Vol. VI No. 3
March 2008
The first monthly magazine on ICT4D
ICT tools for disabled and underprivileged ICT based solutions
Information for development
w w w. i 4 d o n l i n e . n e t
ICTs to cope with multiple impairments European initiatives for people with different abilities
Role of telecentres for an inclusive society
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Differently Abled and ICTs
Gedaref Digital City, Sudan
knowledge for change
India's Largest ICT Event Asian Telecentre Forum Asian Telecentre Forum (ATF) has been conceptualised to bring the Asian telecentre practitioners in a platform for learning and sharing the experiences, and to address critical issues of content, collaboration, sustainability and up-scaling. Further, experts will be engaged in close assessment of issues relating to project monitoring steered by external financial support, from international development agencies and governments in Asia. CSDMS has organised two ATF 2006 and 2007 in Bangkok and Malaysia respectively.
Asian Telecentre Forum 2007, Malaysia
Indian Telecentre Forum The Indian Telecentre Forum 2008 is the third in the series of Indian Telecentre Forums organised by CSDMS. The Indian Telecentre Forum is a platform for all key stakeholders representing the government, the private sector and civil society, besides funding agencies to join and discuss about the achievements, challenges and the progress in the telecentre movement. The upcoming Indian Telecentre Forum 2008 will create a common ground of equitable learning that will facilitate a process of overall development of the country.
Indian Telecentre Forum 2006 New Delhi
Indian Telecentre Forum 2007 New Delhi
Supporting Partner telecentre.org is a global community of people and organizations committed to increasing the social and economic impact of grassroots telecentres. The founding investors include Canada’s International Development Research Centre, Microsoft, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.The association will bring a knowledge sharing session for Asian telecentre leaders, an open conclave of service centre agencies, State IT secretaries and a high level delegation from Africa and telecentre.org village, at eINDIA 2008.
www.eINDIA.net.in/telecentreforum Contact Person: Vignesh Sornamohan: Mobile No.: +91-9999654458, Email: ITF@eINDIA.net.in
Contents
Vol. VI No. 3
March 2008
Mail box
Features
Rendezvous
5
Editorial
33
6
ICT tools for disabled and underprivileged
Ability redefined
ICT based solutions M V Ananthakrishnan
11 13 15
Identifying ‘Differently Abled’ with ICT Count them in too! Saswati Paik
19
European initiatives for people with different abilities ICTs to cope with multiple impairments A. Ionescu, I. Hamburg, M. Muscan
27
Information needs of sugarcane growers ICT for sugarcane farmers S S Hasan, R K Isac
29
30
Techshare India 2008, 4-5 February 2008, Delhi Breaking the barriers
38
Round table discussion on ‘ICT and Climate Change’, TERI, 6 February 2008, Delhi ICTs to mitigate climate change
40
Project Eyeway, Score Foundation A boon for the blind George Abraham
16
35
Inspiring lives: Krishnakant Mane Providing hopes to the differently abled Rajat Banerjee
Conference on climate justice for the realisation of MDGs, 8-9 February 2008, Delhi
44
NASSCOM Foundation, ICT for Catalysing Change, 15 February 2008, Mumbai IT, ICT and inclusive growth
42
Bytes for All
45
What’s on
46
In Fact Disability dimension in MDGs
29-31 July 2008
Md. Mahbubul Ashraf
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
News 10 18
Development News
21 23 24
e-Agriculture News
World News
Government ICT News India News
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Gedaref Digital City, Sudan
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Internet Governance i4d | March 2008
Editorial Ability redefined
ADVISORY BOARD M P Narayanan, Chairman, i4d Chin Saik Yoon Southbound Publications, Malaysia Karl Harmsen United Nations University Kenneth Keniston Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA Mohammed Yunus Grameen Bank, Bangladesh Nagy Hanna e-Leadership Academy, University of Maryland, USA Richard Fuchs IDRC, Singapore Rinalia Abdul Rahim Global Knowledge Partnership, Malaysia Walter Fust Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Switzerland Wijayananda Jayaweera UNESCO, France EDITORIAL BOARD Akhtar Badshah, Frederick Noronha GROUP DIRECTORS Maneesh Prasad, Sanjay Kumar EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-in-Chief Ravi Gupta Programme Co-ordinator Jayalakshmi Chittoor Sr. Research Associate Ritu Srivastava, Ajitha Saravanan Sr. Graphic Designer Bishwajeet Kumar Singh Graphic Designers Om Prakash Thakur, Shyam Kishore, Chandrakesh Bihari Lal (James) Web Programmer Zia Salahuddin i4d G-4 Sector 39, NOIDA, UP, 201 301, India Phone +91 120 250 2181-85 Fax +91 120 250 0060 Email info@i4donline.net Web www.i4donline.net Printed at R P Printers, Noida, India i4d is a monthly publication. It is intended for those interested and involved in the use of Information and Commnication Technologies for development of underserved communities. It is hoped that it will serve to foster a growing network by keeping the community up to date on many activities in this wide and exciting field. i4d does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in this publication. All views expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors. i4d is not responsible or accountable for any loss incurred directly or indirectly as a result of the information provided.
There is a discernable amount of debate over the identification and categorisation of disabled people. The disabled people, also known as ‘handicapped persons’ in some parts of this world, was labeled as differently abled by the US Democratic National Committee in the early 1980’s. This euphemistic term was not to show sympathy and revelation to the subjects of concern but to let people know that differently abled people can reach to equal and higher levels of accomplishment if they are provided with the necessary logistics, equipment, clinical and augmentative support systems. By using alternative support systems, the ability of the physically, mentally and neurally challenged people can be enhanced to much higher levels. Studies and experiences show that that people with disabilities (barring some disabilities where the neuro-transmission process is severely affected) are many times brilliant than their normal counterparts in terms of knowledge, communication and interaction. The condition of the differently abled people in Asian and African countries is dismal and in India, five percent of its total population is disabled population with over 14 million blind people and 28 million people living with low vision. A majority of them are living in the fringes of our community. In the developed world, quite a few number of regulatory provisions and legal specifications have been envisaged to accommodate the differently abled in the mainstream community. Many developed nations take recourse to robotic technologies and other ICT tools to help people cope with clinical disabilities. Many technologies have evolved over time to aid the differently abled people in terms of accessibility and interactive communication. These ranges from primordial technologies to advanced form of digital technologies. Initiation and implementation of ICT tools in the last couple of years have really facilitated the process of learning and interaction for the differently abled people. ICT tools have no doubt fostered access opportunities. In a major stride to realise the potential in differently abled people, different Governments have taken an all-inclusive approach and have made it mandatory to include the differently abled people by providing them employment, by initiating progressive policy measures, by identifying their labour value, etc. In one of the major endeavours, the Government of India, in the month of January 2008, has deceided to outlay INR 1800 billion, as an incentive for cash-rich private sector, to provide employment to 100,000 differently abled people. One shouldn’t forget that the differently abled people have the right to provisions which enable them to live a life with dignity and self-respect, and to have opportunities to realise their full potential.
Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies, 2008 Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License
i4d is supported by:
Ravi Gupta Ravi.Gupta@csdms.in
December 2007 | www.i4donline.net
5
ICT TOOLS FOR DISABLED AND UNDERPRIVILEGED
ICT based solutions Dr M V Ananthakrishnan
Educational Consultant (freelance), Mumbai muriyankulangara@yahoo. co.in
Introduction The word ‘disabled’ is now used universally to indicate human limitations in any form, be it physical, mental, sensory or cognitive. Both clinical and social models of disability emphasises upon integration and assimilation of socially, neurologically and psychologically challenged people in the mainstream society. The word ‘underprivileged’ also refers to people who are compounded with problems and socio-economic handicaps. To vindicate the disabled and underprivileged, the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as an enabler has expanded beyond imagination and, as a result, the search for paradigms to exploit its limitless capabilities. Stephen Hawking and the device developed for him to communicate his ideas to the world was just an example of how ICT has been a boon. The advent of the WWW has opened up possibilities for people to keep in touch with the world. The e-Mail has made inter-personal communication commonplace. VoIP and video-transmission have made knowledge accessible in homes. Cyber-cafes and reasonably-priced PC and laptops have mushroomed even in small towns. Broadband connectivity is on the rise. These are some of the exciting developments in ICTs over the past decade with many more coming up every second. But, where are we in as far as exploitation of ICT is concerned…for useful purposes! We are still looking at computers as a technology and not a tool. Even today, most of the vendors of so-called ‘educational programmes’ are pawning off ‘page turners’ or the slightlybetter PowerPoint presentations! To add to
6
all the misery, Gartner studies have shown that e-Learning has not been as successful as it was projected to be at the beginning of the 21st century.
The Purpose of education Where’s the problem? The problem lies in the very method in which e-Learning is being marketed. Marketing professionals are moving around selling e-Learning ‘products’. Unfortunately, this word ‘product’ has entered the Indian marketing ‘lexicon’ around the beginning of the 21st century…from the Americans. Now, for an Indian seller, everything being sold is a commodity, be it insurance, banking, mutual funds, services, confectionery, beauty, medicines, healthcare, matrimony, funeral…what have you! So, why leave out education from this product range? We have removed the dividing line between products and services and merged services into products! But, then, when it comes to guarantees and warranties, the ‘service-toproduct converts’ isolate themselves from
ICT is a commendable tool that works as an enabler for the disabled and the underprivileged real products by adding the conditional clause (always ‘read in a hurry’ during commercials on mutual funds! ) Education is no exception. No academic body, worth its name, can guarantee performance or provide a warranty against failure…in terms of ‘real’ education and that too a life-long one. The current educational system-
•
Believes in ‘Committing to memory and vomiting in the examination’ • Practices methods that are straight from the book • Lacks in applying concepts/rule/laws to common everyday events in the neighbourhood of the school • Restricts the students’ inquisitiveness in the world beyond the classroom/ teachers’ comprehension • Implements laboratory work in the form of straight-jacketed experiment … and the list can go on and on! The challenge facing the system is: How do we bridge the ‘Purpose-Education’ divide i.e., how do we move towards purposeful education and how can ICT facilitate this change in a smooth manner.
ICT based solutions for the disabled The disabilities scenario transgresses physical boundaries. Many of the disabilities in India are mental disabilities and learning-related disabilities. Each disability has its consequences in terms of education and development. While governments all over have laws to protect the disabled groups, focus is laid more on their survival rather their upliftment…as experiences and case-histories show. This is but logical and natural, but, the question that still remains- How are they going to progress in life subsequently?
The physical viewpoint This category is amongst the largest across the entire world, ranging from the developed USA to the remotest regions in Africa. These include the physically handicapped: the maimed, the blind and the deaf. These numbers are increasing in alarming proportions because of the aftereffects of wars and regional strifes across the globe…and, therefore, calling for solutions on a war-footing! ICT can be a tool worth exploring. Multimedia could be used for educating the blind (by exploiting the ‘audio’ features) and/or the deaf (by using the ‘video’ features). The other ‘physical i4d | March 2008
limitations’ of individuals could be addressed through Human Computer Interaction (HCI) methodologies.
