
• UNDESA/Development Policy and Analysis Division (DPAD) Country Classification
• UN Human Development Ranking

User Guide

The Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation Index is designed to assist in-country advocates, governments and other stakeholders assess the progress of their countries in comparison to international benchmarks.

• DARE Index Score represents the total points measuring the progress of the country in commitments, capacity to implement and actual outcomes for persons with disabilities.
• Global Ranking is the ranking of the country out of 121 countries surveyed based on their DARE Index Score.

To facilitate benchmarking with relevant comparable countries, two peer group rankings are posted:

• Regional Ranking is the ranking of the country among surveyed countries of the same region, based on their DARE Index Score.
• Peer Economic Development Group Ranking is the ranking of the country among peer countries by income per capita, based on their DARE Index Score.

To facilitate benchmarking for outcomes, one ranking is offered:

• Implementation Ranking is the global ranking of the country based on outcomes only (third leg of the Index measuring progress in ten essential areas of ICT accessibility and assistive technologies).

By comparing a country performance with benchmarks, and analyzing gaps in scores, advocates, governments and other stakeholders may be in a better position to identify areas of opportunities and priorities to adjust their legislative, regulatory and policy framework; enhance their capacity to implement or focus on improving specific areas of outcomes. Feedback and suggestions to contribute additional information about country developments, data adjustments or country references of interest are welcome and will be incorporated in G3ict’s work for future updates of the DARE Index and can be sent via email at: [email protected]

References

• Human Development Report 2016
• International Telecommunication Union ICT Development Index 2017
• The World Bank
• UN Human Development Ranking
• Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) Ratification and Signatories
• The World Bank Country Classification
• UNDESA/Development Policy and Analysis Division (DPAD) Country Classification