This virtual session will be held to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and will highlight efforts and initiatives to advance ICTs accessibility and promote digital inclusion.
SPECIAL ISSUE — NOVEMBER 2020
WSIS TalkX ICTs for Building Back Better: Toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World
The WSIS TalkX is an interactive talk series that is dedicated to sharing experiences and inspirational stories about ICTs for development by stakeholders all over the world. This virtual session will be held to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and will highlight efforts and initiatives to advance ICTs accessibility and promote digital inclusion.
People with disabilities represent 15% of the world's population, meaning about 1 billion people globally. Given the growing proliferation of devices in our lives, it is vital that Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) or rare diseases can fully access Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and use ICTs for their social and economic development. Digital accessibility is key to ensuring respect for everyone’s right to participate in an interconnected world, as it enables digital inclusion and inclusive discourse for all people – regardless of age, gender, ability, or location. Common examples of accessibility features include: voice-to-text conversion (captioning), automated sub-titles and sign language for the deaf or hard of hearing and expandable font sizes. Further, digital accessibility is recognized as a key priority in various global commitments related to inclusiveness, such as: the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy.
ICTs also offer hope for improving the quality of life and social inclusion for Persons with Disabilities now and in the future, including: brain-to-machine interfaces, self-directed mobility aids and autonomous cars. Persons with Disabilities can suffer from a wide range of conditions, from congenital conditions to specialized needs brought about by rare diseases, injuries inflicted though accident or illness, impairments to sensory or perception loss or age-related illnesses. Making ICTs and ICT services accessible is more than a human rights issue or a question of justice and equality of access to communications, information, and opportunities for all. ICTs can make a notable difference to the quality of life of people living with difficult or debilitating conditions or disabilities.
* Human captioning will be available for this session *
