Those who fall between the cracks: the case of the deaf-blind

1
Those who fall between the cracks the case of
the deaf-blind
Dynamic Coalition on Accessibility and Disability
(Baku, Azerbaijan, 9 November 2012)

• Professor Arun Mehta
• President, Bapsi
• arun.mehta_at_bapsi.org

2
IT is revolutionary for the disabled

• Professor Stephen Hawking can only press one
  button, but technology allowed him to become a
  great scientist and author
• However, those without access to computers and
  the Internet are still living in the dark ages,
  e.g. those who are deaf-blind, but cannot afford
  devices costing thousands of dollars

3
Technology for the deaf-blind

• Old refreshable Braille, where mechanical pins
  go in and out, that the user reads with her
  fingers (cost gt US 2000)
• New Bapsi developed a free app for Android smart
  phones PocketSMS uses vibration and Morse code
  short duration vibrate represents a dot, a longer
  duration one a dash allows users to read SMS,
  Wikipedia (under development)
• User types using a Qwerty keypad or a gesture
  recognition soft keyboard (e.g. Graffiti)
• Android phone with Qwerty keypad costs 150

4
Problems of the deaf-blind not just technology

• The census in India does not count them
• There are half a million deaf-blind children in
  India, but not one in Delhis schools
• Many of the deaf-blind have Congenital Rubella
  Syndrome, including additional problems, e.g.
  mental retardation
• If you have not learnt your abcd, there is not
  much you can do with a texting app

5
Focusing on those who fall between the cracks

• There needs to be a comprehensive map of the
  chronically information poor those with no hope
  of getting on the infohighway
• Addressing their access needs will require a team
  with medical, technological, pedagogic, and
  occupational expertise
• Universal access will remain an empty slogan
  unless we do this