TMCnet News
Society: Second thoughts: Technology should be tailored to make life easier for disabled people, says Robin Christopherson(Guardian (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) It is increasingly impossible to live and participate in society without access to digital devices. As someone who is passionate about technology, I'm worried that not enough is being done to make them accessible to all. The longer the digital inequality gap is allowed to grow, the more polarised people with accessibility requirements, like myself, will become. If it is widely accepted that technology has the power to transform lives, why not include those of us where it has even greater potential? At accessibility charity AbilityNet, we regularly assess technology. Even surfing the web is still fraught with difficulties since 85% of websites and 80% of digital devices do not have accessibility features built in. One of the big ways we are highlighting and motivating the "technology for good" movement is through our Tech4Good Awards supported by BT. From corporates to grassroots initiatives, the awards highlight the inventive ways new technology can resolve problems. Barclays won the Tech4Good Accessibility Award last year for giving 3,500 cash machines across the UK audio capability. This allows customers to respond to audio instruction using a pair of headphones plugged into a connection in the cash machine. Until it took this action, less than 70 of the 64,000 cash machines in the UK were "talking ATMs", so if I, or any other blind or visually impaired person, had needed to withdraw money we had to find a bank branch - a bit of a challenge if you can't see. Or I could ask a stranger for help which would involve giving them my pin number and trusting that they wouldn't either take out as much money as they wanted and run off with my cash, the card and the pin or take out more than I asked for, give me back what I needed and leave me none the wiser until I got my next statement. Quite the dilemma, and all just to withdraw some money! Barclays is also issuing high-visibility cards to help customers use their card in ATMs and chip and pin devices. The powerful thing is that other banks are now following suit. Our recent research has found that 44% of British people say they want a public commitment on accessibility from all organisations with a digital interface. Businesses should think about accessibility as more than a siloed, corporate social responsibility tickbox exercise. The disabled "purple pound" is growing and there is an economic benefit to ensuring that the development of technological products and services factor in general usability. Robin Christopherson is head of digital inclusion at AbilityNet. Nominate entrants for the Tech4GoodAwards at tech4goodawards.com/nominate-now/. Entries close on 6 May (c) 2014 Guardian Newspapers Limited. |