Around 10% of the total population is with disabilities and it is not limited to mental or physical impairment. 3% of the population can neither hear, nor speak. It is very difficult for these people to express during emergency situations like when they are attacked or need medical assistance. Devices available for their communication are generally very expensive and unaffordable for the underprivileged people in Bangladesh.
a2i collaborated with its in-house innovation lab and upgraded the product into a smarter device. The upgraded product looks like a mobile phone but without calling features. The device has been locally developed in order to promote local innovation and utilization of in-house local expertise. The device is the lowest price in the national and international market.
Ministry of social welfare has committed to support a2i in ensuring donors to make this device available to relevant stakeholders. a2i has partnered with Edison group to ensure maintenance support of this device throughout the country.

http://ideabank.gov.bd/projects/146

• Bangladesh

• People with disabilities
• The poor
• Remote and rural communities

The low cost communication device is a frugal innovation in Bangladesh context. As it improves accessibility of people with speech disability and cost is lower than local and international market this technology could be transferred to developing countries. With the simple but effective technology, similar projects can be initiated in other countries and also in other accessibility areas.

To ensure sustainability of the project a2i has taken strategies for making this device commercially. The device will need to be purchased from a2i and it will also be assembled under innovation lab of a2i. Ministry of social welfare has committed to support a2i in ensuring donors to make this device available to relevant stakeholders. a2i has partnered with Edison group to ensure maintenance support of this device throughout the country.

The common desire and commitment reflected in WSIS Declaration of principles is to to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life, premised on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and respecting fully and upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This initiative is aligned with WSIS Action line C2: Information and communication infrastructure: an essential foundation for the Information Society. Specifically, action 6 under C2 Encourage the design and production of ICT equipment and services so that everyone, has easy and affordable access to them including older people, persons with disabilities, children, especially marginalized children, and other disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and promote the development of technologies, applications, and content suited to their needs, guided by the Universal Design Principle and further enhanced by the use of assistive technologies. And, it is followed by the initiative to assist people with speech disability.