Funka is an SME with a close and unique relationship with the European disability rights movement. It started in the 1990s as joint, non-profit initiative of all disabled persons’ organisations in Sweden. In 2000, the organisation, along with its knowledge base, staff, and technological assets, was turned into a privately-owned company.
Today, Funka is a leading force in the accessibility field and counts some 80 percent of Sweden’s public authorities among its customers. It offers expertise on accessible ICT as a way to improve quality of life and also develops its own user-friendly, efficient, and accessible solutions. Funka’s approach is highly user-centred, with tests and close collaboration with end users throughout the whole design and development process. This is a unique form of quality control that also serves to ground our recommendations in what real users think.
Funka is also highly active in EU-funded projects in such fields as e-inclusion, e-government, e-health, and e-learning. On behalf of the European Commission, Funka has analysed approaches to monitoring website accessibility and provided recommendations on methodologies for the monitoring of compliance with the Web Accessibility Directive. Funka sits on the Web Accessibility Directive Expert Committee, which advises the Commission on implementation of the Directive.
Funka’s experts also contribute to the work of national, European and international standardisation bodies – for instance by taking part in efforts to set standards for cognitive accessibility. The company has also contributed to the new EU standard for accessibility requirements for the public procurement of ICT, EN 301 549. Funka carried out the authorised Swedish translation of WCAG 2.0 and is doing the same for WCAG 2.1.
Funka is the joint Permanent Representative to the EU of G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICT, and its affiliate IAAP, the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. Funka is also one of the co-founders of IAAP.