Draft ECOWAS ICT Accessibility Policy (2018) v1 post Burkina Faso and Gambia Workshops Broadcasters, Operators, Service Providers and Distributors who provide remote controls must ensure that all such equipment and software that is procured and made available to the public is compliant with applicable universal design standards. Electronic Programming Guide and other TV control providers must incorporate such features in their EPGs and other TV controls as are appropriate to enable, so far as practicable, people with disabilities affecting their sight or hearing to use the EPGs and other TV controls for the same purposes as people without such disabilities. EPGs are also to provide information about assistance in relation to programmes (e.g. how to navigate radio and television listings, and how to operate television access services such as subtitling, signing and audio description), as well as facilities for making use of that assistance. 7.5.4 Implementation ECOWAS Member States shall ensure that public broadcasters have adequate funding to provide a high quality service to meet the needs of PwD. Funding and education, offered via state funding mechanisms or programs, may be necessary to provide assistance to facilitate access by PWD to broadcasting services. ICT Accessibility requirement should be included in license agreements. Requirements for accessible emergency communications should be defined. 7.6 Public Procurement 7.6.1 Context Recognizing that Articles 4 (a) – (d) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under “General obligations” require that signatories adopt appropriate legislative, administrative and other measures to ensure these rights are met and to refrain from any act or practice that is inconsistent with the Convention. Public authorities and institutions are in particular required to act in conformity with the Convention. The procurement of ICTs for use by the public that are not usable and accessible by PwD may be deemed to be in contravention of the Convention. Addressing the ICT accessibility needs of PwD can be achieved more cost effectively by considering them in the earliest stage of the procurement and development process. This is in line with Article 9(h) of the Convention which requires countries to “promote the design, development, production and distribution of accessible information and communications technologies and systems at an early stage, so that these technologies and systems become accessible at minimum cost”. Practically, this is done through the use of functional performance statements in the procurement process. 20