5. Promote the utilization of ICT in education delivery and management; and its incorporation in education curriculum at all levels. 5.9 Mainstreaming ICT and Persons with Disabilities 5.9.1 Policy Objectives 1. The government will ensure that all of its ICT infrastructure and services (including e-government services, public access facilities, documentation, records, universal access initiatives, etc.) are accessible to all including the disabled; 2. Support research and development of assistive ICT and services that are affordable for disabled persons; 3. All public communications from the MoPT will be available in accessible formats for disabled persons by default (and without the need for any specific request to do so). One estimate suggests that as much as 20% of Liberians live with a disability (e.g., physical, mental, or sensory)10 and ensuring that this group can effectively access and use ICT is a requirement if the country is to achieve the goals outlined above. As a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the government is also obligated to ensuring that ICT are accessible for all (i.e., can be used as effectively by a person with disability as a person without one). 5.9.2 Strategies 1. Use the USF to support the access and use of assistive technologies where required; 2. Consult with disabled people's organizations on a periodic basis to ensure these policy objectives are being met; 3. Implement an ongoing training program for IT staff within government to be aware of and understand how to make the government’s ICT facilities and services accessible to all including the disabled; 4. Develop and implement a program to make all Government of Liberia websites accessible to disabled persons (e.g., following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines formulated by the World Wide Web Consortium); 5. The MoPT will work with mobile network operators and other internet service providers to support the provision of services and content that are accessible by disabled persons; 6. Ensure the MoPT’s public procurement guidelines require that all products and services (where relevant) support access and use by disabled persons. 5.10 10 Human resource development SIDA (2014) “ Disability Rights in Liberia” http://www.sida.se/globalassets/sida/eng/partners/human-rights-based-approach/disability/rights-ofpersons-with-disabili ties-liberia.pdf 41