icegov2012 proceedings

Best International Practices for Access, Ownership and
Use of Information and Communication Technologies for
People with Sensory Disabilities
Marco Peres
Universidad Externado de Colombia
Calle 28 # 13 A- 24 apartment 1304
Bogotá, D.C.- Colombia
+571 4612653
marco.peres@uexternado.edu.co
ABSTRACT
This paper aims to describe the results shown by the consultancy
report requested by the Ministry of Information Technologies and
Communications of Colombia, which highlights the programs and
projects for national and international access, ownership and use
of information technologies and communications for people with
sensory limitations in countries like Colombia, Mexico, Spain,
United States, Canada and Brazil. The dimensions underlying the
research are related to the appropriation of ICTs in education, in
access to employment and social integration, the use of electronic
means for political participation and access to the range of cultural
activities and recreation in this community.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
K.4. [Computers and Society]: Public Policy Issues
General Terms
Documentation
Keywords
Sensory impairment, digital inclusion, digital literacy
1. INTRODUCTION
According to Article nine of the UN Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, it is the obligation of States: "... so that
people with disabilities to live independently and participate fully
in all aspects of life, take appropriate measures to ensure access
for people with disabilities on an equal basis with others, the
physical environment, transportation, information and
communications, including computer systems and information
technologies and communications, and other facilities open to the
public or public use, both in urban and rural areas .. 1 "as well as,
implementing programs that facilitate the use and ownership of
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ICEGOV '12, October 22 - 25 2012, Albany, NY, USA
Copyright 2012 ACM 978-1-4503-1200-4/12/10...$15.00
1 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1964930
67
Paula Suárez
Universidad Externado de Colombia
Carrera 64 # 24-47 apartment 503,
Bogota, Salitre, Colombia
+57 313 8306908
paucasuarez@gmail.com
the means necessary to include this population in the dynamics of
socioeconomic and political development that generate on their
own information technology and communications. Means and
measures taken by States must have in mind then, the existence of
gaps in digital literacy, access to education and electronic media,
faced by people with disabilities, so it has to generate public
policies and focus on the needs of this group, differentiating by
type of limitation, age and educational level.
Thus, our research shows that those experiences that we can deem
successful are those in which States have taken the characteristics
of the group in different contexts and settings, created inclusion,
access to public education, health, government and employment
into account, with all possible means of interaction to eradicate
drawbacks to people with disabilities.
2. CONTEXT
The world report on disability made by the World Health
Organization (WHO) in association with the World Bank Group,
estimates that ... more than one billion people worldwide live with
some form of disability, of whom nearly 200 million experience
considerable difficulties in its operation 2 , hence governments are
concerned in creating enabling factors for this population with
regard to access to essential services for normal daily activities,
since the number of people with limitations grows and their
situation is exacerbated by poverty and exclusion.
The need for digital literacy in the population with disabilities is a
reality and a priority on the agendas of governments. At the latest
World Summit on the Society of Information, UNESCO and
CEPAL agreed that ICTs are a useful tool for achieving
development and equity. 3 The provision of information
technology, and digital literacy, defined as the ease of access and
use of information technology and communications 4 , turns out to
be of the essence to create a favorable scenario. These policies
targeted at people with sensory disabilities, (defined as those who
suffer from hearing impairments, visual or both) are necessary,
since the benefits related to literacy, range from the ease in the
normal course of daily activities to the full exercise of citizenship.
2 http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/accessible
_es.pdf
3 http://bvs.sld.cu/revistas/aci/vol13_1_05/aci04105.htm
4 Ramírez Leyva. Elsa Margarita. La lectura, Alfabetización en
Información y Cultura de la Información.2007.