The mental viewpoint The mentally-challenged children form an alarming percentage in India. Although they may not be able to perform the activities of the normal children, they could be motivated to learn and enjoy to the fullest. Even though Special Educators are there to handle such children, their patience levels and consistency are still in doubt. What is needed is a methodology that could play to the learners’ demands viz., repetition, illustration, motivation and meeting individual learning styles. ICT could provide the solution.
People with learning disabilities Typically, people with non-verbal Learning Disabilities (LD) show: • Excellent memory for things they hear • Poor memory for things they see • Good reading ability • Very poor arithmetic ability • Excellent verbal expression and verbal reasoning • Problems with written expression (often because of poor handwriting) • Problems with sense of direction, estimation of size, shape, distance • Problems reading facial expressions, gestures, social cues, tones of voice
ICT based solutions for the underprivileged Most of the underprivileged groups comprising mainly of children, Type of Disability
Measuring weights of tribal children suffer from multiple disabilities. Because of cyclic poverty, undernourishment, lack of information, illiteracy and occupational hazards, the underprivileged people become innocent victims of social and clinical diseases. In order to mitigate the problems (mainly those pertaining to literacy, education and accessibility) of the underprivileged, certain ICT-based solutions are suggested. One is ‘Adult Literacy (CBFL)’ and the other is ‘Using ICT for Educating the Children of Nomadic Tribes in Maharashtra’ with the use of MEEIT (Marshalling the Environment to Educate through Information Technology). One of the unique features of the CBFL is that the learners learn words, as against alphabets (normally used with children). This was based on the fact that adult learners were already familiar
Suggested ICT Approach
‘Financial’
e-Learning/web-based courses
‘Mental’
What is needed is a methodology that could play to the learners’ demands viz., repetition, illustration, motivation and meeting individual learning styles. ICT could provide the solution.
Learning Disabilities
• • • • • • • •
Excellent memory for things they hear Poor memory for things they see Good reading ability Very poor arithmetic ability Excellent verbal expression and verbal reasoning Problems with written expression (often because of poor handwriting) Problems with sense of direction, estimation of size, shape, distance Problems reading facial expressions, gestures, social cues
The possibilities of finding ICT solutions to the LD’s lie in exploiting the strengths to overcome the weaknesses. For example • Strength in (1) could be used to repair/improve the weakness in (2). This can be achieved by using audio cues to reinforce visuals/videos. • Strength in (3) could be used to improve the weakness in (4). This could be achieved by using narratives to identify numbers, mathematical operation etc. • Strength in (5) could further enhance capabilities using (a) and (b) above. • (7) & (8) could be approached through appropriate multimedia solutions. • (6) could be solved using writing tablets March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
7
with the vocabulary used in their transactions. The only limitation lay in their inability to neither read nor write. For educating the children of Nomadic Tribes in Maharashtra, some tribes were identified. Efforts were made to develop an application that would motivate and encourage the nomadic children to learn from their own living environment. MEEIT was used to explore the environment in more than one way to help the nomad child come to know his/her environment and to identify the various factors/ elements that constitute the living and non-living components of the environment, the pollutants of the environment and the ways and means to keep a clean environment. MEEIT, as the package is ‘fondly’ called, is made up of four modules viz. • The Interactive Environment • The ‘Virtual’ Environment • Explore your Environment • Videos
opportunities for the disabled and underprivileged sections of the community. ICTs have a major role in spreading mass awareness and creating more occupational avenues for the less abled people.
References • • • • •
MEEIT: Marshalling the Environment to Educate through Information Technology, e-learning Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, May 2007 eIT2006: National Conference on Emerging Tends in Information Technology, Baramati, India, September 2006 ICT for the Education of Children of Nomadic Tribes: Lessons Learnt, IST Africa 2007, Maputo, Mozambique, May 2007 Denotified and Nomadic Tribes in Maharashtra, DNT Rights Group Newsletter, Vadodara, Apr-Jun & July-Sep 2000 Learning Disabilities(www.ldao.ca)
Possible extensions of the ICT approach to handle other disabilities The limitations of the individuals having the other types of disabilities could be handled successfully using ICT, provided the right and appropriate adaptation is made. The table below gives a few of these adaptations.
Conclusion ICT tools are apt in creating better learning and interaction
Acknowledgments: The author wishes to thank Prof. Krithi Ramamritham, Dean R&D., IIT Bombay, Mumbai, for the opportunity provided to lead a team of professionals in discovering the appropriate methodology to successfully design, test and develop the application. Media Lab Asia, MIT, Government of India, need to be thanked for the financial assistance provided by them.
Legislations to ensure best practices for disabled Accessibility to information and developing an inclusive society have been main areas of concerned of nations worldwide in the recent past. Accordingly, policies regarding accessibility have been enacted worldwide with a specific focus on disabled people: Australia: Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) ensures to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of disability and to promote and provide housing, education and human rights support to disable people. European Union: In December 1996, EU Member States politically endorsed a Communication entitled ‘Equality of Opportunity for People with Disabilities - A New European Community Disability Strategy’ that determines best-practice procedures in creating policies to achieve the goal of full participation of disabled people in all aspects of life. In May 2000, the European Commission adopted ‘A Communication Towards a Barrier-Free Europe for People with Disabilities’ which is intended to build the framework for improving access for the disabled at the workplace and beyond. India: The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 ensures that government and public sector establishments shall set up schemes to ensure the employment of disabled people, by promoting training and welfare, health and safety measures, and creating non-disabling environments in the workplace. Philippines: There are two laws in the form of Batasang Pambansa 344, (passed in December 1982) and Republic Act 7277 (passed in 1992). Batasang Pambansa 344 focuses on the transportaion, communication and mobility of the disabled persons. Republic Act 7277, also known
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as ‘Magna Carta for the Disabled Persons’, focuses on the rehabilitation, self-development, social integration and employment including equal opportunities for rehabilitation, training and quality education for the disabled people. South Africa: An anti-discrimination clause in the National Constitution of 1996 includes disability policies to be implemented. The government’s policy is described in a White Paper, about the Integrated National Disability Strategy of 1997. The communication stipulates that ‘Technology that will ensure inclusive use of public amenities by all consumers is required (Sign Language and subtitles on television, availability of documents in braille and/or on cassette, availability of communication boards for non-speaking people, and assistive listening devices and systems for deaf people, such as TTYs and closed caption decoders). However, the white paper does not cover information technology. United Kingdom: Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 and the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Act 1999 checks the discrimination (in relation to employment provision of goods and services, education and transport) against disabled people. United States of America: The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment. Section 508 of The Rehabilitation Act establishes requirements for electronic and information technology developed, maintained procured, or used by the Federal government. Section 508 requires Federal electronic and information technology to be accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public. Source: http://www.tiresias.org/guidelines/legislation.htm
i4d | March 2008
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UNICEF appeals for $856 million to aid children and women in emergencies The United N a t i o n s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) h a s re l e a s e d Humanitarian Action Report (HAR) 2008, which urges donors to provide $856 million to assist children and women who are victims of emergencies in 39 different countries around the world. The report includes information on countries, which are currently affected by several political crises like Chad and Kenya. The report also describes about the UNICEF’s relief activities alongside accounts of the financial requirements, which are necessary to meet the needs of those children and women who are suffering. UNICEF has estimated that 150,000 in Kenya are forced to live in temporary camps. While in Chad, 30,000 children of the 52,000, have been driven out of the country. UNICEF is providing urgent assistance in terms of health, education and nutrition. According to the report, better natural disaster preparedness has improved the situation in countries prone to emergency hazards.
GSMA launches mobile alliance against child sexual abuse The global trade association for mobile operators, the GSM Association has launched the Mobile Alliance against Child Abuse Content to obstruct the use of the mobile environment by organisations wishing to gain profit from child sexual abuse content. The Alliance has been founded by the
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GSMA operators including Hutchison 3G Europe, mobilkom Austria, Orange FT Group, Telecom Italia, Telefonica/02, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, T-Mobile Group, Vodafone Group and dotMobi. The Alliance aims to create significant barriers for the misuse of mobile networks and services for hosting, accessing, or profiting from child sexual abuse content. The Association states that the Alliance will implement technical mechanisms to prevent access to websites, identified by an appropriate agency as hosting child sexual abuse content. Members are also expected to implement notice and take-down processes to enable the removal of any child sexual abuse content posted on their own services, while supporting and promoting hotlines or other mechanisms for customers to report child sexual abuse content discovered on the Internet or on mobile content services. The Alliance plans to achieve its objectives by a combination of technical measures, cooperation and information sharing.
UN report: mobile phones narrow poverty gap in emerging markets According to t h e re c e n t report by the United N a t i o n s C o n f e re n c e on Trade and Development, ( U N C TA D ) , the use of modern ICT gadgets like the mobile phones and net access are helping to narrow the digital bridge between the rich nations and emerging economics. The study finds that mobile telephones and telecentres are supporting livelihoods in developing countries. The report states that the mobile telephony is rapidly progressing in the developing world. In Africa, there were 50 million new mobile subscribers in 2006, and in 2007 the total number of mobile subscriptions reached an estimated 200 million. This means an average of more than 20 active cell phones per 100 persons. The report noted that the flexibility and ease of mobile technology has led to its widespread use in business transactions, most particularly by very small firms or micro-businesses. The report also comments that mobile telephony can be provided quickly and fairly in comparison with the fixed line telephony. To understand how telecentres support livelihoods among the poor, UNCTAD surveyed a number of telecentre networks in Bangladesh and India. The survey assessed which services telecentres are providing, who benefits from those services, and what are the key environmental and institutional factors that enable telecentres to help the poor raise living standards. The results show that most telecentres are
concentrating on providing access to ICT and on developing basic ICT skills. In line with the type of services offered, telecentres are primarily used for information and education purposes. However, this is not sufficient for supporting the livelihoods of people living in poverty. Based on these findings, the report suggests that policy makers and managers of telecentres gear such institutions to provide better support to the livelihoods of the poor. The report also recommends that managers of telecentres offer e-Business skills training programmes; that they employ community ‘infomediaries’ to help the less-skilled use ICT services effectively; and that they collaborate with other organisations that support economic activities, such as business associations and micro-credit institutions.
