the at ecosystem and why it is critical

The Accessible Technology Ecosystem and Why it is Critical

17 November 2009

José Ángel Martínez UseroDirector of International Projects

Assistive Technologies as solutions for everyone, every time and everywhere

Every day we can have the same needs as a person with disabilities

Transforming the Assistive Technology Ecosystem

Networks and Alliances

• ATIA, AAATE, AIA, EASTIN, Raising the Floor

Research Projects

• AEGIS. Open Accessibility Everywhere.

• INREDIS. Interfaces for the Relationship between people with disabilities and the ICT environment.

• European Assistive Technologies Information Network.

• Keeping Pace with (ASSISTIVE) Technology (KPT project).

• The GATEWAY Project (Guidance for Assistive Technologies in Education and the Workplace Advancing Young People with Disabilities)

• The BRIDGE Project: Assistive Technology against Social Exclusion.

• TATE - Through Assistive Technology to Employment

Background


Studies

• 2003. EC. DG Employment. Access to Assistive Technology in the European Union.

• 2009. EC. eInclusion. Analysing and federating the European Assistive Technology ICT industry.

• 2009. AEGIS. Deliverable 5.4.1.a. Market Analysis. Confidential

• 2009. INREDIS. Deliverable 5.1.1. Present situation of the AT market and future technological trends. Confidential

• 2009. TRACE Center. National Public Inclusive Infrastructure. Confidential

Background


Main traits of the assistive technology market

• Fragmentation caused by different national systems and policies makes an already limited market.

• Impossibility of AT companies to tackle all the value chain.

• Non-structured market caused by different delivery systems, methods of financing, availability of products , the existing assessment methodologies and methods for defining user needs and expectations (user profile).

• An enormous amount of information on AT is available but does not reach the end-users.

•Additional costs are required to develop solutions for attending to the different national markets (different systems, policy and language).

•Technology trends of the mainstream ICT provide other problems for AT vendors: higher cost and continuous adaption.


Source: COM (2007) 694 final. Commission Staff Working Document, Accompanying the Communication European i2010 initiative on eInclusion: Impact Assessment


Technological trends

Present Installation of ATs from different vendors (niche) in mainstream technologies (PCs, ATMs, etc.)

Present Integration of ATs in OS or browsers (built-in / embedded accessibility)

Short-term Usage of the same API for facilitating interaction of ATs with a specific system. Accessibility API independent of platform updates.

Medium-term Interoperability of ATs in different systems by a Universal Accessibility API. (Specific examples of accessibility APIs: Microsoft's UIA, Java Accessibility API, GNOME accessibility API, IAccessible2, W3C's WAI-ARIA, , Macintosh Accessibility Framework.)

Long-term Ubiquitous access to software ATs as a service. Cloud of ATs


Universal Interoperability API


The possible future AT ecosystem


Potential of a future AT ecosystem

• Vertical AT companies are concentrated on survival due to market barriers. Diversification of AT industry with different kind of ATs and more market actors.

• Mainstream technologies evolve rapidly. General consensus on universal APIs

• Delivery is a key constraint. Cloud computing an ubiquitous ATs for software ATs as a service.

• More open market. Combination of Open and Proprietary source solutions to foster the participation of the public. Fastest progress.

• Disperse knowledge. Awareness activities and coordinated networks for interchange of good practices. Tools for developers.


Suggestions for future progress

European level

Thematic Network in ATs• Coordination of main active research projects and networks to foster

interoperability of the AT products.• Interchange of good practices and development of guidelines for AT

developers.

European pilot • Integration of existing European repositories of ICT ATs.• Development of an accessible web 2.0 portal and a community to enrich

contents and raise awareness. • Increase the diffusion of products and contributing to reduce distribution

costs of manufacturers. • Facilitate and foster the development of inclusive technology as a service

(ubiquitous access).



Pilot for a European Portal of ICT ATs

Suggestions for future progress

International level

• Organization of workshops to foster good practice interchange and debate on future progress: UN, European Commission, ATIA, AAATE, AIA, and main stakeholders.

• Creation of an “Open Alliance for Assistive Technology” to deliver a common vision on the AT market and AT technology and to develop open specifications for interoperability of mainstream technologies and ATs.


Questions

What is the lead benefit of a well-structured AT ecosystem for each of the following main categories of staeholders?

How should Assistive Technologies and built-in accessibility functions relate in the short and medium term?

Is the industry thinking a standardization process for different existing accessibility APIs in order to foster interoperability of different ATs with mainstream technologies?

As cloud computing is a general trend in different ICT environments, is the industry working on the interoperability with ubiquitous ATs available in a cloud?

Do you have any kind of experience in mash-ups using ATs?


An example of mash-up in the field of AT is the combination of two existing ATs with a web translation service.


Thank you for your attention

<jose angel martinez usero>[email protected]

www.technosite.es


mailto:[email protected]