South Africa
DARE Index
Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation Index
DARE Index Score: 75.5/100
Global Ranking: 4
Regional Ranking: 1
Peer Economic Development Group Ranking: 1
Implementation Ranking: 7
For queries or feedback: index@g3ict.org
- Key Country Facts
Population:
57,779,622 (2018)Age:
3,072,723 persons aged 65 and older (2018)Life expectancy:
63.54 years (2017)Population of Persons with Disabilities identified by Country Census:
3,843,000 (7.7%, 2016)GDP per capita including (4) peer group classification:
6,374 USD per capita (2018)Region:
AfricaHDI-Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP):
113 (2018)Literacy rate:
94.4% (2018)ICT Development Index Ranking (ITU):
92 (2017) - Country Laws and Regulations
Marrakesh Treaty Signing:
N/AMarrakesh Treaty Ratification / Accession: N/A0/2.5
CRPD signing (UN Treaty):
30 March 2007CRPD ratification (UN Treaty): 30 November 2007 2.5/2.5
General Law protecting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Yes5/5
Definition of ICT accessibility: Yes5/5
Definition of Reasonable Accommodation: Yes5/5
Universal Service Obligation includes Persons with Disabilities: Yes5/5
Total Points:22.5/25
- Country Capacity to Implement
Government agency for Persons with Disabilities: Yes5/5
Government agency for accessible ICTs: Yes5/5
Process to involve DPOs in ICT accessibility policy making: Yes5/5
Country refers to international ICT accessibility standards: Yes5/5
ICT accessibility courses available at universities: Yes5/5
Total Points:20/25
- Country Policies and Programs Outcomes by Areas of ICT Accessibility and Level of Implementation
Web: Yes, policy but no implementation1/5
TV and multimedia: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Mobile telephony: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
E-books and digital contents: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Internet Availability and Usage among Persons with Disabilities: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Inclusive ICTs for all in education: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Enabling ICTs for all in employment: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
E-government and Smart Cities for all: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Enabling Assistive Technologies and ICTs for independent living: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Procurement of accessible public goods and services for all citizens: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Total Points:28/50
- DARE Index Score Summary
Country Laws and Regulations: 22.5/25
Country Capacity to Implement: 25/25
Country Policies and Programs Outcomes by Areas of ICT Accessibility and Level of Implementation: 28/50
Total Score: 75.5/100
- Qualitative Data Collected by Variable
- News and Events
- South Africa: South African Sign Language Approved as 12th Official Language
- South Africa: New Company Provides Captioning and Subtitling Services by Persons with Disabilities
- South Africa: Vodacom Launches Phone Series for Greater Accessibility
- South Africa: New 3D Printing Campaign for Children with Visual Impairment
- New Copyright Law Set to Benefit South Africans with Disabilities
- Publications and Reports
No Related Data Found
- User Guide and References
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: index@g3ict.org
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
DARE Index
Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation Index
DARE Index Score: 76/100
Global Ranking: 4
Regional Ranking: 1
Peer Economic Development Group Ranking: 2
Implementation Ranking: 10
For queries or feedback: index@g3ict.org
- Key Country Facts
Population:
54.5 million (2015)
Age:
2.7 million aged 65 and older
Life expectancy:
57.7 years (2015)
Population of Persons with Disabilities identified by Country Census:
3,879,750 (2011) or 7,5% of the country's total population (Benchmark Percentage of World Population with Disabilities 15%)
GDP per capita including (4) peer group classification:
12,390 USD per capita
Region:
Africa
HDI-Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP):
119 (2015)
Literacy rate:
94.3% (2015)
ICT Development Index Ranking (ITU):
88
- Country Laws and Regulations
CRPD signing (UN Treaty):
30 March 2007
CRPD ratification (UN Treaty): 30 November 2007 5/5
General Law protecting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Yes5/5
Definition of ICT accessibility: Yes5/5
Definition of Reasonable Accommodation: Yes5/5
Universal Service Obligation includes Persons with Disabilities: Yes5/5
Total Points:25/25
- Country Capacity to Implement
Government agency for Persons with Disabilities: Yes5/5
Government agency for ICTs: Yes5/5
Process to involve DPOs in ICT accessibility policy making: Yes5/5
Country refers to international ICT accessibility standards: Yes5/5
ICT accessibility courses available at universities: Yes5/5
Total Points:25/25
- Country Policies and Programs Outcomes by Areas of ICT Accessibility and Level of Implementation
Web: Yes, level of implementation 22/5
TV and multimedia: Yes, level of implementation 22/5
Mobile telephony: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
E-books and digital contents: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Promoting the Internet among Persons with Disabilities: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Inclusive ICTs for all in education: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Enabling ICTs for all in employment: Yes, level of implementation 22/5
E-government and Smart Cities for all: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Enabling Assistive Technologies and ICTs for independent living: Yes, level of implementation 33/5
Procurement of accessible public goods and services for all citizens: Yes, level of implementation 22/5
Total Points:26/50
- DARE Index Score Summary
Country Laws and Regulations: 25/25
Country Capacity to Implement: 25/25
Country Policies and Programs Outcomes by Areas of ICT Accessibility and Level of Implementation: 26/50
Total Score: 76/100
- News and Events
- South Africa: South African Sign Language Approved as 12th Official Language
- South Africa: New Company Provides Captioning and Subtitling Services by Persons with Disabilities
- South Africa: Vodacom Launches Phone Series for Greater Accessibility
- South Africa: New 3D Printing Campaign for Children with Visual Impairment
- New Copyright Law Set to Benefit South Africans with Disabilities
- Publications and Reports
No Related Data Found
- Country Organizations Involved in Disability and Accessibility
- User Guide and References
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: index@g3ict.org
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