Inquiry about Compliance with Polish Accessibility Law

[roggar]

Dear LibreOffice Team,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to inquire about the compliance of LibreOffice with the Polish law on digital accessibility. Specifically, I would like to know whether documents created with LibreOffice meet the requirements outlined in the Act on Digital Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Entities, dated April 4, 2019.

For your reference, here is the link to the English version of the Act:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016L2102

There have been concerns raised within the local government administration across Poland about the ability of LibreOffice to comply with these requirements. Consequently, large groups within the local government sector are considering abandoning LibreOffice in favor of other software solutions, such as Microsoft Office, which are perceived to better meet these accessibility standards.

Could you please provide detailed information on the steps LibreOffice has taken to ensure compliance with the accessibility requirements stipulated by the law? Additionally, are there any guidelines or best practices available for users to ensure that their documents are accessible?

Your prompt response would be greatly appreciated, as it will help address the concerns and potentially prevent the widespread transition away from LibreOffice.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Best regards

[mikekaganski]

You entered a user-to-user “how do I”-questions-and-answers site, and ask other users, to get some official statement from The Document Foundation? heh.

Not to mention, that I doubt that TDF would try to track some local legislations and “take steps to ensure compliance”, unless some local communities interested in such compliance do that.

[ajlittoz]

I think your interrogation is off-topic. Referenced Act states in Article 1 Subject Matter & Scope, para 1. that the technical target is “websites and mobile applications”.

LibreOffice is not a tool to build websites or mobile applications. Documents created with LO may contribute to data included in websites but this is not the primary target. Accessibility requirements for websites must be constructed with the tools needed to build such websites.

Is moving away from LO caused by some FUD (fear, doubt, uncertainty) campaign launched by profit (as opposed to non-profit) competitors, jumping on an opportunity to recover a market and not hesitating to promote intentionally wrong arguments?

Anyway, this is not an official statement, just a contribution to the debate.

[keme1]

@roggar

detailed information on the steps

No, that I cannot provide.

@roggar

… abandoning LibreOffice in favor of other software solutions, such as Microsoft Office, which are perceived to better meet these accessibility standards.

That perception is based on biased information flow (aka aggressive marketing). Microsoft’s history of dual standards (ooxml strict vs ooxml transitional, favoring the standard-wise “broken” transitional standard) does not compare favorably to suites defaulting to the ODF standard.

Granted, Microsoft Office does supply tools which aid in creating and reading documents, but the question here is not about the best tool, but rather the output from the tool. I’d say that ODF documents (such as are output by LibreOffice, and also can be output by Microsoft Office if you choose not to heed the warnings) are more future-proof and more accessible than OOXML documents.

You may consider this a personal opinion. I am of course biased by my background.

[EarnestAl]

@roggar

Additionally, are there any guidelines or best practices available for users to ensure that their documents are accessible?

Have you looked at this page, Accessibility | LibreOffice - Free and private office suite - Based on OpenOffice - Compatible with Microsoft ?

Linked from there through the wiki is this page, How to Create Accessible LibreOffice files - The Document Foundation Wiki

[fpy]

@roggar

Could you please provide detailed information

sure
and feel free to ask more details to its author.

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Subject: Compliance with Polish Digital Accessibility Act (April 4, 2019)

This memo confirms our group’s commitment to strictly adhering to the Polish Act on Digital Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Entities, dated April 4, 2019 (the “Act”).

This Act is particularly relevant as we work with public sector clients. We recognize the importance of ensuring our digital products are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, within the government sector.

To achieve this goal, we will be implementing the following measures:

• Accessibility Audits: We will conduct comprehensive audits of all websites and mobile applications developed for public sector clients.
• Accessibility Plan: A dedicated accessibility plan will be established, outlining a clear path towards full compliance with the Act’s requirements.
• Continuous Monitoring: Regular monitoring and testing of these digital products will be conducted to identify and address any emerging accessibility concerns.
• Feedback Mechanism: A user-friendly system will be established for public sector clients and users to report accessibility issues and request alternative access methods for inaccessible information.

We are dedicated to continuous improvement and maintaining a high standard of digital accessibility for all users in the public sector.

If you have any questions regarding our accessibility efforts, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

[Regina]

Please have a look at Accessibility/Accessibility-dev - The Document Foundation Wiki.
On the mailing list accessibility@global.libreoffice.org you will meet people who are involved in accessibility.
TDF has hired Michael Weghorn as developer to take care of accessibility. You can use Kiwi IRC or ircs://libera.chat/libreoffice-dev to get in contact with developers.