Japan grants US$13 million for enhancing literacy in Afghanistan The Asian Development Bank (ADB) J a p a n’ s a i d package will be delivered through UNESCO for enhancing literacy within the framework of the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) which was launched by the Director-General of UNESCO in 2005 as a global framework to support the developing countries to promote literacy towards the realisation of Education for All (EFA). LIFE is officially adopted in Afghanistan as a national literacy framework which offers a platform for all the literacy players to plan and implement their respective activities in a harmonised manner to collectively achieve the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP) literacy goals. So called ‘LIFE programme’ funded by the Japanese Government will provide actual literacy learning to the 600,000 illiterate youth and adults especially women in selected 18 provinces in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is one of these countries that face virtually the most serious and difficult illiteracy problems. In order to tackle the enormous literacy challenges, LIFE has been initiated by the LIFE coordination working group with the initiative of Literacy Department of the Ministry of Education and UNESCO. Japan has been a longstanding supporter of UNESCO’s work with the Government of Afghanistan, notably in the areas of education and culture. Since 2001, Japan has contributed a total of US$ 3.2 million for Safeguarding Bamiyan Cultural Heritage Site and a total of US$ 500 thousand for ‘LAND Afghan literacy project’ to UNESCO in Afghanistan, in support to these activities. i4d | March 2008
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF CEREBRAL PALSY (IICP), KOLKATA, INDIA
IICP’s initiatives for the differently abled IICP opts for various methodologies, initiatives and interventionist strategies to mitigate the problems of the children suffering from neuro-motor disorders and multiple disabilities IICP and cerebral palsy Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP), a leading national level Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) recognised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, is a specialist resource centre for cerebral palsy. It is also a national resource centre for Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). IICP has 31 years of experience in service delivery, research and training and has focused on inclusion using assistive technologies to empower access, education, communication, vocational training and leisure skills. The primary focus of IICP is to develop: • Multimedia educational tools • Language prediction and processing tools • Communication hardware - Voice output communication aids • Access switches The approach of IICP has been to develop and use technology that is pragmatic, affordable, easy to use, flexible, inclusive and responds to the users’ individual and contextual needs. This has led to the establishment of the National Resource Centre, which aims to maintain, display, demonstrate and develop alternative and augmentative communication and inclusive technology resources and to provide training in the desired areas.
Responding to the communicative needs IICP has initiated pioneering steps for the development of communication display boards, and culturally appropriate picture symbols to meet the wide range of communicative needs for the users March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
with complex communication problems. This includes people with cerebral palsy, aphasia, ataxia, autism, strokes, spinal and brain injury, throat cancer and other neuro-motor problems. These display boards can be used extensively because these are versatile, non-expensive and easily made. Moreover, in a country where a major section of people are non-readers, the picture symbols can be extensively used by people with low literacy abilities. Obviously it is very important that these symbols relate to the environment of the persons interacting, which could not be met by commercially available Information Communication Technology (ICTs) of the west. This need culminated in the development of the software ‘Indian Picture Symbols for Communication’ to enable facilitators to replicate linguistically and culturally appropriate symbols to plan and produce communication displays for AAC users. There are 1956 symbols being used as the content of several types of software.
ICT initiatives in IICP ICTs is assisting people, mainly children, with multiple neural disorders. ICTs have proved to play a major role in the lives of people with multiple disabilities and complex communication needs by providing support in many ways. Launching the UN initiative to standardise ICTs for People With Disabilities (PWDs), Kofi Annan, Ex-UN Secretary-General said, “Access to ICTs creates opportunities for all people, perhaps none more so than persons with disabilities” (December, 2006). But the reality of the day is that ICT is often created without regard to people with disabilities, creating unnecessary
Afreen using software Kathamala
barriers to hundreds of millions of people and strengthening the digital divide on the basis of availability, accessibility and affordability of ICTs. So the need of the day is to create universal accessibility, a drive to develop inclusive technologies or technology for ‘ALL’. Universally accessible technology yields great rewards to the typical user; while at the same time it caters to the need of the users with special needs – good accessible design is a universal design. For example, ramps in railway stations enable people with mobility impairments to access the platforms and also aid elderly people, parents with carriages and strollers, travellers and workers with carts and pull-type bags. A dictionary with word-prediction helps all by minimising the effort of typing, while it enables people who use alternative ways of keying in words. In spite of the fact that India is in the forefront of development in the field of ICT, very little effort is given to the development of technologies to assist persons with disabilities, who make up 2.13 percent of the population, to become
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independent within their abilities. We need to consider the issue of creating inclusive technology in the context of ‘The Persons with Disabilities Act’ passed by the Government of India in 1995 that stresses on the rights to access, to communicate, to be educated, and to be included in the society.
Inclusive technology IICP takes recourse to advanced software solutions to assist the differently abled people with interactive learning mechanisms and alternative intervention strategies. Webel Mediatronics Limited (WML), in concurrence with the standards and requirements of IICP, has developed a multimedia based educational software called ITCP. ITCP is developed for users representing different cognition levels and range from simple software to reinforce basic concepts, early literacy and numeracy skills to writing with picture icons. Digitised speech is attached with icons for auditory feedback. Switches and hardware interface have been indigenously developed to facilitate indirect access for people who cannot use a regular keyboard or a mouse. Another complex software in the name of Shikshak is being developed by IICP in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. Shikshak supports auto-generated programmed learning with text to speech output in Indian languages and adaptive hardware interface with indigenous switches.
Apart from developing and implementing sophisticated software solutions, IICP indigenously designs ‘Access Switches’ which are low in cost and thus easily affordable by many. The switches facilitate inclusion of disabled children in mainstream preprimary and primary levels. These switches can also be used to play various electrical gadgets and toys. Voice output communication aids are effectively used to minimise discrimination against nonspeaking people across a range of disabilities by providing facilities for enhanced literacy learning and communication. These devices can be used to give lectures, deliver a speech, for chatting or for planned conversation. Two entry-point digitised speech based devices ‘Kathamala’ and ‘Gupshup’ have been developed over the last couple of years. The devices are low-cost, and easy to use and maintain. A talking album ‘Gupshup Book’ for children or adults with severe learning difficulties and a scanable device for people with severe access problems are in the pipeline. A laptop computer loaded with a communication software can be an ideal voice output device for people who can afford it. IICP uses the above-mentioned technologies to run inclusive vocational training courses in ICT. IICP also focusses on transference of skills, training to build up skills to work in an integrated environment. Many differently abled people who use AAC are active members of the research and development team.
A few success stories
Barsha using software Sanyog
Sanyog, a language prediction and processing based software has been developed to facilitate language development and communication skills for users with multiple disabilities and complex communication needs in general. IICP has collaborated with IIT Kharagpur, to develop this software, which won the National award in this year. Sanyog helps the user to pick up picture icons with word-inflections and auto-generates syntactically and semantically correct messages and produces synthesised speech output in vernaculars. Visual soft keyboard with text to speech and intelligent word prediction provided with the software is the first of its kind in India. It has an easily accessible opening menu and hardware interface to facilitate access. A visual mouse emulator to access the entire desktop area and facilitate web accessibility has also been developed.
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Barsha, a young girl and a poet, who uses a wheelchair and has complex communication needs, is a member of the advocacy group at IICP. Commenting on the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on her life she says, “Before I started using computers seriously I was somewhat frustrated – I had to discontinue studies, I could not express myself in Bengali as I wished to do and I was lacking in self-confidence while talking to strangers. The opportunity of using ICT has changed my attitude altogether, it has made me more demanding and hopeful in general. It has encouraged me to take up my studies again. Now I am working for the research projects taken up by IICP… I can now write poems, can take lectures, can participate in community awareness programmes and can talk with strangers.” Amiraj Chaudhuri, a young man of 22 and a trainee of the vocational training centre at IICP has cerebral palsy and hearing impairment. He says, “Being disabled, people sometimes underestimate us. But after learning computers from here, I am getting more acceptance from peer groups and friends. Moreover, the training will increase job opportunities and help me get a better job in the future”.
Need of the hour There is an urgent need for indigenous research and development of inclusive technology in India. This can be achieved only through a positive and thoughtful attitude towards developing technology for ‘ALL’. The potential for using supportive technology goes beyond people with disabilities while it can be considered to be a lifeline for them. Swati Chakraborty Co-ordinator National Resource for Alternative and Augmentative Communication Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP), Kolkata, India swati.c28@gmail.com i4d | March 2008
INSPIRING LIVES: KRISHNAKANT MANE
Providing hopes to the differently abled
Krishnakant Mane: The man with a vision
H
ere do I present the story of a man who has overcome tremendous odds to reach to the highest levels of glory, accomplishment and grandeur. An idealist and a pathfinder, Krishnakant Mane lays the foundation hopes for all the people who live in the shades of darkness. Krishnakant Mane, a social engineer and a Free Software Advocate has brilliant ideas not only for the visually challenged people but also for those underprivileged people who live under the clutches of fear, insobriety and disdain. He provides vision for the blind and hopes for all the physically, mentally and psychologically challenged sections of the community. His is a live story that may well open many drooping eyes that were (till now) innocent victims of clinical insufficiency, functional inability and artless inadequacy. Since the last five years, Krishnakant has been working tirelessly to uplift and foster the interests of the differently abled people and has been playing an effective role in identifying tools, equipment and the requisite literature to invigorate and enable the disabled. When asked about his main area of focus he says, “I work for education and open knowledge and I am very zealous
March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
about knowledge representation, data management and data integration with exclusive use of free software. I work for spreading knowledge awareness mainly among people with partial and multiple disabilities”. His views on open knowledge and his faith in the role of information mechanisms including free software make him a great advocate of free software education. Apart from working on software solutions including software development for the blind, he is working on GNOWSYS for knowledge management. Krishnakant is also contributing ideas for developing tactile display for the hearing and speech disabled.
Mission As a social engineer, Mane wants to reach out to the differently abled people in the remotest parts of the country with the use of open knowledge resources and free software based technologies. He says, “How would an average villager use various forms of technologies including ICTs”? When asked about how to establish the connect in the remotest parts of India, he says, “I want to travel to the villages and would like to work as a facilitator and try
Mane is working for spreading knowledge awareness mainly among people with partial and multiple disabilities
to create awareness in rural areas. As a facilitator, I would also be able to create technical and social platforms. My physical presence will not only make them aware of the current initiatives endeavoured by the government, the non-governmental agencies and the private players, it will also make them conversant with the tools and technologies that expedite vivid forms of communication and information interchange. However, I can’t be physically present every where so we need to work towards creating more trainers and more supporters in the local areas knowing the native language”.
Early days He always grew as up in the most usual way. While reminiscing his life as a child and as an adolescent, he adds, “My parents have always urged me to grow up as a normal child and right from my childhood they created circumstances and events that were not only congenial to my mental and psychological growth but also congenial to my entire learning and understanding process. I was put to a regular school named King George High School (presently known as V.M Sule High School) wherefrom I completed my 10th standard. Thereafter, I joined Ruia college, Mumbai wherefrom I finished my +2 and graduation. After that, I successfully completed a three-year course on Professional Diploma in Software Engineering from Datapro”.
Career profile Presently, Krishnakant is working as a Project Fellow in Homi Bhaba Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) lab with Dr. Nagarjuna of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. Before joining HBCSE, Krishnakant worked as an advisor to several state governments in India for creating awareness about accessibility technologies for the education
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of handicapped people. This apart, he has also been a consultant to several private companies and nongovernmental organisations in the early 2000/2005 and helped them to migrate to free software. As a Project Fellow in HBCSE, Mane is trying to provide solutions exchange that contributes towards creating a knowledge networking system. To ensure free learning and sort out accessibility difficulties, Mane is working on a project called SELF (Science Education Learning in Freedom) under the supervision and guidance of Nagarjuna. SELF uses GNOWSYS as a back-end tool. The main aim of this project is to create a comprehensive platform with high quality educational and training materials about Free Software and Open Standards. According to Mane, “The Knowledge Labs in Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is doing extensive research on Free software and education”. Apart from the research, blogging and helping people on online support groups, Mane is actively involved in teaching. He uses a coordinate system while using the computer screen. Very enthusiastically he submits, “I teach web designing and lay outing to both sighted and visionless students. My students are all doing well and I have high expectations out of them”.
