Sixth annual Accessible Americas event held in Quito, Ecuador from 20 to 22 November
The sixth edition of Accessible Americas: ICTs for ALL took place in Quito, Ecuador, from 20 to 22 November 2019. Accessible Americas is the region’s flagship event to improve inclusiveness in the Americas by ensuring ICTs equally benefit all citizens, regardless their gender,…
Microsoft holds first AI for accessibility hackathon across the Asia Pacific
Microsoft held its first ever AI for Accessibility hackathon across seven Asian Pacific countries on 11 October, with the aim of developing artificial intelligence (AI) prototype solutions to challenges faced by persons with disabilities related to daily living, employability and communication, so…
Malta introduces biometric passports accessible to the blind and persons with visual impairments
Malta is among the first countries in the European Union to create a biometric passport (e-passport) accessible to the blind and persons with visual impairments. A Speech Code, in the form of a QR code sticker, can be affixed to…
New report on smart cities in Spain highlights the need for improved digital inclusion of persons with disabilities
The newly launched Smart Index (Índice Smart), the first such tool in Spain to measure the progress of smart cities and identify challenges and opportunities for improvement, indicates that Spanish cities should develop more active and efficient policies to improve the inclusion…
Qatar IT Conference and Exhibition 2019 organized under the theme of ‘safe smart cities’
The Qatar Information Technology Conference & Exhibition (QITCOM) took place from 29 October to 1 November 2019 under the theme “Safe Smart Cities”. One of the topics highlighted by this year’s event was the importance of digital inclusion in the…
Local government in the UK awarded funds for digital inclusion projects
The Local Government Association (LGA, the national membership body for local authorities in the UK) will disburse close to £200,000 to ten councils to fund initiatives which promote digital inclusion in their local communities. The supported projects focus on reaching…
International Congress of Technology and Tourism for Diversity takes place in Málaga, Spain from 23 to 25 October 2019
The third International Congress of Technology and Tourism for Diversity is being held in Málaga, Spain from 23 to 25 October 2019 to showcase initiatives and projects in the field of technology and tourism which promote respect for diversity and the inclusion of…
Social enterprise organises digital inclusion programme for youth with disabilities in Ghana
Tech Era, a Ghanian social enterprise providing inclusive tech education to empower persons with disabilities, has organised a one-month Digital Inclusion Training and Assessment Programme (DITAP) for youth with disabilities under the theme of: ‘Recognising Ability through Digital Inclusion.’ Organised…
Assistive technology: separating fact from fiction
There has been a proliferation of assistive technology (AT) for persons with disabilities in recent years. While these technologies have a potentially great enabling impact on the lives of persons with disabilities, not all AT devices which users may come…
Brazilian start-up creates app for real-time translation of speech and text to sign language
Brazilian start-up Hand Talk has launched an app which can instantly translate Brazilian and English speech and text into Brazilian Sign Language (LSB, or ‘Libras’) and American Sign Language (ASL). The app’s avatar, Hugo, acts as a 3D interpreter who…
