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Terry Landers, Regional Standards Officer-Western Europe Microsoft Odessa, Ukraine 26 October 2010

Promoting Accessible Computing Devices for Persons with Disabilities. Terry Landers, Regional Standards Officer-Western Europe Microsoft Odessa, Ukraine 26 October 2010. Agenda. An Industry View Challenges and Solutions for Disabled Users of Personal

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Terry Landers, Regional Standards Officer-Western Europe Microsoft Odessa, Ukraine 26 October 2010

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  1. Promoting Accessible Computing Devices for Persons with Disabilities Terry Landers, Regional Standards Officer-Western Europe Microsoft Odessa, Ukraine 26 October 2010

  2. Agenda • An Industry View • Challenges and Solutions for Disabled Users of Personal • Computers and other Computing Devices: Screen readers, screen magnifiers, accessible keyboards, mice, touch screens for computing devices • Software and Applications • Policy/Regulatory solutions. • Identifying Best Practices

  3. Bill gates “Our vision is to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone and will adapt to each person’s needs. Accessible technology eliminates barriers for people with disabilities and enables individuals to optimize their abilities and unlock their potential.”

  4. 1. An Industry viewGlobal Increase in ICT Usage

  5. An industry viewWhat is at Stake? • 10% of World Population lives with life-long disabilities • Vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive • 16% - including temporary & age related impairments • Disability is a key driver of poverty • Disability has a major impact on opportunities: • Education • Employment • Social • Cultural

  6. Accessible TechnologyThose Likely to Benefit 57% of adults can benefit 74.2 million computer users in the U.S. have an impairment * • Demographic ShiftOver 1.2 billion people over 55 by 2015 growing to over 1.4 billion by 2020 ** * Base: US 18-64 year old computer users Source: Study commissioned by Microsoft, conducted by Forrester Research, 2003 ** Source US Census

  7. AN INDUSTRY VIEW Customers Defined

  8. AN INDUSTRY VIEWWhat is Accessible Technology? Accessible technology is computer technology which enables individuals to adjust a computer to meet their visual, hearing, dexterity, cognitive, and speech needs. Accessible technology ecosystem encompasses three elements: • Accessibility options built into products such as options that change font size and colour, magnifiers, etc. • Assistive technology products which are specialist hardware and software products such as a screen reader or alternate input devices, e.g. sip & puff systems, etc. • Interoperability between assistive technology products, the operating system, and software programs is critical for the assistive technology product to function properly

  9. Accessibility Business Imperatives

  10. 2. Challenges & Solutions • Awareness raising: • Users, Regulators, Legislators, Charity bodies • Providing Access to Education, Employment • Inclusive society • Mainstreaming the Accessibility agenda • Not just about disabled people- but also about an Aging Europe • Technology Innovation • New Gesture Interface • Greater choice > driving Price reduction

  11. Key Challenges • The eAccessibility ‘deficit’. • eAccessibility deficits can be found across the spectrum of ICT products and services, for example telephony, TV, web and self-service terminals. • The eAccessibility 'gap'. • the eAccessibility situation for people with disabilities across Europe compares unfavourably with that comparison countries examined in the MeAC study (AUS, CA and US). • The eAccessibility ‘patchwork’. • many important gaps, uneven attention across the spectrum of eAccessibility themes, and wide disparities across the Member States. • Source: Communication on eAccessibility 2o08; • http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/accessibility/deploy/pubproc/eso-m376/index_en.htm

  12. 3. Computers and Computing devices: • The rise in global computing • Forces shaping accessibility

  13. 4. Software& Applications • Product Engineering • Appointing Chief Accessibility Officer: Rob Sinclair • We are Improving the compatibility of our products with AT products. • Community Outreach. • Through our support of customer councils, collaborative development, technical collaboration agreements, and communities that bring together AT and mainstream developers and users of AT products, • Access to Technology • By providing open access to our technologies, Microsoft is making it easier for others to develop AT products that are interoperable and technology neutral. • Standards-Setting Engagements. • Promoting the harmonization of specifications and the support for industry standards.

  14. 5. Policy & Regulatory Framework EU legislation for e-Inclusion UN Convention on Rightsof People with Disabilities Section 508 of theUS Rehabilitation Act Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 255 of the US Telecommunications Act New Accessibility Legislation and Regulation being proposed around the world …

  15. Policy & Regulatory Framework European Disability Action Plan • Anti-discrimination • Mainstreaming • Accessibility New European Disability strategy 2010-2020 (under preparation) • Policy aspect: elimination of discrimination and securing full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms • Formal aspect: complying with the international commitments taken by concluding the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

  16. EU Mandate 376 • Standardisation to support public procurement of accessible products and services in the ICT domain • Activities: execution of phase 2 of M/376 • Joint Working Group of CEN, CENELEC and ETSI to start soon • European Standard containing the functional accessibility requirements for use in (public) procurement; technical reports with supplementary guidance on conformity assessment

  17. Engaging Influentials Key Political Influentials • Federal Level – Parliament, Commissioner for the Interests of People with Disabilities, Ministries (Interior, Health and Social Security) • State Level – Social Affairs Ministries, State Commissioners for the Interests of People with Disabilities Non-profit and Disability Organizations • Associations – federation of charitable organizations, general and specific disability associations, trade associations, accessibility organizations with IT focus • Self-help organizations – public-private-partnerships around accessibilty issues, competence centers

  18. 6. Best Practice Sharing • Enhanced Accessibility features included in Microsoft product set; • Imagine cup/ Warsaw: • Involves 325000 students from 100 countries • Enable Ireland / Diploma in assistive technology • 232 graduates since 2001: training 14000 people • Accessibility Development Centre • Working with ONCE, to convene a roundtable of influentials to discuss accessibility. • Standardisation: IS13066-1

  19. Terry Landers Terry.Landers@microsoft.com Tel: +353 1 7063161 Learn about Microsoft® resources for nonprofit organizations: www.microsoft.com/ireland/community Accessibility Web Site www.microsoft.com/enable/ Accessibility Update E-Newsletterwww.microsoft.com/enable/news/subscribe/

  20. Appendices Microsoft Internal Use Only

  21. The next generation of IT developersMicrosoft Imagine Cup 2010 See showcasing SKEEK Team Thailand

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