111,000 PUBLIC ENTITIES ARE OBLIGED TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY
On September 6, 2021, new regulations regarding filing complaints for lack of accessibility came into force.
As of September 6 of this year, a fine may be imposed on 111,789 public entities for lack of accessibility solutions. For example, if the option for an online Polish Sign Language interpreter is not available on the website of a given entity and/or when a direct service is rendered. The fine is meant to be a consequence of filing a complaint by a customer regarding the lack of accessibility following the provisions of the Act on Providing Accessibility to Persons with Special Needs. This is a significant change – previously it was only suggested and recommended that Deaf people needed accessibility solutions to be provided. Now, for the lack of an online interpreter, such entities may be ordered to pay a fine of up to PLN 10,000.
As stated by PFRON:
If you have made a request for accessibility to a public entity and the entity has not provided an accessibility solution or has not provided you with alternative access [to a building, data, or service], you have the right to file a complaint regarding the lack of accessibility. Pursuant to Article 32(2) of the Act of July 19, 2019, on Providing Accessibility to Persons with Special Needs, you have 30 days to lodge a complaint from the date of expiration of the period for an accessibility solution by a given entity in response to the accessibility request you previously submitted”. For more information, please visit: https://dostepnosc.pfron.org.pl/skarga-na-brak-dostepnosci
Migam is a Polish startup company offering solutions that enable companies, authorities, institutions, and organisations to communicate with Deaf people using, among other things, video calls. The company employs professional sign language interpreters who assist in dealing with everyday matters by providing interpretation into the Polish Sign Language. The company also offers translations of documents, films, and TV programmes into PJM [Polish Sign Language].
Moreover, Migam adopted the 24/7 and 365 days a year model of operation. This is due to the fact that Migam has been handling the Primary Contact Platform of the National Health Fund (NFZ) since May 2021. Thanks to this service, Deaf people can connect to a doctor, nurse, or midwife for free and receive medical advice, e-prescription, e-referral, and e-sick leave. The service is available Monday through Friday from 6 pm to 8 am (at night) and every Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday 24 hours a day.
Migam is growing rapidly and plans to get listed on the stock exchange in 2022 and is now issuing shares on the Beesfund platform. The reason for this, among other things, is to raise additional funds for internationalisation into foreign markets and the implementation of automation processes for the Migam Interpreter and Ommi.io services. For more information, visit www.emisja.migam.org
About Migam
Migam is a Polish company founded in 2011 by Przemysław Kuśmierek. Thus far, the Migam team has handled over 200,000 video calls. The solutions offered by the company are already used by more than 200 entities from various industries operating in Poland. These include: BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, ING, Orange, Samsung and T-Mobile.
