The Accessibility Imperative
|
|
"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.
|
The Accessibility Imperative: DAISY Format
|
|
The downloadable file is an audio version of "The Accessible Imperative", which conforms to DAISY/NISO standards (Digital Talking Book). This edition is accessible to visually-impaired or otherwise print-disabled persons.
|
Webcast on Assistive Technologies: Leveraging ICTs for Persons with Disabilities, Challenges and Opportunities
|
|
Compiled by G3ict , this Webcast was presented at the ITU Regional Workshop on "ICT Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities," held in Lusaka, Zambia (July 15-16, 2008)
|
EU - Total Conversation and Emergency Call 112
|
|
EU press release and packet regarding the EU announcement of stepped up efforts to use a single emergency phone number to call for assistance – 112 and implementing a pilot service, “Total Conversation”, making the 112 number accessible to all across Europe.
|
Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, June 2008
|
|
Published monthly by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), this June 2008 issue focuses on The House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management hearing discussing the introduction of proposed legislation entitled \"Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2008\" and the passing of the \"New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008\" that includes a directive to improve access to 911 and enhanced 911 services for people with disabilities.
|
Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, May 2008
|
|
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."
|
Technology and Disability Policy Highlights, April 2008
|
|
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.
|
Web Accessibility at General Electric
|
|
Preety Kumar, Founder, President, and CEO of Deque Systems, Inc., discusses the significance of web accessibility and how General Electric recognized the necessity of accessible techniques in regards to making Web sites accessible to persons with disabilities.
|
Assessment of the Status of eAccessibility in Europe
|
|
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.
|
Joint ANEC-EDF Position on eAccessibility
|
|
This joint ANEC/EDF position paper expresses views on the accessibility of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) products and services by consumers of all ages and abilities.
|
Finding the Gaps: A Comparative Analysis of Disability Laws in the United States to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
|
|
"Finding the Gaps: A Comparative Analysis of Disability Laws in the United States to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" was written by John Vaughn, the Chairperson of the National Council on Disability. The purpose of this paper is to help the NCD, and others, better understand how the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, if ratified by the United States, might impact U.S. disability laws by examining the degree to which U.S. law is consistent with the CRPD. The paper endeavors to analyze the issue in the way a treaty monitoring body would - to see if any area within federal law contravenes the Convention and/or whether there are gaps where legislation or practice might be introduced or reformed to ensure compliance.
|
Impact of Technology Trends on e-Inclusion Policy and Practice
|
|
The technologies used in information and communication products are advancing at an ever increasing rate. Devices are getting smaller, lighter, cheaper, and more capable. Electronics are being incorporated into practically everything, making a wide variety of products programmable, and thus more flexible. Computing power is increasing exponentially. What requires a supercomputer one year can be done on a child's game player 15 years later.
|
An Avatar Based Approach for Automatic Interpretation of Text to Sign Language
|
|
Written by Mohamed Jemni and Oussama Elghoul, this paper describes a current project at the University of Tunis to develop, for the deaf community, a tool facilitating communication through the Web. The aim of this tool is to interpret automatically texts in visual-gestural-spatial language by using Avatar technology.
|
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center's (RERC) First Report on the Findings of the Survey of User Needs (SUN)
|
|
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.
|
