Ensuring accessibility for Tuusula Council meetings

I propose that the municipality of Tuusula begin to comply with the Digital Services Act and the Accessibility Directive in the publicity and communication of council meetings. By citing unreasonable burden in complying with the aforementioned Act and Directive and by concealing the recordings of council meetings within two weeks of the date of the council meeting, the municipality of Tuusula is violating the principle of transparency and the aforementioned Act and Directive.

Publishing council meeting videos online is an important part of implementing the principle of transparency in the municipality. By watching the meeting videos, residents have the opportunity to monitor the use of public power and public funds, freely form their opinions, influence the use of public power, and monitor their rights and interests.

The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities’ website instructs municipalities to communicate in an accessible manner as follows:

“How can accessibility be promoted by other means in situations where subtitling municipal council meeting videos would be unreasonable for the municipality? The purpose
of the law is not to weaken communication. There is no reason to reduce online broadcasts and videos simply because making them accessible is unreasonable in relation to the benefits. The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities encourages the diverse and effective use of modern communication tools and offering residents the opportunity to follow municipal council meetings online and afterwards, for example.

It is particularly important to remember the rights of persons with disabilities when dealing with matters that directly affect their lives. These matters must also be communicated separately in an accessible manner to the target group in question.

https://www.kuntaliitto.fi/ajankohtaista/2020/miten-huomioida-saavutettavuus-kuntien-videoissa(switch to another service)

The municipality of Tuusula has removed recordings of council meetings from the internet within two weeks, which is the time frame within which accessibility requirements for videos should be met. According to the supervisory authorities, this is contrary to the purpose of the Accessibility Directive and may result in a penalty payment.

The costs of transcribing Tuusula municipality’s meeting recordings were clarified with the service provider and amounted to approximately €10,000 per year.

I propose that the municipality order this work, which complies with accessibility requirements, for the council meeting recordings and make the video recordings available online, as before, thereby fulfilling the requirements of the principle of transparency.

Secondarily, the municipality may make the information contained in the meeting recordings available to residents in accordance with accessibility requirements in other ways specified by the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, provided that it complies with the requirements of the Accessibility Directive and the Digital Services Act, and makes the recordings of council meetings available to residents online as before.

Finally, I demand that the municipality restore the previously hidden video recordings to its website. They can be found on the julkinen.fi service.

The municipality cannot violate the principle of transparency. In addition, the municipality must take into account the important requirements of the Accessibility Directive: all our residents must be able to obtain information about the municipality’s activities and decision-making in an equal manner, in accordance with their information needs and in a manner that is suitable for them.

This content has been translated using AI

Answer

1