M-Enabling Summit 2011 Official Show Guide
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Official Show Guide for the Inaugural Edition of the M-Enabling Summit 2011 Global Conference and Showcase for Mobile Applications and Services for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities | 5-6 December 2011, The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor, Washington, D.C.
The M-Enabling Summit (5-6 December 2011), Global Summit and Showcase for Mobile Applications and Services for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities, is the first global program solely dedicated to participants in the emerging ecosystem for mobile accessible and assistive technologies, applications and services. Visit event website at: http://www.m-enabling.com/
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Making Mobile Phones and Services Accessible for Persons with Disabilities
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Making Mobile Phones and Services Accessible for Persons with Disabilities is a joint report of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and G3ict. Researched and Edited by the Center for Internet & Society | November 2011
Mobile communications have become in less than two decades omnipresent in all countries, reaching out to the most isolated and underserved populations in developed and developing countries alike. In 2011more than 5.4 billion mobile phones are in use, almost one per human being on the planet. In the midst of this telecommunication revolution, however, populations of senior citizens and persons living with disabilities have been left out due to accessibility factors: complex human interfaces difficult to understand and activate for persons with cognitive impairments or learning disabilities, lack of alternative communications for persons living with low vision, blind, hard of hearing or deaf, or, quite often handset ergonomics too difficult for persons with physical disabilities such as dexterity or mobility limitations. This report contains references to the new legislative and regulatory framework set by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an important resource for policy makers. It also covers practical elements required for a successful implementation of those programs and policies
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Making Television Accessible
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This report has been prepared by Peter Olaf Looms, Chairman ITU-T Focus Group on Audiovisual Media
Accessibility, in cooperation with G3ict | November 2011
Ensuring that all of the world’s population has access to television services is one of the targets set by world leaders in the World Summit on the Information Society. Television is important for enhancing national identity, providing an outlet for domestic media content and getting news and information to the public, which is especially critical in times of emergencies. Television programmes are also a principal source of news and information for illiterate segments of the population, some of whom are persons with disabilities. In addition, broadcasting can serve important educational purposes, by transmitting courses and other instructional material. The emphasis of this report is on making digital media accessible. This report identifies accessibility solutions for media executives, regulators and policy makers, pay-TV operators, consumer electronics manufacturers, sales outlets as well as disabled persons organizations. The goal of this report is to assist ITU members to take the necessary steps to ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy their CRPD right to access TV.
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Accessibility of Social Networking Services
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Discapnet’s Observatory on ICT Accessibility has been carrying out sectoral studies on the accessibility of Web portals since 2004. This December 2010 report by Discapnet, Technosite and Fundacion ONCE, surveys present status of accessibility to social networking services for persons with disabilities.
Anybody with access to Internet and basic knowledge of how to use such tools is a potential user of social networking services. It is therefore a duty of the managers of such services to ensure accessibility, both to the services themselves and to the information they generate, under equal conditions for all users, including people with functional diversity. The study on the Accessibility of Social Networking Services on Internet carried out by the Observatory offers a panorama of the current level of accessibility of the most widespread social networking services in Spain, with the aim of providing their managers with a diagnosis to help them improve accessibility, and their users with a breakdown of what each service has to offer. Related Blog: Social Media and Accessibility by Debra Ruh. Read Here. |
ICTs in Education for People with Disabilities - UNESCO IITE and the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education
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The Practice Review 'ICTs in Education for People with Disabilities' has been published as part of the IITE ‘ICTs in Education: Best Practices’ series.
How Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be used in the most effective ways for education of people with disabilities is currently high on the political agendas of all countries, particularly those who have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006). A number of the general principles included in the CRPD are directly linked to UNESCO’s mandate. In this context, the application of ICT is very important as it plays an essential role in supporting high quality education for learners with disabilities. With this in mind, the UNESCO Institute for Information Technology in Education (UNESCO IITE) and the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education (the Agency) agreed in 2010 to combine their expertise in this field and collaborate on the development of a Review of innovative practice. The intention for the review was to build on findings from past work – notably UNESCO IITE’s activities in this area and in particular ICTs in Education for People with Special Needs: Specialized Training Course (2006) and the Agency’s ICT in Special Needs Education project related work.
