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Digital Smart focus in support of overcoming disabilities

United Nations Office in Geneva Digital Smart Working Group. 12 December 2013 at 14:30 h - 17:00 h, Conference room V at the Palais des Nations By Axel Leblois, President and Executive Director, G3ict. Digital Smart focus in support of overcoming disabilities .

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Digital Smart focus in support of overcoming disabilities

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  1. United Nations Office in Geneva Digital Smart Working Group 12 December 2013 at 14:30 h - 17:00 h, Conference room V at the Palais des Nations By Axel Leblois, President and Executive Director, G3ict Digital Smart focus in support of overcoming disabilities

  2. G3ict – Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs: Background • Launched with the support of UNDESA in December 2006 • To Facilitate the Implementation of the ICT Accessibility dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities among States Parties • Activities funded by the private sector: • AT&T, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Adobe, Time Warner, Telstra,T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, Deque, Hans Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Dominic Foundation, Telecom Italia • Works with UN agencies in advancing policies and good practices around the world

  3. What is at Stake? 1 billion people live with some form of disability, 15% of the World Population

  4. A Large Growing Population at Risk of Being Excluded from Digital Access • Out of the one billion persons living with a disability*: • 80% live in the developing world • Over half of persons aged 65+ live with a disability, fast growing population segment worldwide • Disability affects all age groups: 13% of all public school students K to 12 in the United States live with a disability (Source: U.S. DOE) *Source: WHO World Bank Report on Disability 2010

  5. Recognizing the Issue: AChallenge for Policy Makers and National Census Organizations “People with disabilities are often invisible in official statistics” Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2006, UNESCO And they are mostly invisible in daily life as well

  6. Being Digital Smart Means Eliminating Barriers Caused by Society Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

  7. Overcoming Disabilities: Digital Smart Opportunities • Deafness/hard of hearing • Blindness/low vision • Limited motion/reduced dexterity • Impaired cognition

  8. Common Barriers Which a Digital Smart Focus Can Eliminate • A television program or emergency announcement is notsigned or captioned for a deaf person • Aweb site is not be accessible to a blind person using a screen reader or to a paralyzed person using alternative data input devices • A mobile phone doesnot offer alternative user interfaces for a person with dexterity issues, low vision or cognitive challenges • An ATM is too high for a wheelchair user or does not have a text to speech output for a visually impaired person

  9. Are those Digital Barriers Widespread? July 20, 2013 “NEW DELHI: In a first such exercise of its kind, the government has found that only two of its over 200 websites are disabled-friendly… The government found that websites of only two ministries - ministry of external affairs and ministry of social justice and empowerment - were compliant to Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW), which is essential for making websites accessible to the disabled.” Why the e-participation of persons with disabilities matters

  10. Are those Digital Barriers Widespread? (Cont’d) • 39% of non adopters of broadband in the U.S.* and 50% in the UK have some type of disability • 65% of Senior citizens (over the age of 65) do not have broadband-at-home in the United States • Mobile phones adoption closely related to age and disability** *Source: FCC Report by John Horrigan, February 2010 **Pew Charitable Trust Research on mobile phone usage, 2013

  11. Digital Smart Empowers Persons with Disabilities to: • Work • Learn • Be Safe • Enjoy Culture • Communicate • Exercise their Political Rights • Be active in commerce

  12. “If anybody asks me what the Internet means to me… …I will tell him without hesitation: To me (a quadriplegic) the Internet occupies the most important part in my life. It is my feet that can take me to any part of the world; it is my hands which help me to accomplish my work; it is my best friend – it gives my life meaning.” Dr. Zhang Xu, Founder and Director of Bethesda Rehabilitation Ministry of Anshan, China

  13. The Good News: Digital SmartSolutions Are Available Today for: • Web sites • e-books • Television • Computer interfaces • Mobile and fixed phones • ATMs and electronic kiosks • e-government electronic services • Public displays and messaging • Digital interfaces for consumer products Why the e-participation of persons with disabilities matters

  14. Example of Alternative Modes of Communication for Mobile • Visual • Text-to-Speech • Hearing • Video Relay Service with sign language • Speech • Peer-to-peer video for sign language • Dexterity • Voice recognition for controls and input • Cognition • Icon interface

  15. Captioning service Driven by Mobile and Price Performance of Electronics Mobile app with Daisy books GPS for mobility independence A public service announcement on Japanese television Screen reader SMS-to-Avatar sign translation, Tunisia

  16. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly December 13, 2006 8th Human Rights Treaty and 1st of this Millennium 158 countries have signed it and 138 ratified it as of December 2013 March 30, 2007: Jamaica first country to ratify the Convention in the world! The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 16

  17. An Effective Framework for Digital Smart Policies and Programs for Persons with Disabilities • The Convention affirms the importance of “information and communication, in enabling persons with disabilities to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms” • It requires ICTs to be accessible and assistive technologies available to persons with disabilities (Preamble, article 9)

  18. Solutions Exist: Practical Information and Case Studies – ITU – G3ict Reports Making Mobile Phones and Services Accessible Making TV Accessible Universal Service Funds for Persons with Disabilities

  19. Why Is the Private Sector Interested: Quiz! What is the percentage of the total U.S. adult population of Microsoft Windows customers likely to benefit from Accessibility Features? (As measured by Microsoft Research)

  20. Very likely to benefit 17% Likely to benefit 40% Windows Users: 57%AreLikely to Benefit from Accessibility Features • 57% of adult computer users (age 18-64 in the US) are likely or very likely to benefit from accessibility features • 1 in 4 users experiences a visual difficulty. • 1 in 4 experience pain in wrists or hands. • 1 in 5 has a hearing difficulty. Not likelyto benefit 43% Study commissioned by Microsoft, Conducted by Forrester Research in 2003

  21. Mobile: A Game Changer for Empowering Persons with Disabilities • Packed with enabling technologies: • GPS, NFC, Camera, OCR, TTS, Speech recognition, 3G, 4G etc. • Anytime anywhere personalized device • Unprecedented economies of scale • For the first time in the history of ICTs, competition drives accessibility!

  22. 3rd M-Enabling Summit June 9-11 2014, Washington, D.C. Sharing technologies, processes, policies and business models Bringing together: • Organizations of seniors and persons with disabilities • Manufacturers • Application developers • Mobile service providers • Policy makers • Private sector • Special Educators, Rehabilitation professionals

  23. The United Nations Must be Digitally Smart to Ensure Universal Access to its Own Activities Web Sites Electronic documents and reports E-learning platforms Braille and sign language options Meetings Video and web cast transmissions Tele-conferencing systems Telephone switchboards Procurement policies

  24. Thank You For Your Attention! www.g3ict.org www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org www.m-enabling.com

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