| |
|
|
| FRESH
CALLS FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TO BE FOR ALL |
08/10/03 |
| |
The
RNID has renewed calls for access to IT and technology to be universal,
regardless of disabilities or preferences.
The group believes that, while technology can offer disabled people significant
benefits in their daily lives, it has also raised new barriers to opportunity
and fulfilment, resulting sometimes in even greater social and economic
exclusion.
John Low, chief executive at RNID says: "Technology must take the needs
of everyone into account, regardless of their abilities and preferences.
Otherwise, there is a real danger that groups like deaf, hard of hearing
and speech impaired people will face increasing barriers in our Information
Society.
"RNID is keen to exploit the huge opportunities that technology offers
and is committed to working with designers, manufactures and service providers
to ensure that their products and services support deaf, hard of hearing
and speech impaired people.
"One in seven people in the UK is deaf and hard of hearing, representing
a massive untapped market, but this is rarely reflected in product design
decisions."
RNID has developed initiatives to harness the potential of technology and
improve access for deaf and hard of hearing people.
These include enabling access for deaf people to mobile communications through
creating appropriate software, developing projects which use technology
to improve accessibility of telephone conversations for hard of hearing
people and the development of avatar technology to deliver information in
sign language through the use of virtual humans.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
