2007 PhD Thesis Final Revised.pdf - Curtin University

internal policies reflect the need to provide this technology. Generally speaking,
there is a corporate aim towards a ‘level playing field’ and the belief that in the
future, people who are blind and vision impaired will have equal access to products
and services.
However, the formation of internal policies and the implementation of
products are not effectively catering for people with vision disabilities and as such
are directly contributing to the disability divide. This is due in part to the fact that
corporations only implement the minimum requirements as indicated by US law.
Another factor is because the provision of particular technologies which are largely
beneficial to the mainstream population, such as the GUI, have turned out to be
highly detrimental to people with vision disabilities.
The greatest problem, however, is the fact that most of the mainstream
corporations have little consultation with people who are blind or vision impaired at
the grass-roots level. This lack of a policy which could ensure consultation is
resulting in either products being developed for the small minority who have
embraced a particular product, or products which do not cater for the needs of people
who are blind or vision impaired. Essentially, both the policy and product elements
of technological provision are contributing to the disability divide. Although there
are efforts being made in some areas to address this issue, it is likely that the
recurring pattern of the disability divide identified earlier in chapter 3 will continue if
consultation with those affected is not effectively established.
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