IGF 2018 WS #45 1.3 Billion Reasons for Making Technology Accessible

Over one billion people worldwide - about 15% of the world's population - experience some form of disability, reported by WHO in 2011(http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/). An analysis (Global Economics of Disability report from 5th Quadrant Analytics at: http://returnondisability.com/disability-market/) shows the figure reaches 1.3 billion now. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) stipulates that ratifying countries ensure that persons with disabilities (PWD) enjoy their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. It also explicitly stipulates that ratifying countries shall take appropriate measures to ensure information accessibility for PWD. It is clear that the rapidly evolving ICT technologies will play an important role in this manner.

However, those PWD still frequently face barriers towards their full and effective participation in society. The situation vary according to country, and there is a clear gap between developing and developed countries. This gap would be widen if no appropriate consideration is taken in an efficient and effective manner.

The workshop will address several country case studies in implementing UNCRPD, to facilitate the understanding of current issues, and will discuss how to move forward toward a truly inclusive society.

Background paper - Case studies and issues to be presented by DCAD members

• Inclusive Smart Cities To be presented by Andrea J. Saks, DCAD Coordinator, and by Gerard Ellis, Feel The BenefIT

Smart cities should exist to serve the needs of society, not the other way round. This includes accommodating the needs of persons with disabilities and older persons by eliminating the digital divide that denies those needs. Smart City designs, implementations and continuous development should be based on incorporating tried and trusted criteria such as Worldwide Web Consortium standards and Universal Design, but also new and innovative approaches. Central to all these efforts should be putting the person first, thus resulting in solutions with inclusion and diversity at their heart.

• Accessible IoT To be presented by Gunela Astbrink, Women With Disabilities Australia

People with disability can benefit from various applications related to the Internet of Things (IoT). Currently, people with disability use ambient assistive technologies that are especially designed to support independent living. This may include control of lighting, doors, heating, entertainment and security systems integrated through accessible interfaces. These assistive technologies have been expensive. IoT applications for the smart home environment mean that these type of systems are now becoming mainstream. However, interoperability with existing assistive technologies as well as accessible user interface design need to be taken into account so new barriers are not created. An outline of the implications, advantages and potential barriers of IoT for persons with disability will be provided together with a discussion of the importance of raising accessibility to IoT applications in policy, research and technical arenas.

• Public procurement and its role in increasing accessibility to technology
To be presented by Gunela Astbrink, Women With Disabilities Australia

Government purchasing (or public procurement) of ICT can positively influence the widespread availability of affordable and accessible technology for persons with disabilities.

Increasing the availability of accessible technology is a positive step in removing barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating equitably in society. The primary aim of including accessibility criteria in ICT public procurement is to provide more equitable access to ICT equipment for government employees with disabilities. However, it can have significant flow-on effects for increased ICT accessibility to the broader community.

USA and the European Union as well as Australia have adopted either guidelines or a standard underpinning the process of accessibility in public procurement. An update of the implementation and effect of these guidelines and the standard will be provided.

• Case Study on Lifelong Learning Experiences of Persons with Cognitive and Psychosocial Disabilities in Higher Education in Norway
To be presented by G. Anthony Giannoumis, Oslo Metropolitan University

According to UNCRPD, States Parties have an obligation to “ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and […] that persons with disabilities are able to access general tertiary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning without discrimination and on an equal basis with others”. This presentation uses the obligations under the CRPD as a point of departure to explore the experiences of persons with cognitive and psychosocial disabilities in higher education in Norway. Cognitive disabilities typically refer to the interaction between a person with impairments related to performing mental tasks such as memory, problem-solving, attention, and comprehension – e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, or Down syndrome – and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their participation in society. Psychosocial disabilities refer to the interaction between a person with impairments related to their mental health – e.g., autism spectrum disorder, anxiety and depression, and bipolar disorder – and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their participation in society. The case study draws on the lived experiences of an academic with a psychosocial disability and their interactions teaching computer science students with both cognitive and psychosocial disabilities. The case study explores the institutionalization of ableism in academia, the stigmas associated with cognitive and psychosocial disabilities in academia, and the duality of various forms of educational technology in both facilitating access to education and triggering mental health episodes.

• Accessibility Challenges: Differences in Developed and Developing Countries?
To be presented by Muhammad Shabbir, Board of Directors of ISOC Islamabad Pakistan Chapter Accessibility to the available technology for an estimated 1 billion persons around the world who live with a disability and experience daily barriers towards their full and effective participation in society is a constant challenge everywhere. However, in developing countries, this challenge is increased due to multiple reasons, including but not limited to: low income vs high cost of technology; absence of accessibility policy or gap between policy and practice; lack of awareness about accessibility by developers, service providers and PWDs; and lack of accessibility training. The governments, IGOs and NGOs try to overcome these challenges. This paper will talk about the accessibility challenges from the perspective of PWDs that they face in developing countries.

• How standards makes technology accessible and the need for harmonization of standards
To be presented by Judith Hellerstein, Founder/CEO of Hellerstein & Associates

When websites, applications, or other software are not standards- based or based on open standards, millions of people are not able to use them. As economic activity and basic tools of civic participation move online, persons with disabilities and specific needs face the most serious challenges in accessing economic opportunities and government services. Similarly, cultural, education and employment opportunities are tied inexorably to Internet access, and the inability of accessing many websites and applications deepens and amplifies existing inequities.

However, often web sites, applications, technologies, or tools are badly designed and create barriers that exclude people from using the Web. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes access to information and communications technologies, including the Web, as a basic human right. Accessibility supports social inclusion for people with disabilities as well as others, such as older people, people in rural areas, and people in developing countries.

Many websites and tools are developed with accessibility barriers that make it difficult or impossible for some people to use them. Pictures or images without out alternative descriptions embedded int eh text cannot be seen or read by screen readers. Captchas which are now mandatory on most sites are often barriers to people using screen readers, keyboard clicks or other types of access tools are barriers to entry, audio files without transcripts are inaccessible to deaf people, also many web conferencing software are not accessible or very difficult to use for people using screen readers.

• Accessibility as a precondition to participation and inclusion
To be presented by Lidia Best, Vice President of European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH)

UNCRPD Article 9 'Accessibility' is very clear on the importance of accessibility for inclusion and participation of PWD in the employment education and in society in general. In the advent of emerging technologies we are constantly playing a catch up ensuring accessibility for those who experience hearing difficulties and we are still seeing lack of understanding of the universal access needs for this group.

It is therefore important to understand need of including persons with disabilities with lived experience in design and testing of new products from the beginning. The international advocates have created a very powerful video on the issue of access "Don't leave me out", let’s ensure that no one gets left out in the future.

Workshop Agenda:

• Introduction to the workshop by the moderator
• Brief presentations by accessibility experts to raise issues

1. Inclusive Smart Cities | Accessible IoT
2. Public procurement and its role in increasing accessibility to technology
3. Case Study on Lifelong Learning Experiences of Persons with Cognitive and Psychosocial Disabilities in Higher Education in Norway
4. Accessibility Challenges: Differences in Developed and Developing Countries?
5. How standards makes technology accessible and the need for harmonization of standards
6. Accessibility as a precondition to participation and inclusion

• Open discussion stimulated by the onsite moderator
• Wrap-up of the discussion