On ICTs and free software
Orca on GNU Linux platform with a user-friendly interface
Mane has clear understanding of the role of ICTs and other forms of cognitive technologies in the lives and living of the differently abled people. When asked about his ideas on differently abled people using ICTs, he says, “Desktops and laptops are pretty accessible to blind people. For people with multiple handicaps and disabilities, no such comprehensive ICT tool or service has been developed. Borderline deceptors who show slow learning and cognisance capabilities are not benefited from ICT tools and technologies. So for the slow learners, I suggest other software (sometimes interactive) with higher and better forms of accessibility features and some augmentative cognitive technologies that foster speech, symbolic communication and neural language. Thus, leaving aside the existing ICT tools, there are so many other methodologies that can be opted for the people with lesser abilities”. Krishnakant is highly optimistic about Orca. Orca, Mane adds “is a free screen-reader software that ensures better accessibility and operational efficiency for the handicapped and mainly for the visually challenged people. Orca is based on a text-to-speech synthesiser system and runs on a GNU Linux platform with a GNU desktop. Orca helps the blind people to navigate desktop on GNU Linux platform with audio feedback”. Krishnakant, while speaking on Orca, adds, “The source code of the software is available and it being a free software gives the user the freedom to modify and customise the commands in accordance with the needs and requirements. Thus, free and open source software have not only given people complete freedom but also access to high-end resources available on the Internet”. While deliberating upon Orca, Krishnakant states, “The software Orca is developed in Python language. It works with Mozilla for net surfing and can help a blind person read or write e-mails. The software also helps to create well-formatted
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documents through tools like open office. It can further facilitate social networking through GAIM (also known as Pidgin) interface. GAIM now called Pidgin is an instant messaging client which even a blind person can use to chat with his friends and colleagues”. Though Mane has a lot of faith in software and other advanced technologies, yet he doesn’t undermine the human dimension in the process of sharing of knowledge and information, community management and development reorganisation. He affirms, “There is a need to create a people’s network to initiate and implement ICT tools. I have great hopes for the generation to come and the various integrated communication tools will expedite the process of learning, interaction and sharing for the disabled people”.
Conclusion Mane has clear opinions about free software and strongly critisises the proprietary way of free software. He says, “Free software is not all about cost but about the freedom which every individual is bound to get. One cannot have ease and flexibility with proprietary software because most source codes are inaccessible to the general public. And as the impaired people fall in the lowest rung of socio-economic hierarchy, they are unable to take recourse to the software even if they are resourceful and relevant. Moreover, most of the proprietary software cannot be improvised in accordance with the needs of the disabled”. In a nutshell, Mane is fighting a hard battle for the people with various physical and mental impairments. May Mane’s philanthropic mission as a torch bearer for the differently abled people especially the visually impaired people end up with stupendous success and honour. Rajat Banerjee, rajat@csdms.in i4d | March 2008
PROJECT EYEWAY, SCORE FOUNDATION
A boon for the blind ‘Eyeway, yea hai roshni ka karwan’ , Score Foundation’s dream project has won the Radio Duniya Award for the year 2008
Eyeway dream Prachi and Pragya are twin girls who have been blind from almost birth. Information that the parents Manjula and Jayant Mahajan received when the girls were still crawling helped them chart out a life for their girls in the mainstream. The girls today are studying in Springdales School, New Delhi. Guneet Sethi was teaching in a school, when she was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentoza and lost her eyesight. She had to quit her job and sit at home. About 13 years later, when she heard of screen reading software for the blind, she joined the National Association for the Blind and learnt to work with computers. She has started working now and leads a full life. Information does change life. But often information is not easily available. It is scattered, outdated, incomplete and very often inaccessible. In fact when I was growing up as a visually impaired person in the 1960s and the 1970s, my parents had a tough time getting relevant information regarding government policies and facilities, education, career possibilities and so on. They did spend a lot of time running from piller to post looking for information. In the year 2003, Score Foundation launched Project Eyeway (PE), a single stop information resource on the eye and blindness. PE (www.eyeway.org) strives not only to inform, but also to inspire and empower. PE’s main objective is to create a comprehensive information single window resource for blind people, their families, rehabilitation/medical professionals, planners and policy makers. As an extension to PE, a magazine called ‘Beyond The I’ in print, Braille and e-Text was launched in October 2004. This magazine was sent out to over 20,000 people across the country. The magazine was sent out to schools for the blind, prominent blind people, corporate executives, ophthalmologists, rehabilitation professionals, educationists March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
and government officials. The magazine covered burning issues pertaining to the domain, interviews, profiles, news, tips and discussions.
PE on radio To ensure operational success of PE, a weekly Radio programme called ‘Eyeway, yea hai roshni ka karwan’ (title of the programme) was launched in November, 2005. The programme aimed to inform, inspire and empower thousands of listeners using an engaging format comprising interviews, discussions of issues, profiles read out in celebrity voices, competitions and plenty of rocking music from Bollywood. In the first year, the programme was launched on the primary channels of All India Radio Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad. Subsequent to this, from May 2007, the programme was launched on 29 stations of the Vivid Bharti network of All India Radio. The radio programme attracted a lot of attention and started generating phone calls from all over the country. Marium Khan, a middle aged blind woman from Lucknow had spent her entire life more or less sitting at home doing nothing. Her family had provided for her needs in terms of ‘Roti Kapada and Makan’ (basic needs) . She spent her time with the radio. After hearing ‘Eyeway, yea hai roshni ka karwan’ for a few months, she picked up the courage of becoming a caller of ‘Eyeway , yea hai roshni ka karwan’ programme. She was inspired by the interviews with blind personalities (many of whom are now living normal lives) aired on the programme. Currently she is learning Braille and stitching.
National help desk The radio initiative of the PE, fostered the growth of a National Help Desk providing all sorts of assistance to the visually impaired people. The Help Desk, supported by the website i.e. www.eyeway.org and promoted by the radio programme, evolved into
a comprehensive platform addressing issues and concerns of the blind. D N Bajaj, currently employed in a hospital in Rohtak, Haryana, was being discriminated against (when it came to his promotion and accommodation) on account of being visually impaired. He called up ‘Eyeway, yea hai roshni ka karwan’ programme to share his concerns. The help desk immediately provided help by connecting him with the Human Rights Law Network who took up the case and resolved the issue.
Future projects The radio initiative of PE is attracting a lot of attention and response. The radio programme is trying to provide solutions to all sorts of visually impaired callers and listeners. Presently, PE, by building channels of information flow, wants its radio programme ‘Eyeway, yea hai roshni ka karwan’ to reach to every district of the country. To ensure reach of the radio programme vis-avis reach of PE, Score Foundation is interacting with community stake holders, NGOs and the Government. As part of the next phase of PE, a proposal to identify nodal NGO partners in each of the 29 States and 6 Union Territories to become part of the Eyeway network would be floated. There is also a proposal to encourage each of the nodal partners to identify district levels partners. The network will deliver: Information in a language and format • that is accessible to the local people • Services that are needed by the blind and visually impaired people locally • Training programmes will help local communities to become more inclusive.
The dream of PE is to empower every visually impaired persons and to help them realise and bring out their ability and potential. George Abraham CEO, Score Foundation, New Delhi, India george@eyeway.org
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IDENTIFYING ‘DIFFERENTLY ABLED’ WITH ICT
Count them in too! Saswati Paik Social Researcher, Kolkata, India saswati.paik@gmail.com
Defining the dis-abled Total estimated number of disabled people in the world is 650 million. Almost eighty per cent of all disabled persons in the world live in isolated rural areas in the developing countries. In India, the decennial census sequentially couldn’t focus on disability in set format since its inception. The information on disability were collected for India’s decennial census since its inception in 1872. The questionnaire of the 1872 Census included questions not only on the physically challenged but also the mentally challenged and persons affected by leprosy. In each of the successive decadal censuses between 1872 and 1931, the information on disabled population were collected. But the enumeration of physically disabled persons was discontinued during the 1941 Census. In 1976, the United Nations launched its International Year for Disabled Persons (1981). It resulted in inclusion of a question on disability during censuses all over the world. A questionnaire on disabilities was again canvassed at the 1981 Census of India. But, the question was framed on three broad categories of physical disabilities for the House listing Operations of 1981 Census. These categories were: (i) ‘Totally Blind’, (ii) ‘Totally Dumb’ and (iii) ‘Totally Crippled’. The question on disability was not canvassed again in the 1991 Census of India. A comprehensive headcount of mentally and physically challenged people in India has been released in August, 2004 as a part of 2001 census enumeration result. Both the Census of India and National Sample Survey Organisations (NSSO) collect information on nature and magnitude of disability in India. But the results are not comparable because of the differences in the definitions used by them.
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Census of India 2001 states that there are 21,906,769 disabled people in India and disability rate is 2.13 per cent. Of the total disabled people, around 75 per cent belong to rural communities and the remaining belong to urban areas. Among all disabled people, around 58 per cent are males and 42 per cent are females. Among all the states in India, Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, has the maximum number of disabled people. On the other hand, disability proportion in Sikkim (3.8 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (3 per cent) and Jammu and Kashmir (3 per cent) is higher than the national average. Census data of 2001 provide us with the basic information on disabled people. Based on this data, we can analyse the following: (i) spatial distribution of ‘differently abled’ people, (ii) their nature of disabilities, (iii) their socio-economic and cultural status. The analysis can provide us the base for further planning for implementing any ICT tool to increase the ability of ‘differently abled’ people.
Types of disabilities There are five types of disabilities identified in Indian Census: visual, speech, hearing, movement and mental. Some disabilities are genetic, some are by birth, some by accident, some by disease; but census can’t provide all these important information for all areas. It is the task of researchers to find out the causes of the disabilities also, apart from simply solving their economic crisis by means of a tele-kiosk or a self help tool with ICT. Because in our country, many a times, the lack of awareness also spreads disability from one generation to another. ICT can act as a problem solver by means of spreading awareness about (i) the causes and remedies of some disabilities, (ii) nearby and affordable treatment centres of physical and mental disabilities, (iii) ways of getting economic assistance for getting health care, etc. ‘Digital learning’, which is still mainly available with the privileged sections of the society in our country, can also bring change to the ‘differently abled’ people and their surroundings.
