International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility to ICTs, 23 July 2010, Shanghai, China Empowering PWDs through ICT in the Philippines

ITU Workshop on Accessibility to ICTs, 23 July 2010, Shanghai, China

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion

Empowering PWDs through ICT in the Philippines

Grace Martha T. Amberong,Assistant Director,

Consulting & Services OfficeNational Computer Center, CICT

International Telecommunication Union Workshop“Accessibility to ICTs”,

Shanghai, China, 23 July 2010

ITU Workshop on Accessibility to ICTs, 23 July 2010, Shanghai, ChinaInternationalTelecommunicationUnion 2

Philippines

The PhilippinesLocated in Southeast Asia, between mainland Asia and Australia7,107 islands, one of the largest archipelagos in the world3 major island groups - LUZON, VISAYAS and MINDANAODivided into 17 regions, 79 provinces, 15 cities & 1,500 municipalitiesTotal area is 300,000 sq km (about 115,831 sq mi)Population is 87.85 ++ Million (2005 survey)


Profile of PWDs in the Philippines

942,098 PWDs – 2000 (1.23 % out of 76,504,077)919,292 PWDs – 1995 (1.33 % out of 68,616,536)637,000 PWDs – 1990 (1.04 % out of 60,703,206)

Source:http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/.../JICA_Philippine.pdf


RP Policies and Laws on PWDs

Accessibility Law (BP)Act to enhance the mobility of disabled persons by requiring certain buildings, institutions, establishments and public utilities to install facilities and other devices

Magna Carta for Disabled Persons of 1992 (RA 7277)

Act providing for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons and their integration into the mainstream of society


RP Policies and Laws on PWDs

White Cane Act of 1989 (RA 6759)Act declaring August 1 of each year as white cane safety day in the Philippines and for other purposes

Proclamation No. 125 of 1003Giving mandate to the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons to coordinate activities and to monitor the observance of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993–2002) in the Philippines


International Treatises and Commitments

INTERNATIONAL TREATISES & CONVENTIONS United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS & COMMITMENTS Biwako Millennium Framework Biwako Plus Five Manila Accessible Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Design Recommendations Manila Declaration on Accessible Information and Communications Technology (ICT) United Nations Millenium Development Goals (UN MDG)


Interregional ICT Seminar

May 2003 the Philippines hosted the Interregional Seminar and Regional Demonstration Workshop on Accessible ICTs to Persons with Disabilities11 countries from Asia - Pacific were represented

Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and United States of America


Interregional ICT Seminar

Philippines’ concrete contributions to the Biwako Millennium Framework and the UN Convention on the Rights of PWDs

“Manila Declaration on Accessible ICT” focuses on digital divide and the human capacities divide“Manila Accessible

ICT Design Recommendations” deals with universal concept of flexibility to accommodate those who run low bandwidth settings, those who use cell phones to synthesize text and those who access the Internet via alternative devices


Accessible ICT Initiatives

Conduct Workshops on Accessible ICTs for PWDs

Introduced Web Accessibility to Webmasters and AdvocatesConducted in 3

major islands (Luzon Visayas and Mindanao)

Luzon

Mindanao

Visayas

Former CICT Chair



Conduct Webmasters’ Interface

Brought together the country's webmasters, policy-makers, disability advocates and ICT practitioners to forge a vision for accessible web content



Institutionalized Accessible ICT for PWDsNCC MC No. 2003 – 01 (Issued July 2003)

Guidelines on Compliance to e-Commerce Act and Stage 2 and 3 of the UN ASPA 5 Stages of e-GovernmentSection 3 Website Features for Stage 3 to include:

Website accessibility for people with disabilities by providing text-only website version, alternatives to auditory and visual content

MOA between NCWDP/NCDA and CICT-NCCNational Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), government agency mandated to formulate policies and coordinate the activities of all agencies, concerning disability issues and concerns. NCDA is the lead agency tasked to steer the course of program development for persons with disabilities and the delivery of services to the sector. National Computer Center (NCC), the lead agency of the government for promoting the strategic use of ICT in the government, the NCC is committed to invigorate knowledge sharing and to play a pro-active role in the development and diffusion of IT in the government.