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Shifting Perspectives: Opening Up Museums and Galleries to Blind and Partially Sighted People
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Shifting Perspectives: Opening up museums and
galleries to blind and partially sighted people, a research initiative of CultureLink, supported by RNIB (2011)
The museum experience of disabled people is beginning to be talked of as a human and cultural right. Indeed, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the UK in 2009, recognises the right of disabled people to take part in culture “on equal terms”. This is a major shift. Shifting Perspectives, seeing disabled people as part of the design solution and not the problem, will renew museums. This user-focused report gives a step-by-step approach to making cultural institutions accessible to the blind and partially sighted people.
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e-Accessibility Policy Handbook for Persons with Disabilities
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The e-Accessibility Policy Handbook for Persons with Disabilities is based upon the online ITU-G3ict e-Accessibility Policy Toolkit for Persons with Disabilities (www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org) which was released in February 2010.
The Toolkit and its companion handbook have contributions from more than 60 experts around the world on ICT accessibility and is a most valuable addition to policy makers and regulators, advocacy and research organisations and persons with disabilities on the implementation of the ICT dispositions of the CRPD. The handbook is a joint publication of ITU, G3ict and the Centre for Internet and Society, in cooperation with The Hans Foundation. The book is compiled and edited by Nirmita Narasimhan. Preface by Dr. Hamadoun I. Toure, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union. Introduction by Dr. Sami Al-Basheer, Director, ITU-D. Foreword by Axel Leblois, Executive Director, G3ict. Braille and Daisy formats available here: http://g3ict.org/resource_center/e-Accessibility%20Policy%20Handbook
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Data-Enabled Travel: How Geo-Data Can Support Inclusive Transportation, Tourism, and Navigation through Communities
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This report explains what we have learned about the potential of geo-data for accessible travel. It also offers suggestions to interested stake holders about next steps toward the realization of this potential.
This report is a result of discussions that took place in July 2010 commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act at the White House. Participants of the discussion were asked to focus on the challenge of more accessible travel, transportation, and tourism by applying geo-data.
User needs should form the basis of any initiative aimed at improving transportation information services for people with disabilities. In the field of assistive technologies, mobile devices, have emerged as a champion for accomodating user needs. Mobile technology has helped inform and empower citizens of all ages and abilities to accomplish safe and independent travel around our country.
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Accessibility, Innovation and Sustainability at AT&T
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A G3ict White Paper Documenting How Mobile Service Providers Can Serve Persons with Disabilities and Seniors
In order to promote the business practices required to provide accessible and assistive mobile equipment and services to persons with disabilities, G3ict requested that AT&T opens its doors to review and document its internal R&D and business processes for the benefit all interested parties. Read more.
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National Accessibility Standard in the Russian Federation: A First Step toward Creating a Barrier-Free Internet
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by Anatoliy D. Popko, Head of the Information Technology Department, “Rehacomp” on-Governmental Institution of Professional Rehabilitation and Training of the All-Russian Society of the Blind; Anatoliy J. Kamynin, Founder and Administrator of the Tiflocomp.ru portal, a leading Russian Internet resource on Adaptive Technology for the Blind and Visually Impaired, April 2010; Reproduced with the kind permission from the “Information Society Magazine” translated from Russian to English by UNIC Moscow.
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UNESCO Consultative Meeting on Mainstreaming ICTs for Persons With Disabilities to Access Information and Knowledge
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UNESCO, in cooperation with the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict), conducted a consultative
expert meeting to discuss how UNESCO could assist its Member States in facilitating social inclusion of persons with disabilities through information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Eighty-nine countries have ratifi ed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), committing them to ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy all human rights on an equal basis. A number of the general principles included in the CRPD are directly linked to UNESCO’s mandate. In order to facilitate the implementation process of the CRPD, UNESCO, in cooperation with the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict), organized a consultative meeting on 22-23 February 2010 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This report provides an overview of the background and rationale for this meeting, and a description of the process for and content of this meeting, is well as the outcomes of this meeting and their implications for action by UNESCO.