Use of ICTs It has been already proved that the sense organs of ‘differently abled’ people function in different manners with different levels of efficiency. Therefore, improving their efficiency with help of ICT tools is not impossible for them and advancement in the field of ICT has enabled many of such people with physical or mental challenges to improve the quality of their life. But, could we ever map the areas in our own country to locate such people? Do we know how many of the differently abled people have got the privilege of using ICT tools? Before thinking of implementing any ICT based development project for socioeconomic development of this section of the society, we need to locate them first, at state level, district level and also at micro level (in rural and urban areas). The social mapping of ‘differently abled’ population can provide us the idea about some factors which are most essential for development planning for such people. ICT can be useful as a tool to many users, but it is always essential to analyse the nature of target beneficiaries and their need before launching any development project.
References • •
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http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/ diswpa04.htm http://www.disability.dk/about-dsi/ dsi-international-development-cooperation/ facing-the-third-world-dsi-policy-paper1992 http://www.disabilityindia.org/ djartjan06A.cfm http://www.disabilityindia.org/nsso-census. cfm www.censusindia.gov.in
Feedback and Suggestions The suggestions and comments of readers has always been a guiding force of i4d magazine. We sincerely request our readers to take a few minutes from their valuable time to fill the i4d Feedback Form available online http://i4donline.net/feedback i4d | March 2008
World News ‘Talking’ Bus Stops for the blind and visually impaired
Information for development www.i4donline.net rce me om e-C
e-Commerce e-Banking services to Vanuatu’s rural areas Rural residents of Vanuatu will enjoy modern banking services soon supported by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan, by bringing electronic banking services and cards swipe services to their doorstep. With National Bank of Vanuatu (NBV), customers will be able to use a plastic card with a magnetic strip, so that they can access several financial services using electronic funds transfer point of sale (eftPOS) cards, or SmartCard technology. The technology will allow bank customers to have access to savings accounts, make deposits and withdrawals, or transfer money. The eBanking system will provide local access to secure and convenient banking services. The Japan Special Fund is providing a $600,000 technical assistance (TA) grant, which would be managed by ADB.
e-Governance egov Maldives opens world’s first virtual embassy The Maldives has become the first country in the world to open a virtual embassy in Second Life (SL).
The Maldives Virtual Embassy is an on-line space located in the Diplomatic Quarter of Diplomacy Island in SL, which is designed to allow new avenues for diplomatic representation and negotiation, especially for small and developing countries that have limited diplomatic outreach in the ‘real’ world. The embassy includes a
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Brighton & Hove has become the first area in the UK in introducing ‘Talking Bus Stops’ for blind and visually impaired people. Brighton & Hove City Council has established award-winning accessible bus policy in conjunction with Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company. The system called RNIM React System connects the city’s Bus Real Time Information, which allows blind and visually impaired people to hear announcements at bus stops that tells them which bus stop they are at and which buses are coming and when they are due to arrive. The Royal National Institute for Blind (RNIB) is another step to make the city more accessible for visually impaired people, who want to use local buses. The interface, Siemens VDO Passenger Information Displays links text to speech. The interface was created by working with SFX Technologies, whilst Atkins Consultants helped with project management. The resulting system can be replicated in other areas and interest has already been shown from London local authorities.
notice board with detail on ‘democratic and human rights reform’ in the country. The Virtual Embassy is another channel to provide viewpoints on issues of international concern, and to interact with partners in the international community. SL is a fastgrowing virtual community with more than six million ‘citizens.’ It has its own currency, the Linden Dollar, which can be exchanged for US dollars.
Education Malta government launches national e-Learning strategy Government of Malta has launched a national e-Learning strategy for the year 2008-2010. The strategy incorporates a €22 million computer leasing plan for five years and will help the government make the country a centre of excellence in IT by the end of 2015. There would be 10,300 personal computers for students and 2,800 laptops for teachers in schools. Each school would be connected with fibre optic network with Wi-Fi accessibility. Each class has its own website where parents, teachers and students can integrate with each other. The strategy aims to establish standards for Internet and computer safety and security, technical standards for interoperability and compatibility and quality standards for content development.
Health Telemedicine for community care, Scotland The Scottish Centre for Telehealth (SCT), Cisco, and the National Health Service in Scotland have launched the world’s first trial of Cisco’s HealthPresence, an
innovative patient care delivery concept using Cisco TelePresence technology. It is a combination of video, audio and call centre technology, which provides medical information over a secure network to create a virtual face-to-face experience for patients, who reside in remotest part of the world. The platform interfaces with medical diagnostic equipment, like stethoscopes and otoscopes, as well as a vital signs monitor that can measure blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and pulse oximetry to capture the physiological condition of the patient. An attendant is also available to operate the medical devices on behalf of the remotely located caregiver as well as to maintain the technology in good operating condition.
Technology Myanmar, S. Korea co-op in education sectors Myanmar and South Korea are entering into partnership in the field of education and technical sectors. South Korean Department of Education of Chonnam National University has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the officials of Myanmar’s biggest business organisation, the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI). The cooperation will cover Korean language course, testing of the language compilation and distribution of MyanmarKorean language dictionary, production of bio-fertiliser and opportunities for providing educative course to new-generation farmers. Under a MoU, the Korean University will offer certificate courses, trainers and equipment, while the UMFCCI will provide the infrastructure. i4d | March 2008
EUROPEAN INITIATIVES FOR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES
ICTs to cope with multiple impairments A. Ionescu Teacher, ‘Octav Onicescu’ National College, Romania adina_2301@yahoo.com
I. Hamburg Researcher ,University of Erlangen, Institute Arbeit und Technik, Wissenschaftszentrum NordreinWestfalen, Germany hamburg@iatge.de
M. Muscan The League for the defence of the disabled people’s rights from Romania, Bucharest, Romania marina_muscan@yahoo.es
Introduction People with disabilities are much more liable than their peers without disabilities to be unqualified or unemployed. Unfortunately, because of an explicit lack of an operational infrastructure and the poor range and quality of provisions, many disabled people do not have the opportunities to learn or re-learn basic skills. As a result of this, they not only start under-performing but also loose self-confidence, which often creates a major impediment upon their learning process. In order to vindicate the disabled people from the scourge of cyclic unemployment, certain European Nations are taking recourse to skill-oriented and trade-oriented training measures. Learning difficulties, such as those caused by poor short-term memory, poor sequencing skills or language dysfunction require professional teaching that is not available to many learners because of the shortage in suitable skilled and qualified trainers. Some learners require assistive technology such as tape recorders, touch screens, Braille, voice synthesisers, without which they cannot learn at an appropriate level. Most would benefit by the access March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
to new technology where the software is pertinent. But many trainers are unfamiliar with the range of available software. Other learners require transportation to the place of learning, more accessible accommodation, timetabling that avoids fatigue, or even a personal assistant. The existing standards are not sufficiently accessible and the curriculum is insufficiently flexible to enable all learners to develop basic skills.
ICT and VLE New Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and virtual learning environments (VLEs) together with assistive technologies can support learners with disabilities to achieve basic skills. eLearning has the potential to enable learners with particular needs to engage in learning when both accessibility and usability issues are solved. Developments in the use of ICT reflect government investment and local innovation, but the developed systems are often incompatible with each other and with assistive technologies needed by people with disabilities. Each institution or organisation buys its own system and support services and they are often more expensive. A more strategic approach to the
future development of ICT in education and development of basic skills of people with and without disabilities is necessary. So ICT in education should: • transform teaching and learning (through shared ideas, more exciting lessons, and online help) and help improve outcomes for young people, particularly those having communication difficulties; • engage ‘hard to reach’ learners, with special needs support and more choices about how and where to learn; • build an open accessible system with more information and online-services for carers, young people and adult learners; • transfer learning from the theoretical to the practical mode by increasing learners’ independence (e.g., by using virtual reality – VR – applications); • give learners the opportunity for continuous learning (e.g. by using eLearning) and community learning. VLE denominate an on-line learning environment (mostly Web-based) where learners can engage in learning activities and/or interact with tutors and peer
The use and application of ICT, VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and Flexible Training Methods (FTMs) for the improvement of work and social life of disabled people have been the primary research areas of the authors. In this paper, after a short presentation of VLE, some proposals to make VLE accessible to disabled people have been put forward by the authors. Besides, three European initiatives that can stimulate the development of basic skills of people with multiple impairments, been discussed.
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groups. A VLE can offer facilities that include ‘controlled’ delivery of materials, chat, discussion boards/conferencing, on-line assignments such as multiple choice tests, tracking and home pages etc. Often VLEs are used together with assistive technologies e.g., ICT designed to compensate for impairments and/or limitations in disabled users.
Project IECUVADVLA In 2004, Romania initiated the project ‘Improvement of Employment Chances of the Unemployed and the Visual and Auditive Disabled by using Virtual Learning Applications’ - IECUVADVLA - in collaboration with other four European countries, namely Germany, Hungary, the U.K. and the Netherlands. The main aim of the project is to increase the chances of employment of unemployed seniors with visual and hearing impairments, especially of those having a moderate level of education, offering them basic skills by using virtual application models. Some major objectives of the project IECUVADVLA are to : • identify the labour market requirements, the specific needs of the target group and the educational assistance by electronic means in the countries participants to the project, • make good use of virtual learning applications by the senior unemployed with visual and hearing disabilities, in order to improve their chances of employment and to determine, develop, and produce virtual learning application models adapted to the specific needs of unemployed seniors with visual and hearing impairments. In the year 2006, in the framework of the project IECUVADVLA, the Hungarian partner developed the first version of the FORThSIGHT 1.0 (The Intelligent Text Magnifyer) DEMO Programme, which offers reading and writing facilities to the people with visual impairments.
GRUNDTVIG-Project BASKI Another project is the GRUNDTVIG-Project BASKI (Basic Skills for people with disabilities). The aim of this multinational project is to develop, test and disseminate a Basic Skills Training Model (BSTM) for people with learning or multiple disabilities who are cared for in social institutions (e.g., sheltered workshops, assisted living). In this trans-national cooperation, specially developed and tested methodical and didactic materials shall particularly support severely disabled people in their expression of will and needs. The interaction between the Basic Skills Training and the accompanied Coaching of social institutions is the central aim of the project. The BSTM is based on national studies on legal framework, statistics on disability, rehabilitation, facilities for living, education and work of the target group, needs of the target group and example of measures for self-participation of the target group in society, examples of national education measures for supporting this fact, provision of qualified trainers to support such measures and of training materials for basic skills – all these aspects in partner countries. The model includes a Curriculum for a Basic Skills Training for people with learning or multiple disabilities in small groups, methodical/didactic material developed to support communication, learning and group processes, two Curricula
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for further education addressing professionals in psychosocial counselling (Train the Trainer and European Counsellor), test and evaluation reports received by means of pilot groups. In some studied target groups learners have to concentrate on developing skills such as sequencing and listening, which are essential for progress to basic skills. In other groups with complex learning problems, the acquisition of basic skills is difficult because they may not speak or recognise written text. In some cases eLearning methods can be applied to transfer learning from a theoretical mode to a practical one. One of the parts of the training module for European Counsellor that will be developed by the Institute Arbeit und Technik is about using of new technologies in facilities for disabled and carers, for example for communication and information services and devices (telecommunication), daily living (telecare) and Telemedicine.
