Why accessibility in emerging technologies?

It is important for new emerging networks and services, for example NGN, to consider accessibility from the very beginning. When planning, developing, designing and distributing telecommunications equipment and services, developers should consider people with special requirements to ensure that they can gain the same benefits from ICT as the wider population.

Simply, it makes sound business sense for the largest number of people to have access to ICTs. And with the emerging baby boomer market and a generally increased life expectancy, more and more people will find themselves with impaired hearing, sight etc, so it becomes more and more important to take into account accessibility needs.

Taking into account the Total Conversation concept in the creation of new ICT standards will reduce the cost of having to redesign or add costly amendments later. Worldwide compatibility and interoperability is not only important for mainstream communication, but also in communication for those with accessibility needs. And for this reason accessibility needs should be regarded in the same light from the beginning.

SG 16 works with other ITU-T SGs on accessibility and its recently created checklist will help standards writers take into account needs in their recommendations.

Examples of emerging technologies

"Design for All" principles have been taken into account in NGN (next generation networks) work at an early stage. The Accessibility guidelines developed by Study Group 16 are referenced in the NGN Release 1 specifications.

IPTV will require captioning for deaf and the hard-of-hearing and live real time voice descriptions for the blind in order to be accessible. It will be important to take into account these needs in future standardization work. Accessibility needs are also important in the Home Networking standards work taking place in SG 4, 9, 15, 16, 17 and the Joint Co-ordination Activity on Home Networking. And in Cable TV, which is under the responsibility of SG 9, accessibility needs are also important.

Another emerging technology in which ITU has a hand is RFID (radio frequency identification). Applications are in the planning stage, but for example a scenario could be envisaged where someone with accessibility needs equipped with an RFID tag approaches a telephone and the RFID reader in that phone recognizes that the person is deaf and makes the necessary adjustments. And for this type of application to work on a universal scale, standards are imperative.