Using ICT and Social Media to Empower Persons with Disabilities

Nera Monir DivanBosnia and Herzegovina

ICTs, inclusive governance and conflict prevention CoPIstanbul, May 2013

United Nations Development Programme

Electronic South Eastern Europe Initiative

AlbaniaBosnia &

HerzegovinaCroatia

Macedonia

Moldova

Montenegro

Romania

Serbia

Kosovo*

Chairperson of eSEE InitiativeCroatia

e-SEE Initiative SecretariatSupported by UNDP CO Bosnia and Herzegovina

Supporting Countries and OrganizationsUNDP, EC, Governments of Italy, Slovenia, Estonia

e-Accessibility in SEE

•Low implementation level of Area C of e-SEE Agenda:

Inclusive Information Society

•Inclusion EU Access demands

•UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Chapters

4, 9, 21, 24, 32)

e-Accessibility in SEE (cont.)

•Workshops for 400+, consultations with 240 key institutions in 9

countries

•Regional ownership: 40 local experts consulted, 240 verified

Empowering the Marginalised

•SEE: Lack of e-Accessibility Strat. Framework & Legislation

•Ministerial Declaration: e-Accessibility Action Plans

•Technology is there: W3C

•The main thing missing is the will to commit to this!

•Early action in e-services will yield best results

Empowering the Marginalised (cont.)

•Mapping of e-Accessibility actions, good practices, situation

overview

•Set of Policy Proposals and Recommendations vis-a-vis

UNCRPD and EU access.

•Gender Equality an integral part of the process

•Unexplored potential of ICT and Assistive Technologies

One-stop-shop for PwD- database of assistive technologies http://dat-see.com/

• Regional AT Database

• Aid Directory

• Institutions in charge

• Legislation in one spot

• UN Convention: Article 4,

9, 21

First educational software in BHS http://eseeinitiative.org/lefca/Text • Developed for and tested in

classrooms

• Based on “LEARNING FRAMES”

• Successful in teaching children

with AUTISM, other

developmental delays

• UN Convention: Article 4, 7, 9

e-Participation portal for persons with disabilities www.visemogucnosti.info

• Report Discrimination

• Give Suggestion

• Find out more: UNCRPD

• Digital Stories

• UN Conv.: Article 4, 9, 21

Infoservis: First Regional Web Portal for the visually impaired http://www.infoservis.ba/

• Initiative of a visually impaired

citizen

• 100.000 hits, 5000 articles

• Fully W3C Compliant

• Special Feature: School of

Journalism

• UN Convention: Article 9, 21

Accessible Web-pages of the BiH Council of Ministers http://www.infoservis.ba

• UNDP provided technical

assistance and testing

• Fully W3C Compliant

• Content of web-pages of all

state level government

institutions available to visually

impaired and elderly

• Testing conducted by visually

impaired persons

Path Ahead

Assistive Technologies Incubator?

- Consumption vs Production of technologies- Highest number of engineers + innovators- Economic sense: unified regional market