GRUNDTVIG-Project TYAEST The third example is the GRUNDTVIG-Project TYAEST (Today’s Young Adults Integration in the European Society of Tomorrow). One of the objectives of this project is to facilitate social integration of young adults, particularly those with disabilities. Basic computer skills and skills about the using of the Internet should be learned during some training sessions. It is intended to combine such technical sessions with informal events, presentation of scenarios about the use of new technologies by disabled people, discussion forums, etc. in order to acquire soft communication and cooperation skills too, building an European virtual learning community of young people aged between 16-25, with or without disabilities. Scenario planning as a method was used to help disabled people to express their wishes and plan their careers. First, an animated scenario about a blind young user who attends Web-based training course, for HTML and homepage design especially developed for blind users, was presented to the students with different disabilities from a special school from Bochum, Germany. Questions about plausibility and consequences of it were discussed. Some students expressed that the scenario could help them to think more positive about learning and future careers.
Conclusion People with different difficulties should have the entitlement to basic skill training which is relevant, meets individual needs, and helps them to be integrated in social and work life. National and European initiatives like those described in this paper could motivate such learners to participate in basic skills training choosing the suitable training method and technology, rather than being forced by staff or carers to attend the training course. When necessary, the definition of basic skills should be interpreted or expanded with symbols, gestures, and methods of augmented communication for people with learning disabilities, and with appropriate access technology for other groups. Trainers teaching basic skills to people with disabilities should learn some communication techniques required to work effectively with learners having different abilities. Learners should have better access to specialist support staff like mobility trainers and trainers for ICT based learning (e-Learning). i4d | March 2008
e-Agriculture News Coffee, Citrus, broiler, Meat Processing, as well as agri-videos or video clips on various technologies will also be offered under this programme. These e-Learning courses will be delivered via online with the website address at www.e-extension.gov.ph.
New BIM mobile engineering training unit launched Information for development www.i4donline.net
Philippine e-Learning project for farmers, DA, DOST The Department of Agriculture (DA) of Philippines and the Department of Science Technology (DOST) are teaming up to educate agricultural extension workers, farmers and fisherfolk on new farm related technologies through the Internet. These two departments have launched the electronic learning Programme for Agriculture and Fisheries in cooperation with the group of state universities and colleges (SUCs) and non-government organisations. The programme aims to modernise agricultural extension work by harnessing the digital revolution to bring new Information and Technologies closer to rural communities. Through its Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), along with the DOST and their partneragencies, the department is undertaking this online programme along with the DA’s electronic-Extension Programme, which aims to modernise agricultural extension by bringing information closer and faster to the extension workers, farmers and fisherfolk in the country. The programme is one of the components of the Comprehensive Agriculture and Fisheries Integrated Management System (CAFIAMS), an ambitious programme being undertaken by the Department that will allow small farmers, fisherfolk and agribusiness entrepreneurs cruise the information superhighway by tapping into a DA-run electronic database system for information on new technologies to help them boost yields, optimise profits and eventually engage in online trading or marketing of their produce. The programme also offers certificate courses on agricultural technologies of various commodities especially designed for agricultural extension workers, farmers and fishers in the Philippines. These courses are being developed with the DOST-PCARRD, BAR, SUCs, the ATI Regional Training Centres and DA’s Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA)-High Value Commercial Crops Programme. Digital courses on Corn, March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Ireland has officially launched Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s (BIM’s) new mobile Engineering Coastal Training Unit (CTU), at Kilmore Quay Pier, Co. Wexford. The unit will provide training to fishermen and aquaculture personnel at coastal locations countrywide for almost thirty years. While commenting on the launch of BIM’s third CTU, Minister, John Browne stated that the new mobile unit is an important element of BIM’s training programme, which provides essential engineering skills to a widely dispersed coastal clientele. T h e B I M u n i t a i m s t o i m p ro v e knowledge and reduce the number of accidents and loss of life at sea by training fishermen in engineering skills, survival techniques, first-aid, fire prevention, vessel safety and occupational health and safety. The new engineering coastal training unit will improve safety and profitability of fishing vessels by improving their standards of essential maintenance and highlighting techniques to improve fuel economy. It will also provide general engineering knowledge to aquaculture operations and shore based processing factories to improve their efficiency and profitability, which is a key aspect of the industry strategy adopted into Government policy. The launch of this new engineering training unit will complement BIM’s two existing mobile training units, which continue to provide marine radio and safety training to Irish fishermen and aquaculture personnel at 30 coastal locations annually.
ITC wins FICCI Outstanding Vision Corporate Triple Impact award ITC e-Choupal has received the Annual Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Outstanding Vision Corporate Triple Award 2007 for its invaluable contribution in building economic, social and natural capital for the nation. The Award was presented by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh to Y C Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC at the Annual General Meeting of FICCI. ITC e-Choupal is the world’s largest rural digital initiative, which covers 40,000 villages and empowers more than four million farmers. The company’s social
and farm forestry initiative, backed by intensive research and development to create disease resistant high yielding clonal saplings, have greened over 77,000 hectares. In this process, ITC has created over 35 million employment for marginal farmers and tribals. ITC has also supported 1000 women representing different Self Help Groups (SHGs) and helped to create 7000 rural women entrepreneurs as part of its sustainable livelihood and social empowerment programmes. In addition, ITC also provides supplementary primary education to 100,000 children. Currently, the Company ’s social development initiatives cover 44 districts spread over 12 states across India.
UN-backed project to benefit some 20,000 poor rural families in Burkina Faso A new UN supported project in Burkina Faso will help around 20,000 poor rural households bolster their crop production and incomes through improved irrigation. The UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will provide an $11 million loan to the Small-scale Irrigation and Water Management Project that will be carried out in six provinces in the South-West of the country. The project will kick off with an information, education and communication campaign. The project will also look for adding participants’ ability to intensify and diversify crops as well as support marketing activities. The scheme will also work in conflict-affected communities in the six provinces where there has been an influx of migrants, resulting in a situation where there is less available land for greater numbers of people. The project will enhance irrigation to produce higher-value crops on smaller plots of land, so that it will provide a way to ease population pressure and alleviate potential conflict. The project will build some 250 hectares of vegetables gardens with low-pressure micro-irrigation technology. The scheme will increase annual agriculture production by 4,700 tons of rice, 1,800 tons of vegetables, 314 tons of maize and 1,700 tons of bananas.
Pension scheme for farmers in Kerala (India) The Governor of Kerala (India), R L Bhatia has promised pension scheme for farmers. Apart from establishment of rural business hubs to provide sustainable job opportunities for the poor, a new town and country planning bill, a housing relief fund for below poverty line (BPL) families
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The i4d News and separate ombudsmen for cooperative banking institutions and Devaswom boards are also in the loop. While delivering his policy address, he pointed out that farmers of the state are not able to enjoy the benefits of pension schemes. He also proposed that there is a need to train the younger generation to handle modern agriculture machines and tools. For this purpose, and to infuse new technology into dairy farming, an agripolytechnic would be started under Kerala Agricultural University and high-tech dairy would be farms set in Idukki and Wayanad districts with the involvement of nonresident Indians. The government will also set up high-tech export-orient meat plant at Chalakudy with public-private participation. The rural business hubs will also be set up under an initiative called Samagra, one in every district initially, under the auspices of the Kudumabsree Mission. These business hubs will focus on niche areas in agriculture and animal husbandry and value-addition to agriculture produce. Under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, a health insurance scheme will also be introduced in Kollam and Alappuzha districts this year to provide up to INR 30,000 as insurance coverage to BPL worker families.
According to the report, the percentage of village had access to road links, telephone services, electricity and TV broadcasting by the end of 2006 were 95.5 percent, 97.6 percent, 98.7 percent and 97.6 percent respectively. The figures shows that the government has increased its expenditure to improve rural livelihoods. The Central Government has also launched a plethora of initiatives to speed up the development of the countryside. The central government plans to increase its budget for rural investment by more than a fourth to $72.8 billion this year. According to report figures, till the end of 2006, only 48.6 percent of rural residents had access to tap water and only 15.8 percent of villages had garbage treatment facilities. The survey also found China had 530 million rural labourers at the end of 2006. Of them, 70 percent were engaged in agriculture, farming, forestry, livestock breeding, fishing and related services. The government has also increased expenditures on rural projects from $47.6 billion in 2006 to $58.8 billion in 2007.
New e-Learning initiative on organic agriculture and agroecology
Rural phone programme for Rwanda farmers The Government of Rwanda has launched a rural mobile phone distribution scheme for farmers in association with MTN Rwanda and Rwanda Bank of Development (BRD). The programme aims to increase ICT penetration in rural areas by providing them affordable cell phone on micro-credit scheme. In this public private partnership (PPP) project, people who are living in rural areas will be benefited from MTN cell phone on credit worth US$23 and pay $1.8 each month until the debt is recovered. This initiative will bridge the communication gap in rural Rwanda. The Minister in President’s office, Romain Murenzi stated that the government is committed to encourage implementation and integration of ICT cutting across all developmental sectors in a way to ensure a smooth run towards vision 2020.
Survey shows better rural facilities The National Bureau of Statistics in China has revealed the nation’s latest agriculture report based on the 2006 census, which was designed to reflect the overall development of rural areas, the agriculture sector, and the living standards of rural residents.
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in Karur district in Tamil Nadu from April 2008. The programme will ensure that farmers can have access to modern technology, adequate marketing means and storage facilities in a single collection. The programme, funded by the Central and State governments, was already being implemented in some districts and was set up for expansion to all districts in the State. The programme will increase productivity as well as quality. With the implementation of the programme, farmers in the district will get a remunerative price for their produce besides ensuring that farm-related industries get a boost as regard to supply of raw materials.While speaking at the ‘Conference on Agriculture’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Collector T N Venkatesh stated a huge quantity of drumstick was being harvested in the Aravakurichi region of the district but there was lack of cold storage facility, forcing growers to sell all their produce immediately. The Collector has called veterinarians, animal husbandry, dairy professionals and agriculture experts to introduce emerging technology for converting the vast tracts of land available in the district into fodder crop fields. The State government is also providing a lot of facilities for entrepreneurs to start industries in rural areas under the New Anna Marumalarchi Thittam.
Communication initiative Network in Senegal The European Government has launched a new European project, Organic.Edunet, which aims to raise awareness about Organic Argriculture and Agro-Ecology in schools and agricultural universities. The project is coordinated by the Greek Research and Technology Network (GRNET S.A.), which also involves 15 partners from 10 European countries. The project will facilitate the access, usage and exploitation of digital educational content for teaching topics related to Organic Agriculture and Agro-Ecology. The government will also set up a network of online repositories with educational resources from various content producers. These online repositories will be accessible from the Organic.Edunet Web portal, a multilingual environment that will facilitate end-users’ search, retrieve, access and use of the educational resources. Organic.Edunet is also planning to study all educational scenarios, which will use digital content to support teaching concepts related to Organic Agriculture and Agro-Ecology in schools and agricultural universities. The project is expected to be completed by 2010.
