Developing and Maintaining an

Accessibility Eco-System to

Ensure Sustainability of

Assistive Technology Solutions

Presented by:

Harry Lew. BASc, P.Eng., CUA

Manager of R&D

June 2013

We use technology, knowledge, and passion to empower Canadians with

physical disabilities.

What is an Eco-System?

“An eco-system the complex relationships that exist among the

stakeholders/participants of a sector or community. Each

stakeholder/participant that lives in the eco-system is dependent on

the members of the eco-system. If one part of the eco-system

disappears then everyone is affected. When an eco-system is

healthy it is sustainable which means all elements are in balance

and are capable to reproducing itself. “

Accessible Mobile Technology Eco-System Participants:

1) people with disabilities that use mobile device and

consume the services

2) mobile device manufacturers who create the primary

platform for accessing the services

3) AT developers and manufacturer that create

devices/applications that facilitate access to the mobile

devices

4) wireless service providers (WSP) that provide the medium

(wireless connection) to access services and in some

cases service themselves

5) regulatory agencies that set the terms of reference for the

eco-system and create an imperative around accessibility

(demand pull)

Introduction

Assistive Technology (AT) Solutions are transitory in nature

unless they are supported by a well defined and well

developed eco-system.

Challenges to Developers in the Eco-System are:

- quickly changing technology

- the lack of industry wide accepted descriptions of what

defines each on the disability communities, the sub-groups

of users within each community and the functional

description of abilities of each user within the sub-group

- the lack of standards or guidelines on what makes up the

technical aspect of an accessibility strategy which each

mobile device manufacturer and service provider

- Market and regulatory forces that do not pro-active

encourage adoption of more formal accessibility strategies

Lack of common Definitions

- Outside of the disability community a lot of myths still exist about the

nature of disability

Myth 1: Mobility impairment group is characterized with

the needs of only a single class user

Myth 2: The needs of the mobility impaired community

is too difficult to deal with – “There are too

many issues”

Example 1: Mobile Manufacturing Forum selection tool

http://www.mobileaccessibility.info/findphones-step2.cfm

MOBILITY/DEXTERITY FEATURES

Speaker-phone capable Hands free operation during dialling and

after call initiated Hands free operation during dialling and after call

initiated

Text Messaging Service Capable Can all the text message

features supported be read, composed and sent using the phone's

screen and/or keypad Can all the text message features

supported be read, composed and sent using the phone's screen

and/or keypad

.

Example 1 Mobile Manufacturers’ Forum cont’d

Predictive Text Input Helps you write text messages more quickly

by predicting words from the first few letters you type. Helps you

write text messages more quickly by predicting words from the first

few letters you type.

Guarded/recessed keys Individual keys are recessed or guarded

in some way to reduce the chance that you will press the wrong key

Individual keys are recessed or guarded in some way to reduce the

chance that you will press the wrong key

Device Coupling - Cable Allows customised devices to work with

the phone

Example 1 Mobile Manufacturers’ Forum cont’d

Device Coupling - Infrared Allows customised devices to work with the

phone.

Device Coupling - Bluetooth/WLAN Allows customised devices to work

with the phone.

Flat Back for Table Top Operation Has a flat back, so it can be used

while it is lying on a table

Automatic Answer You can set it to answer all calls automatically without

you having to do anything.

Example 1 Mobile Manufacturers’ Forum cont’d

Automatic Redial You can set it to automatically redial if the

number you called is busy or unavailable.

Any Key Answering Can the user answer the call by pressing any

key?

Voice Recognition for Dialing Allows you to dial a number by

speaking the person’s name, if it is stored in your contact list (a

personal ‘telephone book’ you create in your phone)

Example 1 Mobile Manufacturers’ Forum cont’d

Hand Movement Some controls require you to pinch or twist them

with your fingers, or rotate your wrist

Voice recognition for accessing features Allows you to activate

features by speaking commands into the phone, reducing the need

to use the keypad

Example 2: Regulatory Process in Canada

- CRTC held regulatory hearing on the unmet needs in regards to

people with disabilities in 2008

- in 2009 CRTC issued a directive that asked all Canadian Wireless

Service Providers “to carry at least one handset that met the needs

of people who have vision, moderate to severe mobility

impairments and cognitive impairment”

-A follow in 2010 of what Canadian Wireless Service providers were

offering showed it had not changed

Example 2: Regulatory Process in Canada cont’d

- A lot of people did not know about the ruling. There was an active

effort by the disability community to file complaints.

- Response from the wireless service providers are that no problems

exist as the Mobile Manufacturing Forum has a category for mobility

impairment

- “The problem is too complex there is no solution”

- “If it formalized then we have to do something about it.”

High Level Definition of People with Mobility Impairments

Mild

-some impairment of dexterity (range of motion of fingers and wrists)

-potential impairment of strength

Moderate

- no dexterity

- use of arms

- potential impairment of strength

Severe

- no dexterity

- no use of arms

* sub-categories of user who are vocal and those who non-vocal

Lack of Complete and Formal Accessibility Strategies by the

Mobile Device Manufacturers

- Assistive Technology Developers have no formal standards or

guidelines to work from when interfacing AT to mobile devices

(No holistic approach to accessibility) – no leveraging of the existing

AT solutions for Personal Computers (PC)

- Assistive Technology Developers have to often rely on

undocumented Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

- Internal groups with the responsibility for accessibility do not have

the mandate to ensure that APIs are preserved in future versions of

the device or suggest changes to the device without a regulatory

imperative

Lack of Formal Accessibility Strategy by Wireless Service

Providers

- Wireless Service Providers are relying too much on the

incomplete/flawed strategies put forward by the mobile device

manufacturers (CVAA makes them responsible too)

- Wireless Service Providers (WSPs) have a place in the eco-system

by create a demand pull from mobile device manufacturers

- WSPs can create formal technical procurement criteria for each

disability groups (WSPs procurement criteria are testable)

Market and Regulatory Forces to Encourage Adoption of

Accessibility Strategies

- There is no compelling business case for addressing

accessibility

- Most gains in accessibility in ICT has been made

through regulation (Section 508 American

Disabilities Act and Section 255 of the American

Telecommunications Act)

- Regulatory process is slow but effective

Parallels between the PC Industry and the Mobile Technology

Industry

- new green field opportunity create a lot of competitors

(IBM, Apple, Commodore, Amiga, Apricot, Radio Shack,

Timex)

- AT developers saw the opportunity and started to develop

an array of assistive technologies based on this new

technologies

- Obsolescence of PC platforms and the lack of standards

around interfaces diluted the impact of the Assistive

Technology

- Maturing of the market place reduced the number of

competitors

- Regulation created a demand pull for assistive technology

Parallels between the PC Industry and the Mobile Technology

Industry cont’d

- standardization of interfaces and API allowed AT solutions to

remain on the market longer and more devices to become

commercially viable

“There is not an App for that !”

Applications (Apps) are not a substitute for a well thought out

and complete accessibility strategy with the appropriate

“infrastructure”.

Informal working group made of up members from the Assistive

Technology Industry Association (ATIA) and

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) trying to create

definitions of mobility impairment and guidelines for implementing an

accessibility strategy for people with mobility impairments

A Sustainable Assistive Technology

Eco-system can be a reality!

Contact Information:

Harry Lew

Manager of R&D

EMAIL:harryl@neilsquire.ca

Ph: 604-412-7599