Accessible Americas: A path towards inclusion
In November 2014 a magical moment took place when a need met with a proposed solution. It was the opening day of the event Accessible America in Sao Paolo.
Out of 7 billion people in the world, 1 billion people live with some form of disability. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are tools that can help to improve the quality of life for all. In this context, accessibility means that the user requires to win functional access to ICTs and ensure that such functionality is provided: If you cannot see a typical screen, you need a way of understanding what is displayed on the screen; If you cannot hear the information, you need a way to obtain that information; If you cannot interact with an appliance, you need a way to do it. Inclusion, equity and sustainable development are the legs of the table on which any society rests.
In November 2014, a magical moment took place when these urgent needs coincided with a proposed solution; “Accessible America Event.” In the Americas, participants from governments, academia, the private sector, NGOs and other international agencies meet, discuss the issue, raise awareness and find solutions as they build a community in the Americas to improve the accessibility conditions in the region.
Since then, the Accessible America Event takes place every year in the month of November. The roadshow started in Brazil 2014, then through Colombia in November 2015, then Mexico in November 2016, then Costa Rica in November 2017 and finally in Jamaica 2018, before going virtual in 2019 because of the Covid 19 pandemic.
The Accessible America series has generated the following products:
Besides the products highlighted in the previous listing, on the web pages of each of the events, listed at the end of this article, you can find many presentations and other resources that may be of your interest.
From 2015, the ITU along with Samsung Brazil have organized contests on applications in the area of accessibility, receiving 95 very competitive entries in 3 editions. In 2015, the award went to Hand Talk. Hand Talk is a machine translation platform, featuring a 3D virtual interpreter, Hugo, translating Portuguese - Libras (Brazilian sign language).
In 2016, the prize was for Caecus (Lucas Manuel Sala, Argentina) and Caecus is a device and associated software that can assist a blind person to avoid obstacles. The designed device is equipped with Ultrasonic sensors, micro-camera, speaker, screen with vibration and a microphone able to grab voice and to pass it for its recognition.
In 2016, it was awarded also the “Aplicación de Símbolos de la Comunicación” (Communication Symbols Application) (Alexandre Franco de Magalhães, Brazil). This application facilitates the communication of patients who were affected by a neurological lesion (stroke, head trauma), diseases neurodegenerative and development disorders and it allows and it rehabilitates the ability to understand and formulate messages through images and audio, involving feelings, basic needs, everyday situations and others, improving thus the quality of life of many patients and facilitating their interaction with family members and other people.
In 2017, it was awarded Talk Louder(Mauro Alvarez and Fedérico Rugrancos, Argentina) in the category of ideas. Talk Louder proposes the development of a mobile digital Communicator that enables and optimizes the interaction between a deaf person and one that can hear normally who is not familiar with sign language. In the category of available products the prize went to the cloud platform Aboard (Robson Fidalgo and Thiago Lima, Brazil). Aboard is a platform made up of an application of the same name (for people with difficulties to speak), the web editor (for mediators, family, and health or education professionals) and a server (to authenticate users and to store the vocabulary produced).
In addition, within the framework of the event "America accessible IV: ICT for all" held in San José, Costa Rica, "The Trust for the Americas", the Organization of American States (OAS) and the social franchise Poeta announced the winners of the first, second and third place poet leader of change award. This award recognized three facilitators, which, by their efforts, vision, creativity and commitment, have made the difference in the work carried out with people in vulnerable situations: people with disabilities, youth at risk, women, among others. The winners were Center Poeta accessible FUNTER of El Salvador, Center Poeta accessible SOS Foundation for Universal Peace Costa Rica and the Center Poeta COPEME accessible of Chiclayo, Peru.
In November 2018, it will be held in Jamaica the Accessible America V... We will wait for you.
[1]https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/Americas/Pages/EVENTS/2014/1112-BR-Accssblty.aspx
[2]https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/Americas/Pages/EVENTS/2015/1104-CO-2ndAcce.aspx
[3]https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/Americas/Pages/EVENTS/2016/15526.aspx
[4]https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/Americas/Pages/EVENTS/2017/16948.aspx