Agriculture project for Karur, Tamil Nadu (India) The National Agriculture Development Programme will be implemented
The project called, ‘Xam Marsé’ provides market information about various products to Senegalese farmers, traders, hoteliers and others through Internet and free, daily SMS service. Xam Marsé means ‘Know your Market’ provides real-time information on the prices and availability of fruit, vegetables, meat and poultry, on any of Senegal’s markets. Manobi has launched this service to increase access of producers to information that would allow them to make better decisions about sales and purchases. Manobi has launched the project in cooperation with three local fishing unions, two telecommunications companies (Alcatel and Sonatel), and the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Over 3400 producers, middlemen and traders are involved in this service. Manobi’s information system on fruits and vegetables, accessible by GSM-Data has enabled the farmers of the Niayes to increase their sale prices negotiated from their fields or on the markets by over 50 percent per year. This will bring an annual income of CFA F 10 billion from the 7,000 ha cultivated in the Niayes area.
Check out www.e-Agriculture.in for daily news updates i4d | March 2008
Government ICT News Khmer language is available only through Free and Open Source software separating the skill of ‘second-language’ from the skill of ‘computer use’, and allowing students to work on them independently and even use their computer skills to learn English at a later stage.
Andhra Pradesh (India) government to provide cell phones to health workers Information for development www.i4donline.net
YouTube platform for security purposes Ministry of The Interior o f t h e Republic of Lithuania is using videos to explicate the effectiveness of using YouTube. According to the ministry, YouTube will ensure data security. The videos on YouTube cover various topics, including the importance of securing passwords and e-Mails, the risks of using illegal and unverified software, the need to make back-up copies, the safe handling of portable devices, operating a ‘clean desk’ policy, etc. The videos were originally shot within the framework of a safety scheme supported by the European Union’s Poland and Hungary Assistance for Reconstructing their Economics (PHARE) programme. The videos are aimed to improve administrative and technical capabilities and ensure information security within public institutions.
Cambodian Education Ministry brings open source into education The Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has launched its new ICT Textbook for schools having computers, all universities and all teacher training facilities. The new textbook which has been fully translated to Khmer language (Cambodian) teaches the use of Free and Open Source applications, like OpenOffice, Mekhala (Firefox) and Moyura (Thunderbird). The new textbook follows interactive training of eight months. All ICT teachers of upper secondary schools having access to computers and all ICT Master Trainers from teacher training facilities will be trained to use this type of software and teaching materials. Cambodia becomes the first country in the world to fully change its education system to teach Free and Open Source software applications. Computers in March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
The Government of Andhra Pradesh (India) has decided to provide mobile phones to more than 7,000 health workers who are working in rural areas. This initiative is undertaken to provide instant medical services to their families and in the event of health problems, they can contact the doctors deputed for the purpose. The state government will also set up mobile hospitals, which would periodically visit villages to provide medical help. The state government has also introduced a health insurance scheme, ‘Rajiv Arogya Sri’, for poor families in half-a-dozen districts, which would be extended to the entire state. Under this scheme, the government provides INR 200 annual premium to insurance companies, which will fully reimburse the cost of treatment, including heart surgeries upto INR two million. The government has earmarked INR 450 billion for the scheme in the annual budget for the year 2008-2009. The state government has also introduced 104 services besides 108 services in the state under publicprivate collaboration, where the former provides medical advice to the caller on any health-related problem and the latter sends ambulance with emergency medical help free of cost to the needy people.
Ghana gets Italian assistance for e-Governance The Government of Ghana has implemented a new governance programme, which is being assisted by the Italian Government. T h e p ro g r a m m e w i l l improve the flow of information of the creation of a national data centre in public administration. This proposal will set up a bilateral working group to work on the blue print for the pilot phase. The Italian Government will set up a certified e-Mail infrastructure, including digital signature and electronic document work flow that will improve the quality of work in public services. The Ministries like Communication, Finance, Attorney General and Justice, and Foreign Affairs are involved in the project. The Italian Government will share its experience on e-Governance with Ghana.
15 more Letter of Intent from I&B Ministry of India In an effort to promote community radio stations across the country, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India has issued 15 more Letters of Intent (LoI) bringing the no. of LoI issued under the new CR guidelines to 36. Nine of the new LoI holders are NGOs and civil society organisations. The new LoI holders are; Shree Narsingh Memorial Trust, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Abid Ali Khan Educational Trust, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Jai Jui Vichar Manch, Solapur, Maharashtra, Wayanad Social Service Society, Wayanad Kerala, Hanuman Prasad Gramin Vikas Seva Samiti, Kurhani, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development, Gola Dist., Khera, UP, Young India, Konark, Orissa, Houdou Akou Rural Development Society, Senapati, Manipur and, Ayodhya Lal Kalyan Niketan, Gopalganj, Bihar. Educational Institutions are; Pondicherry University, Tamil University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Ch. Devi Lal Uiversity, Sirsa, Haryana and, Jabalpur Engineering College, Jabalpur, MP, while two Agricultural Universities are Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra and CSKHP Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh.
A comprehensive portal for School Education Department (Chennai) The School Education Department of Chennai (India) will soon launch a c o m p re h e n s i v e portal which will provide information on its academic and administrative wings. School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu is leading a seven member team, working on the initiatives which aims to build a smooth and transparent e-Education system. The team, comprising of software p ro f e s s i o n a l s , s e n i o r o f f i c i a l s a n d headmasters, compile data from the districts, The Department will soon appoint a Deputy Director for e-Governance to ensure effective operation of the portal. The portal, which is currently in the final stage aims to provide details on all components within the purview of the School Education Department. From budgetary allocations to statistical data to teacher vacancies and school profiles to student and teacher profiles, infrastructure, application forms for examinations and government schemes are covered. As part of this project, student will be profiled individually with details like school, district, class, and blood group. The student’s ID will be exclusive and, when entered, will generate all the details. Statistical information would be presented as tables, pie charts and graphs.
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India News
Information for development www.i4donline.net
Punarbhava.in - A ‘renewed becoming’ for the differently abled Media Lab Asia, a unit of the Indian Department of Information Technology, and the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), a federal body dealing with rehabilitation of the disabled, have jointly developed a portal for the differently-abled community in India named Punarbhava.in ( w w w. p u n a r b h a v a . i n ) . T h i s p o r t a l has been designed and developed by Iridium Interactive, the leading ‘Fully Integrated Web Services Company ’ in India. Punarbhava.in was launched today by Thiru A Raja, Hon’ble Union Minister for Communications & Information Technology; Meira Kumar, Hon’ble Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr Shakeel Ahmed, Hon’ble Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology and Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, Hon’ble Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment. ‘Punarbhava’ is a Pali word for ‘renewed becoming’. It refers to the process of rebirth after death and is synonymous with samsara. Rebirth in Buddhism does not mean reincarnation, in the sense of an eternal, separate soul transferring to a new body. Rather it is the continuation of
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The lunch of Punarbhava.in
the psyche with its conditioning and habits. Each rebirth is a new life. “Punarbhava is an excellent example of the efficient use of ICT and the web medium for the betterment of the differently-abled. The aim of Punarbhava is to create and run a comprehensive Internet Portal, which collects specialised information and useful services for all the people involved in the disability issue as an information database, sources of daily updated news and media for the development of the disability and rehabilitation sector in India.” – added Pratap T P Chief Marketing Officer, Iridium Interactive. “There will be an array of resources like films documentaries, list of publications and institutions for users to download a repository of books in text, audio and multimedia mode. Not only that in schools
where computer based printing system is available the text in language script or Braille script can be printed locally. Users could also access a complete database on NGOs working in the field of disability in India and network with sponsors for financing projects for the welfare of the disabled” – added Manish Kumar, Practice Head, Iridium Interactive. The user can view and even download all government orders, laws, circulars related to disability and disability certificate form. Not just this, the disabled-friendly texts in audio, video and multimedia mode will be cataloged and stored in web format for easy download. Besides, a dedicated section will be available for information on professional personnel and students being trained as specialists to deal with disability related issues. Currently there are 30000 such professionals in the country and an estimated 5,000 persons register themselves for fresh training every year. A closed user group would be launched to unite them and other stakeholders. Iridium Interactive has been actively associated with this portal Punarbava. in from the inception to its complete development. “Iridium Interactive has been actively involved in ensuring web accessibility and inclusion of the differently abled – and this was the main reason for leading organisations like Media Lab Asia & Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) to have selected Iridium Interactive for this important assignment. It is a chance through the power of the Internet to unite on a global scale and influence matters in local, regional and international attitudes and thinking” – said Sriram Bharatam, CEO, Iridium Interactive. i4d | March 2008
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„ INFORMATION NEED OF SUGARCANE GROWERS
ICT for sugarcane farmers S S Hasan Scientist, Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, India hasan_iisr@yahoo.com
R K Isaac Associate Professor, Dept. of Computer Science & IT, AAIDeemed University, Allahabad, India isaac_rk@hotmail.com
Sugarcane growers and IT Information Technology (IT) is assuming ever-increasing importance in agricultural development of the country. Sugarcane is a major cash crop and raw input for second largest agro-based sugar industry of the country. Sugarcane production has covered an area of about 4 million hectare engaging 50 million farmers in its cultivation within the country. For sustainable development of sugarcane based production system, access to information is must to the stakeholders at every level in the process of production, marketing and processing of sugarcane. In the broader perspective to achieve the target of 415 million tonnes sugarcane production in order to fulfill the 47.08 million tonnes sweetener requirements for 1360 million population of the country by the year 2020, the importance of access to information for every stakeholders become more imperative than ever before. Our agricultural extension system is playing an important role since decades in disseminating sugarcane technology to the farmer’s level. Information Technology (IT) may strengthen our extension system manifold by use of various IT March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
tools in technology dissemination and empowering sugarcane farmers with the desired information. Their use with right perspective will transform information services to the farmers to be timely, logistic and effective. Present article discusses various dimensions of information needs of sugarcane growers and possible application of IT tools in realising those needs.
Information needs Sugarcane cultivation involves a set of activities, viz. land preparation, planting, pest control, irrigation, nutrient management, harvesting, marketing, etc. Entire cycle of sugarcane production process requires multitude of information by the farmers. Information on cost and availability of inputs, varieties, production and protection technologies, sugarcane marketing, etc. are required by farmers at various level of sugarcane production. For more remunerative production of sugarcane, correct information should reach to farmer as and when required.
