ICT to play a major role in reducing social exclusion and enabling the dis-Abled

ICT to play a major role in reducing social exclusion and enabling the dis-Abled Imagine hardware and software products providing essential accessibility to facilities, services and goods in daily life for those with significant vision, hearing, learning, language, dexterity or mobility needs.

As the ILO, World Bank, Helpage, etc. research, we see a rapidly growing proportion of our population approaching 20% composed of senior citizens. Those with restricted mobility, vision and hearing, including youth, make up an estimated 15% of our population - ie 3 Million.

Internationally two million people in the UK, research reveal, are chronically ill or disabled by back pain alone, and a further million are visually impaired. According to Aidis Trust, a charity founded to help Disabled People communicate through Information and Communication Technology, ICT is a significant force in providing choice and opportunity for Disabled People.

In a 2002 survey it was reported that: 54% of Disabled People saw internet access as essential to their quality of life; compared to only 6% of individuals in the general population. 48% of Disabled respondents to the same survey stated that the internet significantly increased their quality of life. This compares to only 27% of non-disabled respondents.

Producing accessible computers doesn’t mean expensive hardware or software. Frank Bowe, a leading
academic in the field, writes that “ICT can now help the blind to see, the speech-impaired to speak and the hearing-impaired to listen”.

“Technology that cannot be accessed, reached and used effectively by the widest increasing sectors of our population is a colossal waste of resources we no more can afford” are thoughts of a personality who is a known fighter and an activist today.

Leader on a mission

I met Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera at the ‘Passport for Digital Learning Webinar’ series organized by the U.S
Embassy which provided insights on how Social Media is used for a group of beginners, including dis-Abled.

Dr. Perera comes across as a passionate, positive, eminent individual, both academically and professionally well qualified in several unrelated fields where his achievements and contributions have gained him national recognition and international admiration.

A life blossoming with two international careers in Cricket and in Chemistry was thwarted in 1992 with the fall of a tree on his moving car in Colombo that left young Perera, instantaneously, a wheelchair user for life.

A Chartered Chemist by Profession, a Fellow of many reputed international bodies, including the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry London (FRSC); a former test-match-panel cricket umpire; he is currently the Chief Executive and Secretary-General of IDIRIYA, serving on a voluntary basis. IDIRIYA is a not-for-profit registered organisation of professionals actively promoting ‘accessible buildings’ and the use of ICT to enable people who are disadvantaged in a society based on restricted ability to improve their quality of daily life.

The organisation believes that ‘designing for inclusion of all people’ is a cost-effective indispensable wise investment paying rich dividends, and an 'act of justice, not charity', towards the society for which we all have a 'moral duty'.

IDIRIYA offers professional guidance backed by practical experience and proven competence, as to how best to do this ‘right first time’.

Modern technology and ICT, have enabled him to-day to play simultaneously several productive roles  utilising his remaining assets and skills in the form of higher education, wide knowledge and practical experience together with his commitment as a disability activist, a writer, author, speaker, presenter and an ‘accessibility advisor’ on designing building to ‘enable everyone.

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His first innings

His primary and secondary education was from Royal College Colombo and he completed his B.Sc.(Hons.) and M.Sc. from the University of Colombo whom he represented in Division – 1 and 3 Cricket over seven years as a utility all-rounder.

“A year of lecturing, three years as the Production Manager with Glaxo Ceylon, ten years with Mackwoods- Winthrop (presently GSK Ltd.) as their Senior Manager in-charge of Quality Assurance and Technical Services divisions and finally four months at Hemas Manufacturing as the Director / Senior Manager of Quality Assurance and Product Development until a ‘life-changing accident’ in 1992 November sums up my first innings”, he recalls.

He went on. “During the 80-decade, simultaneously I achieved all four of my short-term goals in cricket - qualifying professionally from England as an umpire, scorer, training instructor and later as an examiner”.

His childhood dream was obvious by now. To excel in whatever he does - small things done
extraordinarily well with great love – and thereby serving his country better as a ‘truly’ productive citizen “Now, by reason of personal adversity, I have acquired new skills and a wealth of practical knowledge, first to face the bouncers and googlies life delivers on uneven ‘playing fields’ to remain ‘Not Out’ and second to play a more productive innings with a wider range of strokes to serve better humanity and Sri Lanka” he quotes.

ICT changes lifestyle

17 years ago, at the time of the accident, the use of computers and telecommunications to retrieve and store and transmit information was never a reality. He discovered the severe restrictions of mobility, recognised the dis-Abling environments in the society and realised denial of opportunities to cherish his vision.