Disabled-friendly Website AwardsDeveloped and adopted monitoring evaluation guidelines for web accessibility compliance

House of Representatives (www.congress.gov.ph) -developer participant in the regional accessibility workshopAdaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of Visually Impaired (www.atriev.org.ph) -Ms. Lourdes Borgonia, a blind person, as the web designerManila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf (www.mccid.edu.ph) - Mr. Remberto I. Esposa Jr. as the web designer, participant in the regional accessibility workshop.De La Salle University (www.dlsu.edu.ph) - Mr. Lemuel Cabia as part of its web development team participated reguonal workshop



Development of Standards and Training Materials

July 2007 - "Web Accessibility Guide for Filipinos" book officially published and copyrighted which contains definition of web accessibility, types of assistive devices available, laws affecting disability in the Philippines, statistics of Filipino PWDs and Filipino Internet user statisticsNCDA distributed Instructional Sign Language Videos on CDs, “out of the box” strategy to push for accessible communication



NCC developed and launched the PWD-friendly Website Template with Content Management System during the Webmasters Interface (2006)



Forged local and overseas partners to strengthen advocacy and cost-sharing

DSWD – technical and logistics supportAPCD – advocacy in APR, scholarshipsVOSS – exposure through Webenabled.comCICT-NCC- inputs to WSISResources for the Blind – technical support NOVA Foundation

Created thru NOVA Foundation and other partners more than 300 IT-related jobs for PWDs on data conversion, medical transcription, call centers, etc.



Created a dynamic hub of Webmaster-Advocates to upscale social and economic impact of accessible ICT

June 2006 - Discussion on the forming of the “Association of Accessible Web Designers” July 2006 - NCWDP board

approved recommendation to form a core group of webmasters to implement consensus made during the webmasters workshopsAugust 2006 - First meeting of the

core group. It was named Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG).October 2006 - The official

www.pwag.org web site was launched


Private Sector Initiatives

Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration & Empowerment of Visually Impaired - http://www.atriev.org.ph

A non-profit organization that facilitates access by visually impaired persons to post-secondary education, mainstream employment, and similar opportunities through the use of adaptive technology.Core project is information technology-related training which revolves around computer training for the visually impaired.



Resources for the Blind - http://www.blind.org.phNon-government Christian organization serving blind people all over the Philippines since 1988 Implements 2 programs to help make computer training available to blind high school students.

Computer Resource Center for the Blind in every high school in the country where blind students are enrolled. The schools are provided with two computers, the special software, and a braille printer. "Computer-Eyes", an annual National Computer Camp for Blind Students. IBM Philippines provides the use of their state-of-the-art computer lab for the training on word processing skills, set up email accounts, explore the internet, and create personal web pages.



Philippines DAISY Network – NCC Collaboration

DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System), an open international standard for accessible Philippine Seminar on DAISY (Sep 2007)Training for the Trainers on DAISY (Feb 2008)



Nova Foundation for Differently-abled Persons, Inc - http://novafoundation.ph

ICT Training Center For The Differently Abled Establish a training center in ICT to provide the disabled with adequate skills training so that they can qualify for employment in the IT business

Encoding Project Provide differently abled persons with interim employment in order for them to learn to work well in a corporate setting


Government Initiatives

CICT-APEC Digital Opportunity CenterAdaptive Basic

Office Productivity Tools training for the Blind using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)

Awareness ProgramseCare Telecenters (May 2006)

designed to provide access and training programs for PWDs. The target is to establish one eCare Center in each region.


Best Practice

Philippine Web Accessibility Group (PWAG)Privately led association of Filipino web designers and advocates

Educate and encourage the general public on the benefits of including accessibility on their web sites by providing information and assistance through workshops, seminars, e-groups and other fora;Adopt the Manila Accessible ICT Design Recommendations and recommend the web accessibility guidelines and standards in the Philippine setting

Recommended StandardsAccess Key AssignmentsVisual Validation ChecklistOnline Validating Tools

Recommended Web Design Accessibility Checkpoints A Maturity Stage 1 means the web site needs to meet the requirements set by the Manila ICT Design Recommendations A Maturity Stage 2 means the web site should meet the criteria set by PWAG


Prototype Technology [Text-to-Braille]

Braille Display that can be connected to a mobile phone [De La Salle University, 2005]

Braille display mimics the interface of a mobile phone

ITU Workshop on Accessibility to ICTs, 23 July 2010, Shanghai, ChinaInternationalTelecommunicationUnion

Challenges

Lack or unaffordable specialized equipment and materials like:

Braille writing slatesWhite mobility canesTalking watchesTalking calculatorsSpecial software and hardware to allow blind people to use a PCMobile communication technology for the blind

Increase awareness on web accessibility and other technologies

ITU Workshop on Accessibility to ICTs, 23 July 2010, Shanghai, China


Accessible ICT is not only for Accessible ICT is not only for people with disabilities but people with disabilities but

for all of us who are thankful for all of us who are thankful that there are no barriers in that there are no barriers in

using our abilitiesusing our abilities


““Cooperation is key to strength and Cooperation is key to strength and might”.might”.

Documents

International Telecommunication Union ITU Workshop on Accessibility to ICTs, 23 July 2010, Shanghai, China Empowering PWDs through ICT in the Philippines