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AGE-ANEC-EDF Response to the European Commission's Communication "Towards an Accessible Information Society" (COM/2008/804 final)
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AGE-ANEC-EDF Response to the European Commission's Communication "Towards an Accessible Information Society."
ICT have a crucial role to play in everyday life of consumers of all ages and abilities and are gateways to education, work and leisure. Therefore, AGE, the European Older People’s Platform, ANEC, the European consumer voice in standardisation, and the European Disability Forum (EDF) are responding to the European Commission (EC)’s Communication “Towards an accessible information society”.
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The Accessibility Imperative
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"The Accessibility Imperative" is the first attempt made to present in one comprehensive volume the challenges and opportunities of implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in matters of accessibility to Information and Communication Technologies. The Convention at large - and more specifically its Article 9 - creates the first universal framework specifically addressing these issues which affect over 600,000,000 persons living with disabilities worldwide.
"The Accessibility Imperative" is the first attempt made to present in one comprehensive volume the challenges and opportunities of implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in matters of accessibility to Information and Communication Technologies. The Convention at large - and more specifically its Article 9 - creates the first universal framework specifically addressing these issues which affect over 600,000,000 persons living with disabilities worldwide. This book was developed based upon the proceedings of the first Global Forum of the G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on March 26, 2007. It presents the perspective of multiple stakeholders from all regions of the world and from a variety of backgrounds: industry, policy makers, international institutions, academia, and non-governmental organizations representing persons living with disabilities. Additional editorial content was contributed to G3ict and included in this first edition from meetings held in Russia, Korea, and the United States during the Spring of 2007. With 129 countries having signed the Convention as of May 2008, the scope of legislative and regulatory work which will take place over the next few years in matters of ICT accessibility is considerable. This first edition will be the first reference made available to policy makers and their many constituents to facilitate the process of identifying the best path towards effective implementation of the Convention.
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G3ict-ITU Toolkit for Policy Makers on e-Accessibility & Service Needs for Persons with Disabilities - Table of Contents
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Designed to provide a comprehensive online resource for all stakeholders involved in implementing the digital accessibility agenda of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the G3ict ITU Toolkit is making good progress towards completion by the end of March 2009. The Toolkit was announced jointly by G3ict and ITU on April 21, 2008. The complete table of contents of the Toolkit can be downloaded here.
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G3ict-ITU Toolkit for Policy Makers - Goals and Objectives
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ITU-D and G3ict announced at their joint Global Forum (Geneva, April 21, 2008) that they would collaborate in the development of an online toolkit for policy makers on e-Accessibility.
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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, October 2008
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Published monthly by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), this October 2008 issue focuses on a key piece of legislation, the Broadband Data Improvement Act that was signed into law this past month. The Act seeks to improve broadband deployment throughout the nation, especially in underserved areas by advancing federal data collection efforts to inform subsequent legislation and regulatory rulemakings. In addition, the law has the aim of enhancing economic development, furthering public safety in communities, improving health care and educational opportunities, and providing a better quality of life for all Americans through more comprehensive deployment of broadband services.
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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, September 2008
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Published monthly by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), this September 2008 issue focuses on legislative activity addressing emerging technologies and accessibility by persons with disabilities.
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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, July/August 2008
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Published monthly by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), this July/August 2008 issue focuses on legislative activity addressing emerging technologies and accessibility by persons with disabilities.
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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, May 2008
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Published monthly by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), this May 2008 issue focuses on The House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet hearing discussing the draft legislation "Enhancing Access to Broadband Technology and Services for Persons with Disabilities."
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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, April 2008
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Published monthly by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), this April 2008 issue focuses on how reducing wireless accessibility barriers has been a recurring theme in recent legislation in the U.S. Congress.
