Enabling Access for Persons with Disabilities to Higher Education and Workplace: Role of ICT and Assistive Technologies
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Enabling Access for Persons with Disabilities to Higher Education and Workplace: Role of ICT and Assistive Technologies is an editorial publication released on the conference of the same name in January 2012 in Bangalore, India. It compiles best practices, case studies and personal stories of overcoming barriers to inclusion in higher education and employment for persons with disabilities.
With the intent of generating awareness and creating an atmosphere of equal opportunity towards inclusivity at academic institutions and workplaces across India, this publication - released on the occasion of the Enabling Access conference - is an initiative in bringing the key stakeholders of industry, NGOs and educational institutes together on a platform where best practices and case studies can be discussed.
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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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Addressing the Proposed WIPO International Instrument on Limitations and Exceptions for Persons with Print Disabilities: Recommendation or Mandatory Treaty?
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The Information Society Project at Yale Law School Releases White Paper Addressing the Proposed WIPO International Instrument on Limitations and Exceptions for Persons with Print Disabilities
This Working Paper addresses the proposed WIPO International Instrument on Limitations and Exceptions for Persons with Print Disabilities. The authors conclude that if WIPO wants to achieve compliance, this proposed instrument should be binding hard law. Enacting this agreement as soft law would undermine the goal of making copyrighted works accessible to persons with print disabilities. Authors: Margot Kaminski, Yale University - Yale Information Society Project; Yale University - Information Society Project; Yale University - Law School; Shlomit Yanisky-Ravid, Yale Law School; ONO Academic College; Yale University - Information Society Project
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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.
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Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook
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The goal of “Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook” is to provide guidance to cultural administrators on accessibility and inclusion
for creating new or opening up existing programs to include individuals with disabilities and older adults, whether as staff, volunteers, program participants or audience members. Produced by: National Endowment of the Arts, National Endowment of the Humanities, National Assembly of State Art Agencies, and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Since the disability rights movement rose to prominence in the 1970s, federal legislation has been passed, and disabled individuals are finally becoming part of the cultural mainstream. Great strides have been made, particularly in architectural and program access. Many Americans with disabilities now have the opportunity to create and participate fully in the arts and humanities. Much work, however, remains to be done. “Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook” represents an update of the Arts Endowment's "The Arts and 504” (1992) with additional information from the 700-page “Design for Accessibility: An Arts Administrator’s Guide” produced by the Arts Endowment and NASAA in 1994. This resource is designed to help you not only comply with Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, but to assist you in making access an integral part of your organization’s planning, mission, programs, outreach, meetings, budget and staffing.
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The Design of Human-Powered Access Technology
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In this paper, the authors frame recent developments in human computation in the historical context of accessibility, and outline a framework for discussing new advances in human-powered access technology. Authors: Jeffrey P. Bigham, Richard E. Ladner and Yevgen Borodin.
People with disabilities have always overcome accessibility problems by enlisting people in their community to help. The Internet has broadened the available community and made it easier to get on-demand assistance remotely. In particular, the past few years have seen the development of technology in both research and industry that uses human power to overcome technical problems too difficult to solve automatically. The paper presents a set of 13 design principles for humanpowered access technology motivated both by historical context and current technological developments. We then demonstrate the utility of these principles by using them to compare several existing human-powered access technologies.
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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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e-Accessibility Policy Handbook for Persons With Disabilities (Russian Version)
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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. This is the Russian translation of the same.
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. For more information on the translation initiative by UNIC Russia, visit: http://www.unic.ru/news_inf/viewer.php?uid=164
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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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The Clear Print Standard: Arguments for a Flexible Approach
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This report makes recommendations for a more flexible and practicable version of the Clear Print guidelines published by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) for adoption within the public sector.
As well as Large Print for people with impaired vision, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) also publishes Clear Print guidelines for general use. These have been widely adopted in the public sector. In these notes we take a critical look at what they say about type size, and the evidence on which the standard is based. We support the idea of a minimum type size for normal text, but question the inflexibility which inhibits some organisations from using even slightly smaller sizes for diagrams and tables – features that can make information clearer. We make recommendations for a more flexible and practicable version.
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Sightsavers Policy Paper - Making Inclusive Education a Reality
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Sightsavers policy paper 'Making Inclusive Education a Reality' comprehensively discusses the merits of incorporating inclusive education in mainstream schools for children with visual impairment within the broader context of universal access to education.
Sightsavers policy paper 'Making Inclusive Education a Reality' comprehensively discusses the merits of incorporating inclusive education in mainstream schools for children with visual impairment within the broader context of universal access to education. All people have a right to education. There is no single model for ensuring that ducation is inclusive and approaches continue to evolve. Inclusive education is an approach that ensures the presence, participation and achievement of all students in education. This may be in formal schools, or in non-formal places of learning, such as extra-curricular clubs and humanitarian camps. Sightsavers aim is to see increased access to an education system that fully meets the needs of visually impaired children and enables them to become productive and fulfilled members of society, whilst working to ensure that all disabled children have the opportunity to receive a quality education within a wider education system.
This policy paper was written by Juliette Myers and Sunit Bagree.
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Text version - CRPD Progress Report on ICT Accessibility 2010
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CRPD Progress Report on ICT Accessibility - Text Version
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PDF version - CRPD Progress Report on ICT Accessibility 2010
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PDF version - CRPD Progress Report on ICT Accessibility 2010
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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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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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A Case Study of One of the Most Successful Programs Designed by a Higher Education Institution to Promote Employability among Students Living with Disability
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Written by Professor Licia Sbattella, President's Delegate for Disabilities at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, this case study will be presented at the 4th Shafallah International Forum on Children with Special Needs: Achieving Independence, Doha, Qatar, April 20-22.
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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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"See it right" publication for Clear Print - RNIB
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Guidelines for Editing for Low Vision Readers - Some guidance regarding styles for leaflet from the "See it right" publication for Clear Print from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) - not a standard, but research-based.
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Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center's (RERC) First Report on the Findings of the Survey of User Needs (SUN)
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Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center's (RERC) first report on the findings of a new study aimed at surveying user needs vis-a-vis wireless technologies. The people surveyed represent a large portion of the 40 million Americans with disabilities.
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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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IGDA Accessibility in Games: Motivations and Approaches
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White paper from the International Game Developer's Association describing the necessity and steps to be taken in order to make gaming accessible to those with disabilities.
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The Accessibility Imperative: DAISY Format
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Accessibility Imperative, DAISY, G3ict research paper
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. 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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