Open software, ubiquitous assistive technologies and inclusive solutions as a way to foster global electronic inclusion

Jose Angel Martinez UseroDirector of international projects and relations at Technosite/ONCE Foundation

Roberto Torena CristóbalBrussels Office Director

AEGIS International Conference, October 8th,2010

• 15% of the total EU population having disabilities (i.e. about

74 million individuals)

• Inclusive ICT and ATs are essential for enabling full

participation in society

• These technologies mitigate barriers many people face in their

daily life environments.

• The potential beneficiaries of eAccessibility are not only

people with strictly defined disabilities.

The Socio-economic problem. Relevance of ATs

• Barriers from the market perspective:

• The fragmentation caused by different national systems

and policies, yielding to a limited and unstructured market.

• Dependency on the service delivery part of the AT value

chain

• Barriers from the users perspective:

• High purchasing costs of ATs for end-users

• Lack of availability of product information

The Socio-economic problem. The barriers of the ATs

• Barriers from the technological perspective:

• Lack of coordination mechanisms and sharing of

knowledge among AT developers lead to :

• Development redundancy with similar technologies

produced regionally

• Lack of interoperability of mainstream ICTs and ATs

• R&D projects face barriers to bringing their outcomes to

the AT market

The Socio-economic problem. The barriers of the ATs

• Redefinition of the target market barriers

• Focus on open software and cutting-edge technological trends

• Usage of web 2.0 technologies and user participation

An innovative approach

Redefinition of the target market

Focus on Open software and cutting-edge technological trends

Web 2.0 technologies and user participation

• Raise awareness, identify and involve the key actors as active

members in the network and portal

• Offer professional information and foster online discussion among key

actors about accessible products and services

• Provide reliable information contrasted by a relevant set of partners and

supporters, minimising biased information.

• Implement a set of Web 2.0 technologies to enable professionals’ and

final users’ ratings and comments on products and services.

• Facilitate users and professionals access to information about the best

solution, through a multifaceted search engine

Objectives of ATIS4all

• Support researchers’ and developers’ contact with other experts, the

exchange of knowledge and expertise, detection of synergies etc.

• Provide useful tools and resources to researchers and developers (e.g.

information about projects, studies and documents relevant in the field,

etc.)

• Provide a repository of open source assistive technology software and a

database of related developments and initiatives.

• Establish a meeting point where key actors in the field can openly

discuss and obtain feedback on their ideas, doubts, beta products,

research projects, etc.

• Ensure the continuity of the network, portal and repository beyond the

funded period.

Specific objectives of ATIS4all (2/2)

Specific results of ATIS4all

Portal

Search Engine WebsitesCommunity

Assistive Technology products

Inclusive solutions

Components

The market place

Key actors section

ATIS4all website

ETNAwebsite

Web 2.0 applications

Information

R&D community

Web 2.0 applications

Information

• The “Portal” will be the main outcome of both Thematic Networks

• ETNA’s responsibilities in yellow

• ATIS4all’s responsibilities in blue

Thanks for your attention

Jose Angel Martínez Usero

jamartinez@technosite.es

Join us!!!!

http://www.epractice.eu/community/eaccessibility