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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, March 2008
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Published monthly by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), this March 2008 issue focuses on regulators at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and how the Commission raised a total of $19.592 billion in its auction of 700MHz airwaves that concluded March 19, 2008.
Read below for more information on RERC Efforts in the AT&T Press Release:
RERC Efforts Acknowledged in AT&T Press Release 03.13.2008 - In an effort to encourage application developers and handset manufacturers to consider the needs of seniors or customers who have disabilities when designing products and services, AT&T Inc. announced through a press release that the company's approach to Universal Design will be made publicly available for the first time. AT&T embraces the concept of Universal Design and has urged its handset and software partners to consider this methodology as they develop wireless products and applications. AT&T's recently launched Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier applications are examples of accessible products and services that result from innovative collaboration and design.
In creating its Universal Design methodology, AT&T consulted with many leading experts, such as the Wireless RERC. By making AT&T's Universal Design methodology available on its website, the company is hoping all developers of wireless products and applications will consider how future designs can create accessible products, like Mobile Magnifier and Mobile Speak. "Integration of Universal Design into business practice is fundamental to our mission of equitable access to wireless technologies for people of all ages and abilities," said Jim Mueller, project director, User-Centered Research, Wireless RERC. "We're glad that AT&T shares our commitment and is making its Universal Design methodology publicly available."
AT&T's document on Universal Design [http://developer.att.com/universaldesign].
AT&T's resources for people with disabilities [http://www.wireless.att.com/about/disability-resources/disability-resources.jsp]
[Source: AT&T]
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Assessment of the Status of eAccessibility in Europe
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This Executive Summary of Measuring Progress of eAccessibility in Europe (MeAC) is a report from a study commissioned by the European Commission in 2006 as a follow up to the eAccessibility Communication of 2005. The basic aim was the provide an evidence base to support the future deveopment of EU policy in the eAccessibility field.
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Web Accessibility in Context, an Investigation into Standardisation Issues
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This study has set out to investigate the apparent gap between current published guidelines on accessibility and the current practice of web developers, and the tools used by the developers to create accessible websites.
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Speech by World Blind Union (WBU) President on the Occassion of the Launching of the "Global Right to Read" Campaign
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Read the speech made by WBU President Dr. William Rowland in Amsterdam on Wednesday 23rd April 2008 on the occasion of WBU’s Press Conference launching the Global Right to Read Campaign.
This document also contains a press release announcing the launch of the Global Right to Read Campaign.
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State of the eNation Accessibility Reports: Social Networking Web sites
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Today many services are only available, or offered at a discounted rate on the Internet. Other Web sites provide vital information or functionality. If a Web site doesn't meet a base level of accessibility then it will be impossible for a large number of disabled visitors to use. Many others with some sort of limiting condition will also have great difficulty.
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Summary of the Discussion Draft of the “21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act”
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Summary of the discussion draft of the bill entitled "21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act", which aims to establish new safeguards for disability access to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind as technology changes and the United States migrates to the next generation of Internet-based and digital communication technologies.
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U.S. 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act Discussion Draft
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The discussion draft of the bill entitled "21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act" aims to establish new safeguards for disability access to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind as technology changes and the United States migrates to the next generation of Internet-based and digital communication technologies.
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Clas Thoren's Response to Professor Hajime Yamada’s Paper on ICT Accessibility Standardization and Its Use in Policy Measures
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Clas Thoren, Development Strategist at Verva, the Swedish Administrative Development Agency, offers a response to Professor Hajime Yamada's white paper on "ICT Accessibility Standardization and Its Use in Policy Measures".
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ICT Accessibility Standardization and Its Use in Policy Measures
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Professor Hajime Yamada of Toyo University explores the issue of third party versus self-certification of ICT accessibility standards.
Read Clas Thoren's, Development Strategist at Verva, the Swedish Administrative Development Agency, response to Professor Hajime Yamada's white paper on "ICT Accessibility Standardization and Its Use in Policy Measures".
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