1 / 14

Use and non-use of ICT by people with disability in small island developing states

This article explores the status of ICT in small island developing states, with a focus on the Pacific region. It highlights the challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing and utilizing ICT, using a pilot project in Vanuatu as a case study. The project's findings and outcomes, as well as recommendations for improving ICT accessibility, are discussed. The article also suggests ways forward for small island developing states in promoting inclusivity and accessibility.

tbarbara
Download Presentation

Use and non-use of ICT by people with disability in small island developing states

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Use and non-use of ICT by people with disability in small island developing states Gunela Astbrink Women With Disabilities Australia

  2. Small island developing states • Caribbean region • Pacific region • Other regions of world • African coast • Indian Ocean

  3. Pacific region • Extremely large oceanwith small land areas • Relatively small populations • Majority are small island developing states • 22 countries or territories • Transport and infrastructure costs are high

  4. Status of ICT in the Pacific • Growing ICT usage in the Pacific • Satellite services and submarine cables are increasingly bringing faster and more reliable broadband services • Widely varying usage in different countries • Costs – computers are expensive • Internet usage mainly through smart phones • Remoteness • Some countries such as Vanuatu - 75% of population use mobile phones

  5. People with disability in the Pacific • People with disability have more than double disadvantages • Cultural and socio-economic factors • Lack of educational and employment opportunities • Affordability issues

  6. Vanuatu pilot project • ITU pilot project in Vanuatu with Pacific Disability Forum and the Government of Vanuatu • Baseline data – first of its kind in the Pacific • Building evidence base for improving ICT accessibility • Interviews with over 200 people with disability in towns and villages

  7. Vanuatu pilot project • Preliminary findings: • Many have not heard of the Internet • Many do not have a mobile phone and if they do, it is not a smart phone • Mobiles with long battery life are important because of limited access to electricity

  8. Vanuatu pilot project • Web accessibility audit of 28 Government websites • Important as Vanuatu has strong e-government focus • 98% of population to have access to broadband by 2018 • Through health centres and schools • Findings indicate that web sites do not meet W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 • Move to improve web accessibility as new Government websites are developed

  9. Outcomes • Government Right to Information Web Accessibility Guidelines • Clarification and support for WCAG 2.0 with specific recommendations for Vanuatu government agencies • Consultation with Civil Society Disability Network and other relevant agencies • Right to Information Unit of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (ie Freedom of Information) • Launch in September 2016 at the National Library

  10. Outcomes • Pacific Disability Forum supportive of ICT accessibility (key advocacy organisation) • Extended project by Pacific Disability Forum to survey more countries including: • Papua New Guinea • Cook Islands • Fiji

  11. Ways forward – relevant for small island developing states • Multi-faceted approach • Support for gradual cultural change • Recognition of traditional values • Disability awareness-raising for government and NGOs • Disability inclusive development • Implementation of policy, legislative and regulatory mechanisms

  12. Ways forward – relevant for small island developing states • Practical measures • Accessible websites, facilities, products and services • Subsidised costs • Training in ICT usage for people with disability • Inclusion of people with disability in planning

  13. Thank you! Gunela Astbrink www.gsa.com.au g.astbrink@gsa.com.au

More Related