If the 19th century was about scientific
discoveries and inventions, and 20th century was about industrial
development, independence movements and world wars, the 21st century
is about the spread of information, knowledge and ideas. It is marked by
technology and information coming together to allow for easy and affordable flow
of information through computers and smart phones, transcending geographical
boundaries. As a global stake-holder and agent for positive change, the United
Nations has also contributed in the process of getting towards knowledge
societies by promoting easy flow of information. In 2015, the general assembly
of the United Nations adopted the concept of internet universality. As the name
suggests, it talks about internet for all across the world without difficulty
and discrimination. But the concept goes much beyond its literal meaning. The
concept of internet universality is based on following four key principles.
·
It is human rights centric.
·
It is open for all.
·
It is accessible for all.
·
And it is marked by multi-stakeholder
participation.
Also, United Nations has actively promoted the movement for
universal accessible information. United Nations adopted the convention (38
c/70) on the 17th of November 2015 whereby the UN declared that 28th
September will be celebrated as the international day for universal accessible
information. Started in 2016, this year the world is celebrating the 3rd
international day for universal accessible information. It falls in line with
the post 2015 development goals set by the United Nations, and also form a part
of the 2030 sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
Besides the democratic application of the resolution, the
day also holds importance for the persons with disability living across the
world. Since the day talks about ensuring accessibility of information, the
persons with disabilities are also one of the key stakeholders. Parallel to the
development of technology, the assistive technology in the form of screen
reading software’s has also developed to ensure accessibility of information
for the PWD.Computers and smart phones can now be accessed with the help of
screen reading software’s that provide audio output. Similarly, the development
of Optical Character recognition (OCR) allows scanning of hard copy books and
making them accessible to be read as soft copies on computer and other devices.
In addition to the above, digital Braille displays have come
up to maintain Braille as a choice for those who are willing to continue with
it. In this sense, the information not only becomes accessible, but also
becomes free. Free in a sense that it is a choice available to the individual
and not an imposedway out. Though the computers can be accessed using audio
output, if the individual wants to access the computer in Braille, in that case
audio should not be imposed and Braille should bethe choice. Plus, for people
with multi-disability such as deaf and blind individuals, digital Braille
displays are indeed a boon. It opens doors of communication through the only
relevant sense available to such individuals that of touch. As a company
manufacturing world’s most affordable refreshable Braille display “BrailleMe”, Innovision
is proud to be a part of the global movement for universal accessible
information.
This year, to mark the celebration of the 3rd
international day for universal accessible information, there will be the 3rd
IPDC talks at Tunisia.Plus, there will be eight satellite IPDC talks in other
countries to celebrate the International Day for Universal Access to
Information. The IPDCtalks are a global event series that aim to create
world-wide discussion on how to foster open societies and inlaws and practices
in the area of access to information. Global public and community leaders,
journalists, NGOs and digital pioneers are invited to IPDCtalks to share their
achievements and initiatives with an audience of local and global stakeholders.
The talks are streamed live, fueling a global conversation on social media
about the importance of access to information.
This year, the theme for the international day for universal
accessible information is GOOD LAWS AND PRACTICES FOR OPEN SOCIETIES. As far as
Indian laws are concerned, there have been little advancement in this context.
With the amendment in the copyright act, the publishers are now legally
required to provide for soft copies of the book which is a good beginning.
Similarly, Sugamya Pustakalya andother government initiatives also contribute
through their respective capacity.
At Innovision, we firmly believe that accessible information
should be a matter of right. It should flow freely, easily and economically. We
believe that technology can empower the differently able. We envision a day
when disability never comes in the way of living and
independence.
On this international day for accessible information, we
express our wish to reach out to different individuals with our technology
solution “BrailleMe” across languages and geographies. We are devoted to the
cause of eliminating the existing barriers that hinder the free and easy flow
of information for the visually impaired. Therefore, while wishing you all a
happy international day for accessible information, we promise that through
BrailleMe, we are trying to make it a reality.
Thank you
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