International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October 2009 The Importance of IGF for Scalable Low-Cost Internet Access for Persons with Disabilities Fernando H. F. Botelho, Director of Product Development Literacy Bridge ITU Workshop on Accessibility/Atelier UIT sur l’accessibilité Bamako, Mali 13 – 15 October 2009

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October IGF is a response to the WSIS “A new forum for a multi-stakeholder dialogue”. The mandate of the IGF is to discuss the main public policy issues related to Internet governance in order to foster the Internet’s sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development. Source: Paragraph 72 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society:

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October IGF's Participants are as Diverse as Internet Users Governments, the private sector, civil society, the academic and technical communities as well as intergovernmental organizations are represented. The Internet evolved from a platform for scientific and academic work to one which permeates society and its very diverse groups.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Persons with Disabilities are Part of Every Group Everything the IGF is designed to assist stakeholders in reaching a consensus about: from basic principles to technical standards, legal framework, and environmental impact to language diversity; are also matters persons with disabilities care about. Persons with disabilities are a group that is as diverse as society and one which cares about all that the IGF is designed to discuss and resolve plus disability-specific matters.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Taking a Holistic Approach The Internet requires and the IGF delivers a holistic model for thinking of problems and how we may address them. Persons with disabilities and their needs with regards to the Internet also require a holistic approach. The ability of a blind or deaf person, for example, to use the Internet efficiently and effectively does not depend purely on HTML guidelines, but on the technical configuration of the entire digital ecosystem. Persons with disabilities have specific needs from the desktop software to the communication protocols they use.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October 2009 Fernando Botelho's Interpretation The Accessibility Pyramid Assistive Technology: Screen reading or magnification software, augmentative communications software, virtual keyboards, etc. Software Applications: and instant messaging client, word processor or spreadsheet software, web browser, etc. Fundamental Standards for Accessibility: Communication protocols, file standards, and interfaces.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October The Versus Instant Messaging Case Study Why did we not have controversy regarding the ability of blind persons to access electronic mail but we did face conflict between blind citizens and a company that developed and distributed an inaccessible instant messaging software in the late 1990s?

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October 2009 Every Sector of Society Has Its Limitations Private corporations have failed again and again to take into account the design needs of persons with disabilities: They often have huge competitive pressures, little or no legal requirements regarding software design, and little understanding of the needs of minority groups such as persons with disabilities.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October 2009 Every Sector of Society Has Its Limitations Governments have failed again and again to understand and regulate effectively the digital realm: Governments can be slow to react to innovation since many of them are democratic in nature or simply slow to move, most do not understand that treating the digital realm using models developed for industrial products will result in little competition or monopolies, they also have to balance the need to allow as much freedom as possible to innovators while regulating established businesses.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Every Sector of Society Has Its Limitations Civil societies have failed to understand and effectively communicate to society the challenges presented by digital ecosystems. Civil society organizations usually have very limited funding relative to the challenges they face and they typically cannot act on emerging issues with the needed impact and speed.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Each Sector of Society Also Brings With It Great Strengths The unparalleled efficiency of the private sector, the large scale impact of the public sector, and the values and morality of civil society organizations are some of these strengths. However, neither the strengths nor weaknesses of the various sectors of society change significantly between the wide-spread adoption of and that of instant messaging. Why were these technologies so different in their levels of accessibility for persons with disabilities?

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October The Difference an Open Standard Makes The answer is of course: Open Standards. The fundamental difference was that the open protocol used in allowed for competition and consumer choice.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Focus on the Base of the Accessibility Pyramid When the base of the digital ecosystem pyramid is sound, society's government, businesses, or organizations need not have all the answers all the time. It is essential though that the base of the pyramid be built on the sound foundation of open standards.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October File Standards - Different Story with the Same Plot Open file standards function as open communication protocols, they allow diversity in the software used to create and edit them. No person with a disability (or no person with any special need), will depend on the corporation, government agency, or NGO that created the software to understand perfectly his or her needs.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Interfaces - Software and Hardware Specifications In the software realm we need applications or operating systems to have what are sometimes called hooks that assistive technologies can use to interact effectively. In the hardware realm we need telephones and other devices to conform to certain standards so that plugs can be connected and devices such as TTY can be used widely. Once again agreement on standards that are open for everyone to implement enable competition, higher levels of accessibility and usability, and generally better access for everyone.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October 2009 Why Has It Not Been That Easy? Society needs to define concepts such as: Open standards; Significant social and economic activities; Mature technologies; and much more. How does this discussion relate to cost?

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Low Cost Assistive Technologies - Why are they important? 2/3 of unemployed persons with disabilities in the United States would like to work but cannot find jobs. 90% of children who are blind or visually impaired in developing countries have no access to education. 99% of women with disabilities in developing countries are illiterate. Clear signs that the current strategies are failing miserably. Sources: ILO: UN: International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI); "Strategic Goals "; 2002.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Current Assistive Technology Model Developing countries try to purchase or get donations of technologies being used in wealthy countries. Persons with disabilities in developed economies cannot afford assistive technologies and most of it is purchased by government agencies. While open communication protocols, file standards, and interfaces could help persons with disabilities in wealthy economies by increasing competition, they are absolutely essential in developing countries.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October 2009 IGF - A Forum for Dialog, a Forum for Answers The complexities of defining: What can be considered an open standard, be it a communication protocol, file, or interface; When new technologies should be regulated; Which technologies should be regulated; What government support if any should industry receive; What role persons with disabilities should play in the process of reaching a balance between the freedom to innovate and the rights of citizens to use new technologies;

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October 2009 IGF - A Forum for Dialog, a Forum for Answers The complexities of defining: Are some of the questions that can only be answered through a dialog between the many stakeholders participating at the IGF. While each one of us will have our own answers to many of these questions, the only way we can advance in a scale that is large enough to meet the needs of our citizens, including those with disabilities, is by including all major sectors of society. This is why the IGF is important in our quest for low and no cost assistive technologies and Internet access.

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility Bamako, Mali, 13 – 15 October Thank you! Fernando H. F. Botelho Botelho & Paula Consultoria Solutions that scale. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.