Low-Cost Assistive Technologies that can
Scale to Meet the International
Accessibility Challenge
Fernando H. F. Botelho
F123 Consulting
www.F123.org/en
Internet Governance Forum - Kenya
September 2011
8/16/11
Day-to-Day for the End-User
 An estimated 80% of all persons with disabilities live in
developing countries and the vast majority cannot afford
traditional assistive technologies which cost the equivalent
of multiple computers.
 A small minority can use expensive technologies donated
to NGOs, but are forced to face the cost barrier as soon as
they attempt to pursue educational, internship, or
employment opportunities outside these organizations.
Sources:
Statistics on persons with disabilities:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.shtml
Price for the Jaws screen reader:
http://sales.freedomscientific.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=340026-001
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The FOSS Alternative
 Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) offers assistive
technologies that are either free or low cost thanks to the fact that
multiple companies, organizations, governments, or foundations can
contribute, use, or distribute such software.
 Examples include:
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* Compiz Fusion/eZoom,
* Dasher,
* eSpeak,
* Eviacam,
* F123 Motor,
* F123 Visual,
* GOK,
* NVDA,
* Orca, etc.
Sources:
Article with examples of FOSS assistive technologies:
https://edutechdebate.org/assistive-technology/we-need-an-assistive-technology-strategy/
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The FOSS Advantage
Assistive technologies based on Free and Open Source
Software:
 Can be modified and distributed by anyone so competition is
intense and prices for the software are either free or very
competitive.
 Are not controlled by any single entity so volunteers feel
comfortable helping with translations and other improvements
that might be difficult to fund if the motivation was profit.
 Social return on investments made by governments,
foundations, or companies are extraordinary since millions of
users can benefit from them.
Sources:
Study shows that there are over 14 million users of the Gnome interface used in many
Linux installations:
http://www.neary-consulting.com/index.php/services/gnome-census/
Improvements funded by the F123 Project and The Mozilla Foundation will be available to over 14 million users:
http://www.gnome.org/press/2010/10/gnome-project-receives-15000-for-accessibility-work/
Article on the business model of FOSS companies that provide assistive technologies:
http://www.e-accessibilitytoolkit.org/toolkit/promoting_assistive_technologies/open-source
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Public Policy Opportunities
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FOSS-based assistive technologies allow governments to achieve a much
higher social return on investment by reaching a much larger segment of the
population of persons with disabilities for any given level of funding. Such a
strategy can be extremely helpful in meeting the requirements of the UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Governments can further optimize the effectiveness of their development
programs by using:
– * FOSS operating systems and applications, so that governments and end-users do
not become dependent on expensive complementary technologies;
– * Manuals, user guides, and other training materials with Creative Commons
licenses to facilitate the spread of technology; and
– * procurement and other policies to support interoperability through open
accessibility standards, open file formats, and communication protocols.
Sources:
Article on government policies and the impact of open standards:
http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/oth/06/27/T06270000060042PDFE.pdf
Information on the Creative Commons license:
http://www.creativecommons.org/
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