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Low and No-Cost Assistive Technologies: Making Large Scale Deployments Feasible. Fernando H. F. Botelho Mais Diferenças, São Paulo - Brazil Literacy Bridge, Seattle - USA. Low And No-Cost Assistive Technologies. The need for large scale deployments
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Low and No-Cost Assistive Technologies: Making Large Scale Deployments Feasible Fernando H. F. Botelho Mais Diferenças, São Paulo - BrazilLiteracy Bridge, Seattle - USA
Low And No-Cost Assistive Technologies • The need for large scale deployments • Examples of low and no-cost assistive technologies (LNCATs) • Suggested strategies for large scale deployments of LNCATs
Large Scale Deployments: Why? • UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities • 600 million individuals with disabilities • Just one sub-group: 90% of blind kids have no access to education * For sources and additional information e-mail: igf2008@F123.org
Path Dependency: Creating tomorrow's obstacles • An unacceptably small minority has access to assistive technology and education; • This small minority learns the wrong type of technology; and • Expensive assistive technology generates dependency and adds to the vast set of obstacles to employment.
LNCAT Examples: Blind Users • Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) • Open Office, Firefox, Thunderbird, Miranda, and more. • Orca • Open Office, Firefox, Evolution, Pidgin, OCRopus, and more. * For sources and additional information e-mail: igf2008@F123.org
LNCAT Examples: Users with Physical and Other Disabilities • GOK Dasher pVoice * For sources and additional information e-mail: igf2008@F123.org
Scaling-up: Suggested strategies • Increase awareness • Free-up documentation and training • Build on local resources • Build and cultivate - Formal and Informal Channels • Innovate, do not transplant • Path dependency, the gift that keeps on costing • Be good if you cannot be perfect * For sources and additional information e-mail: igf2008@F123.org
Thank you! Fernando H. F. Botelho http://www.F123.org/ Fernando.Botelho@F123.org