Low-Cost Assistive Technologies that can Scale to Meet the International Accessibility Challenge

1
Low-Cost Assistive Technologies that can Scale to
Meet the InternationalAccessibility Challenge

• Fernando H. F. Botelho
• F123 Consulting
• www.F123.org/en
• Internet Governance Forum - Kenya
• September 2011

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Day-to-Day for the End-User

• An estimated 80 of all persons with disabilities
  live in developing countries and the vast
  majority cannot afford traditional assistive
  technologies which cost the equivalent of
  multiple computers.
• A small minority can use expensive technologies
  donated to NGOs, but are forced to face the cost
  barrier as soon as they attempt to pursue
  educational, internship, or employment
  opportunities outside these organizations.
• Sources
• Statistics on persons with disabilities
• http//www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.sh
  tml
• Price for the Jaws screen reader
• http//sales.freedomscientific.com/ProductInfo.asp
  x?productid340026-001

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The FOSS Alternative

• Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) offers
  assistive technologies that are either free or
  low cost thanks to the fact that multiple
  companies, organizations, governments, or
  foundations can contribute, use, or distribute
  such software.
• Examples include
• Compiz Fusion/eZoom,
• Dasher,
• eSpeak,
• Eviacam,
• F123 Motor,
• F123 Visual,
• GOK,
• NVDA,
• Orca, etc.
• Sources
• Article with examples of FOSS assistive
  technologies
• https//edutechdebate.org/assistive-technology/we-
  need-an-assistive-technology-strategy/

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The FOSS Advantage

• Assistive technologies based on Free and Open
  Source Software
• Can be modified and distributed by anyone so
  competition is intense and prices for the
  software are either free or very competitive.
• Are not controlled by any single entity so
  volunteers feel comfortable helping with
  translations and other improvements that might be
  difficult to fund if the motivation was profit.
• Social return on investments made by governments,
  foundations, or companies are extraordinary since
  millions of users can benefit from them.
• Sources
• Study shows that there are over 14 million users
  of the Gnome interface used in many
• Linux installations
• http//www.neary-consulting.com/index.php/services
  /gnome-census/
• Improvements funded by the F123 Project and The
  Mozilla Foundation will be available to over 14
  million users
• http//www.gnome.org/press/2010/10/gnome-project-r
  eceives-15000-for-accessibility-work/
• Article on the business model of FOSS companies
  that provide assistive technologies
• http//www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org/toolkit/prom
  oting_assistive_technologies/open-source

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Public Policy Opportunities

• FOSS-based assistive technologies allow
  governments to achieve a much higher social
  return on investment by reaching a much larger
  segment of the population of persons with
  disabilities for any given level of funding. Such
  a strategy can be extremely helpful in meeting
  the requirements of the UN Convention on the
  Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Governments can further optimize the
  effectiveness of their development programs by
  using
• FOSS operating systems and applications, so
  that governments and end-users do not become
  dependent on expensive complementary
  technologies
• Manuals, user guides, and other training
  materials with Creative Commons licenses to
  facilitate the spread of technology and
• procurement and other policies to support
  interoperability through open accessibility
  standards, open file formats, and communication
  protocols.
• Sources
• Article on government policies and the impact of
  open standards
• http//www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/27/T062700
  00060042PDFE.pdf
• Information on the Creative Commons license
• http//www.creativecommons.org/