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Presentation of the Accessible Cybercafé in Bamako, Mali Mr Abdoulaye Dembele Sotelma , Mali

Presentation of the Accessible Cybercafé in Bamako, Mali Mr Abdoulaye Dembele Sotelma , Mali. IGF workshop no. 137 “ Mainstreaming the disability perspective for an inclusive society ” IGF, Nairobi , Kenya, 28 September 2011 . INTRODUCTION.

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Presentation of the Accessible Cybercafé in Bamako, Mali Mr Abdoulaye Dembele Sotelma , Mali

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  1. Presentation of the Accessible Cybercafé in Bamako, Mali Mr Abdoulaye DembeleSotelma, Mali IGF workshop no. 137 “Mainstreaming the disability perspective for an inclusive society”IGF, Nairobi, Kenya, 28 September 2011

  2. INTRODUCTION The Internet isnowused - to the best of theirability – by a widevariety of people, includingchildren, personswithdisabilities and senior citizens. Today’s Internet userswillgetolder, and these future users, as well as children and personswithdisabilities, willsoonfinditdifficult to use the web if websites continue to become more complex. What solutions canbeenvisaged for broadaccess to the Internet?

  3. ISSUES (1) Personswithdisabilities are likely to bedeprived of access if theirspeciallydesigned hardware is not takenintoaccount for access to anygiven web service. Think of a paralysedpersonwanting to do their shopping over the Internet… Or a blind or sight-impairedpersonwanting to subscribe to theirfavouritenewspaper on line becausetheycan no longer read the paper copy.

  4. ISSUES (2) How willpersonswithdisabilities and senior citizens in the countries of the third world, who are a particularlyvulnerable segment of the population (handicapped by age, physicalability and poverty) be able to access the web?

  5. ISSUES (3) Whateverone’sdifficulties, whateverone’sdisability, everyoneshouldbe able to access the same content and services as the averageperson. I know thatmanyprofessionals, in particular webmasters, overlook the factthat computers maybeused by a blind, sight-impaired or olderperson, for example, and thatthese people need to enjoy the benefits of the Internet. Not only are theyconsumerslikeeveryoneelse, but the Internet constitutes a strongtool for their insertion in daily life. Forgettingthemis not only a strategicerror, but to someextentinhuman.

  6. SOLUTIONS (1) Personswithdisabilities and senior citizens are potentialvisitors and/or customers for any commercial site. Therefore, web professionalsneed to reassesstheir content and service offerings. To achievethis objective, we must encourage the establishment of national agenciesand mulitpurpose centres or cybercafés….

  7. SOLUTIONS (2) National agencies: All countries shouldestablish national agencies, to progressivelyreform national websitesso as to makethem accessible for everyone, and to ensureinteroperability and good ergonomics.

  8. SOLUTIONS (3) Multipurpose centre or cybercafé:Following the lead of ITU (International Telecommunication Union), all non-governmentalorganizationsshould encourage third-world countries to equipthemselveswithmultipurpose centres/cybercafés.

  9. SOLUTIONS (4) Mali is one of the countries in which ITU has financed a mulitpurpose centre, wherewewitnessbroadaccess to the Internet… Such centres can serve as veritabletesting grounds… Indeed, in the third-world countries in general, and Africa in particular, thereis a large potential pool of Internet consumers or e-commerce customers. However, itistruethatthese populations are generallypoor and maybeilliterate, youngor disabled due to wars or illness.

  10. SOLUTIONS (5) To ignore this segment of the world’s population wouldprevent us deriving the threefoldbenefit to begainedfromaccessibility of Internet sites, namely: Public authorities, who must lead by example, want digital services to beused by all citizens. Companiesseeking to reach the largest possible marketunderstandthatitis essential for people to be able to use theirwebsites. Africa’shugelyrich cultural heritagecanbe made available to humanity as a whole.

  11. Presentation of the multipurpose centre in Mali The centre equipped by ITU comprises: 10 computers (8 standard and 2 designed for sight-impaired or blind people) 1 fax 2 printers (standard and Braille) 5 webcams Installation and training costs. It isplanned for the centre to start up in Bamako (Mali’s capital) with branches in all the regionalcapitals.

  12. THANK FOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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