However, two years later, during his rehabilitation in England, it was inspirational for him to witness, how Computers and ICT have ‘ENABLED’ not only paraplegics worse than him but even quadriplegics with significantly improved quality of daily life.

In 1996 he was gifted a ‘used’ laptop and soon, with enthusiasm, he self-taught the basics of hardware
and software such as MS Office, E-mail and laptop faxing. The Internet and the search engines became invaluable as real-time encyclopaedias available 7 days/24 hrs. To young Perera.

He saw a ray of hope to fulfil his vision as ICT began to dispel dis-Ability, diminish frustration and transform thought processes and lifestyle.

Impact of ICT

Today a wide range of ‘services utilising ICT’ have surfaced to add value to quality of life laying the
foundation to his current voluntary mission of national importance ‘Enabling the dis-abled’.

He comments, “All the significant achievements of mine for the betterment of the society in particular over the last ten years could not have come but for ICT.”

“Thanks to the technology boom in Sri Lanka, things like the cordless telephone, Webinars, e-Channelling, e-learning, e-Bankingin spite of my own financial and other limitations, have already enhanced quality of my day-to-day life and that of tens of thousand others with physical and/or sensory limitations in human ability.

With the innovative mFAX service, I am enabled to receive, send and forward faxes from anywhere, anytime. With e-Photo, I could get photos printed to any size and delivered home. e-Registration programme and networking, on completion, will enable rapid exchange of documents and
eliminate the costly need to take and attach copies of birth, death and marriage certificates with applications and enhance the efficiency of public service.

Amazing amounts of time and resources when communicating with a friend, family or business clients
abroad are saved through communication modes as Skype. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter along with professional networks such as LinkedIn have already worked in several ways to my immediate advantage bringing inspiration and adding value”.

ICT can benefit Sri Lanka

According to Perera there are two pre-requisites towards a formidable and sustainable national economy. These are Optimising the Human potential and arresting its waste. and Minimising unwanted dependants and enhancing productive opportunities.

Even new public buildings and facilities continue to be dis-Abling for significant sectors of our population as their constructions violate the laws and a recent Supreme Court order. This cause colossal wastes of our limited resources and affects badly our national economy. Yet, ICT has the potential to promote these two pre-requisites.

“In the current business environment, being proficient in the use of computers and software is often
necessary for those who want to compete in the workplace. But, there is a vital need to ‘enable physical access for learning especially to those with restricted physical and sensory abilities, at an affordable price”.

He went on, “ICT should augment ways to provide urgent medical assistance, routine check-ups and
care; facilitate periodic monitoring and the management of medications, especially for those living alone; enable adult children to provide camcorders in parents’ homes to monitor and act quickly when unforeseen accidents occur”.

However, it is imperative to think about optimal use of ICT and our resources with innovativeness and
entrepreneurship on the lines of delivering low cost but high quality ICT based value-added services.

Concerns about the safe and easy access for these services to reach unhindered by the widest possible range of people in their daily use, especially the disabled and elderly, is an indispensable national need. However it is yet a dream and here are two classic examples.

“ATM machines by Banks are ‘mushrooming’. However, due to poor designs of sites and vital facilities, an estimated 30% of the potential customers are unable to use them”.

“Telecommunications is a rapidly growing industry in the Sri Lankan market. ICT facilities, especially those vital for the dis-Abled customers such as e-channelling, should soon be made available equally to all”.

It will be a cost-effective investment for leaders to outsource identified ICT related non-core functions to its businesses. Such action will promote BPO type industries and thereby create more ICT related job opportunities.

ICT Accessibility

As Perera elucidated, achievement of vital needs in life, such as education, gainful employment, shopping, recreation, safety and well being, information, revolve around how accessible and safe are the buildings and facilities associated with them.

ICT accessibility is the degree of ability to access the functionality of ICT systems by the widest range of people as possible. It is not access to information and opportunities through ICT, but physical access to the technology itself. If their locations are inaccessible, you are still un-able to make use of ICT and Systems.

Universal design is about constructing environments and designing ICT to include access to products
and services to the greatest extent possible by all people, whether they have a disability or not.

Enabling the dis-Abled

“CT has the potential to help dis-Abled people enhance their education and awareness, circumvent physical barriers, work productively, add quality to daily functioning, networking to keep actively in touch with wider groups, entertain them and thereby maintain independence.