Tools and technologies – devices, software and services

From ApcAccess

Issues and Strategies

Rapporteur: Sally Jean Shackelton Moderator: Julian Casasbuenas

- Julian Casabuenas: Introducing the Topic

- John Dada: Low cost computers presentation

- Susy Struble: FOSS and access to infrastructure

- Rosangela Bieler-Berman: People with disabilities

Issues Identified:

- we have yet to understand spectrum issues and impact with regard to mobile devices

- the issues has close links with affordability

- low cost must also mean low energy

- accessibility can be linked to and ensured through standards

- creating access should be inclusive – this relates to universal design

- There is diverse function in the environment we live in

- Disabled people are 100% of the population in their lifetimes – in other words people have different functioning during their life times

- Information must be accessible to all

- We need to enable new business models – challenge the fact that standards consortia are controlled by private companies and are for US and Europe

- Language is a big issue in access for all and social inclusion

- Accessibility standards for all – how do we enforce existing standards and who do we include the issue onto the broad social inclusion agenda?

Tools: open Book reading machine (digitising books) open source access screen reader on a pin drive

Strategies:

- Civil society – should unpack the issue of standards

- Accessibility must be included in web awards either as an award itself or as a mainstreamed issue

- We must raise awareness in the open source movement

- We can form a watchdog body to collect information, suggest action, develop best practice and alert civil society to new developments

- Conduct a survey of the accessibility of emergency information in different countries and use this to shame governments

- Create local employment opportunities for building low cost and low energy computers

- Develop low energy software that is open source and raise awareness

- Conduct research on the breakdown of the real cost for low energy and cost computers

- Lobby for transparent labelling on energy use of computers and educate the consumer

- Open standards – those that operate under an open standard must be able to provide a test, 2 reference examples in practice, and must be royalty free.

- We must investigate and intervene in government procurement practices.

- We must investigate the real, long term costs of government spending on technology

- Create, brand and promote open standards products, create a demand for products based on open standards

- Enter closed and non-transparent spaces dominated by commercial interests

- Shift from response to shaping the agenda

- Develop good practice models

- Watch health care data, systems and standards

- Create samples of open standard examples with regard to sustainability, energy consumption, right to repair, privacy, emergency, document format and accessibility

- Secure standards as a public good and a social issue

- Use renewable resources in design of low cost PCs

- Local assembly of low cost computing for technology transfer.

- Make clear recommendations or a check list of issues that should be included in standards

- Standards should encourage the re-use of technologies