Various dimension of information need of sugarcane growers and possible application of ICT tools in realising those needs are discussed
Information needs of sugarcane growers may be broadly categorised into: Input procurement and marketing: Farmers frequently requires the information regarding various inputs needed in their field such as seed, fertilisers, pesticides, labour, transport, etc. in terms of cost, quality, availability and possible sources. Once the sugarcane get ready to harvest the need arises for information related to its marketing. The questions like where to sell, when to sell, how to sell and whom to sell mesmerises the farmers. At this point of time, information provision related to sugar mills, jaggery units, transportation, crushing time, cane prices, agencies involved, etc. is must, which may help a lot to farmers in decision-making of sugarcane marketing. Strategic information: There are several areas of sugarcane process where
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farmer requires information to strengthen the planning and minimising risk of sugarcane cultivation. Information related to sugarcane cultivation practices such as varietal characters, fertigation schedule, pest control methods, irrigation schedule, mechanisation, planting and harvesting schedule, inter-cropping, crop rotation, etc. may be classified under strategic information. Information about the most suitable production and protection technologies is required for optimum and sustainable sugarcane production. Past trends: Information on past trends regarding area, production, productivity, consumption, utilisation, pest attack, climatic conditions, environmental concerns, fertigation, etc. are of immense use in making decision in sugarcane production. For example, past trends in climatic conditions may help growers in scheduling cultivation activities for optimum production and control of stresses. Government policy decisions: Government decisions related to sugarcane and its products marketing, labour laws, land holdings, rural development, etc. are also important factors in decision taking. All such information must reach the farmers at the earliest, so that one may take the right decision for high production and maximum return. Many IT tools are available to record and disseminate information for decision support. Making available the information about government policies and support facilities to the farmers in time is the most noble way to empower the sugarcane growers in the way to their prosperity.
Possible IT tools There is no doubt about potential of Information Technologies, as it has a variety of tools available for development of information systems. Recent developments in electronics, telecommunication, multimedia and Internet technologies have created possibilities for quick gathering, processing, transmission and presentation of information. Following are the major Information Technologies to harness the information needs of sugarcane farmers: Database Management System (DBMS): Database is the ultimate repository of data. Variety of data are generated in sugarcane production system related to sugarcane varieties and their characters, pest/diseases of sugarcane, climatic data, sugarcane cultivation input resources, marketing resources, statistical data on area, production, productivity, etc. Database technologies play an important role to provide a platform for storing data in electronic form. Data in electronic form can be easily and quickly managed for addition, deletion and modification. Database may be harnessed by Information Retrieval System, Expert System, and Forecasting System, each to produce information in farmers’ understandable form. Database management system is a group of hardware and software for addition, modification, deletion and reporting of data. Many flavour of DBMS are now available in market to develop database for sugarcane farmers such as Oracle, MS-SQL, MS-Access, Foxpro, dBase, etc. Information Retrieval System: Presentation of information in user understandable format is ultimate target of an information system. Such systems uses search engines, user friendly clickable icons/menus, and other controls to mine the data from database and present the same in the form of reports, graphs, images, tables, etc. On the same line, information retrieval system may be
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developed to retrieve information from the database on sugarcane varieties, pest diseases, sugarcane cultivation resources, and many more. Some of the Information Retrieval Systems important for sugarcane farmers are Weather Information System, Pest/Disease Information System, Varietal Information System, etc. Sugarcane farmers will be highly benefited in gathering information on sugarcane production using these front-end/client-end software. Expert Decision Support System: An Expert System is an intelligent computer programme that uses knowledge base and inference engine to solve problems that are difficult enough to require significant human expertise for their solution. A knowledge base is the repository of facts and rules about the specific problem. An inference engine is the software for solving the particular problem using the knowledge base. It is an efficient IT tool to take the technology from the scientist to sugarcane growers. This disables dilution of contents by reducing the number of agencies involved in technology transfer process. Such IT systems can provide instant solution to problem faced by a farmer. Expert system may be developed to suggest suitable sugarcane variety for cultivation, methods of field preparation and planting. Such systems may help in scheduling of irrigation and fertilisers applications, identification of sugarcane pest and disease on the basis of symptoms given by the farmers. Moreover, it can suggest control measures also. Trend Analysis and Forecasting: Study of statistical trends regarding sugarcane production, weather data, utilisation/ consumption patterns, pest attack, fertigation, etc. may be executed with IT tools. Trend analysis assists farmers in decision making during the entire process of sugarcane production and marketing. Graphical trends may be generated using the database of specific parameters. Analysis of past trends enables the forecasting in sugarcane production system. For example, forecasting weather is a useful endeavour in deciding the various field operations. IT has many tools to develop such forecasting system. Electronic Network and Messaging System: Internet has made the world a global village and enables information exchange quickly. Internet has become a most potential IT tool to contribute to agricultural development. Websites may be developed to provide information to sugarcane growers right at their location and even in their own regional languages. Modern IT tools allows development of web based information retrieval system, expert system, forecasting system for sugarcane growers to cater their information needs. Internet and its applications are very useful in sugarcane production planning, weather forecast, post-harvest management, marketing, disaster management, extension system, etc. (Many web sites are already in operations and empowering the sugarcane growers viz. www.iisr.nic.in, www.sugarcane-breeding. tn.nic.in, www.dacnet.nic.in/sugarcane, www.agriwatch.com, www. agmarknet.nic.in). Modern IT tools to some extent allows widely separated farmers to maintain contact, irrespective of distance. Chatting and conferencing softwares will help farmers in getting discussions with experts and other farmers to exchange views and information and find solutions to problems. Electronic mailing is the fastest, cheapest and easy to manage messaging system in sending messages from farmers to experts and other farmers irrespective of distance. „ i4d | March 2008
ASSOCIATION FOR THE WELFARE OF THE DISABLED PEOPLE (AWDP), BANGLADESH
ICT policy guidelines Md. Mahbubul Ashraf Secretary and Coordinator, AWDP Member, ICT Thematic Group, National Disability Forum-NFOWD, Bangladesh ashrafdp@gmail.com
In f o r m a t i o n a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n Technology (ICT) is an enabling technology that provides access to information. If it is not properly planned, managed and implemented it might lead to social gaps or to `digital divide’. People with disabilities in Bangladesh have already been lagging far behind in terms of mainstream development as well as in socio-economic and cultural activities. In order to create optimum ICT accessibility for the people with disabilities in Bangladesh, a wellcoordinated and collaborative effort is inevitable.
Defining disability and accessibility Recognising that access to information is a basic human right, United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP) in the Asian and Pacific region convened a seminar in June 2002 with an aim to draw, ‘Recommendations on Policy/Legislative Guidelines concerning Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Region.’ To address the digital divide faced by persons with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region and to promote the digital opportunities of persons with disabilities, the participants in the seminar have adopted a set of recommendations including the definitions of ‘Persons with Disabilities’, ‘ICT’ and ‘Accessibility’. According to the recommendations ‘Persons with Disabilities’ means the persons who have limited access to and usage of information and communications technology due to their visual, auditory, physical, cognitive/ intellectual, neurological, psychiatric or other types of disabilities. ICT means all digital as well as analog technology and services that supports human March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
communication, creation, collection and dissemination of knowledge, and other activities for manipulation of information and, ‘Accessibility’ means the measure or condition of things and services that can readily be reached or used (at the physical, visual, auditory and/or cognitive levels) by people including those with disabilities, which could be achieved through design and/or adaptation irrespective of any types of disabilities.
Recommendations The recommendations of the seminar ‘Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF)’ for Action towards an Inclusive, BarrierFree and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (2002–2013) are following: • By 2005, persons with disabilities should have at least the same rate of access to the Internet and related services as the rest of the citizens in a country of the region. • International organisations (e.g. International Telecommunication Union, International Organisation for Standardisation, World Trade Organisation, World Wide Web C o n s o r t i u m , Mo t i o n Pi c t u re Engineering Group) responsible for international ICT standards should, by 2004, incorporate accessibility standards for persons with disabilities in their international ICT standards. • Governments should adopt, by 2005, ICT accessibility guidelines for persons with disabilities in their national ICT policies and specifically include persons with disabilities as their target beneficiary group with appropriate measures. • Governments should develop and coordinate a standardised sign language, finger Braille, tactile sign language, in each country and to disseminate and teach the results through all means, i.e. publications, CD-ROMs, etc.
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Governments should establish a system in each country to train and dispatch sign language interpreters, Braille transcribers, finger Braille interpreters, and human readers and encourage their employment.
Amalgamating ICTs in Bangladesh ICT is a global issue and the technology is changing rapidly. Therefore it is very important for nations like Bangladesh to continuously watch the recent developments and understand the international development of ICT as well as put efforts to adopt ICT technologies in the country context. Association for the Welfare of the Disabled People (AWDP) is an NGO working for upliftment of the people with disabilities. In Bangladesh, all possible efforts are carried out to make optimum utilisation of the existing resources, services and facilities as well as making the audience of Bangladesh familiar with the in-built accessibility options, (i.e. using sticky keys, filter keys, mouse keys, display contrast) adaptation and modification features of the operating systems. Efforts are made to design, develop and distribution of Accessible ICT products likes transcriber, interface, software and assistive technology products. Bangladesh also plans to introduce universal concepts and techniques for ICT accessibility to all categories of disabled people like visually and physically challenged, hearing and speech impaired, intellectually disabled, autistic children and others. Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) can make a leap-frog in promoting education and learning materials for visually impaired people in Bangladesh. Efforts are taken to make best use of the existing policy guidelines and legislative support mechanisms. Bangladesh’s legislation on ICT is trying to emphasise upon the identification and usage of ICT tools to enhance accessibility standards of the disabled people.
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TELECENTRE TALKS GEDAREF DIGITAL CITY, SUDAN
Role of telecentres for an inclusive society Ahmed Mahmoud Mohamed Eisa Chairman Gedaref Digital City Organisation (GDCO), Sudan, Africa ahmed22digital@gmail.com
to raise their abilities. Furthermore, the organisation allocates great concern towards providing distinguished training among the employees and labourers according to request and specialisation.
Project for individuals with special needs ‘Gedaref Digital City Organisation’ (GDCO) is one of the civil society organisations in the state of Gedaref (Sudan) established in late 2004. The aim of the organisation is the comprehensive development and all round advancement of the individual citizens in the state. Main motto of GDCO is to: • Use Information Technology for the development of the community • Enhance capacity building through trainings and workshops • Provide special treatment for the disabled through ICT • Bridge the digital divide • Establish of huge data base in Gedaref state
Elimination of digital gap and capacity building The organisation allocates special concern towards the elimination of digital gap created through inequality in access to Information Technology. GDCO also tries to eliminate different digital variations created by the revolution of Information Technology. There are several causes for this digital gap, one of which is the inequality between the ‘rich and the poor’, ‘urban (cities) and rural areas (villages)’ and between the ‘male and the female’. Another example of inequality is between the ‘healthy sound person and the handicapped’. For these reasons, the organisation carries out the training of the whole of the state of Gedaref society
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A project in this direction was initiated in March 2007 in the presence of Mayor of Eindhoven. The project aimed at eliminating the digital gap, capacity building and control of poverty among individuals with special needs, and
Gedaref Digital City Organisation (GDCO) is winner of prestigious i4d Award 2007 in the category of ‘International Information Award for Development’ for its pioneering work of establishing a Digital City in Sudan
integrating them into society. As an extension of the project, five centres were opened on 3rd November 2007. The major objectives of the project are to: • Provide free training for the handicapped • Provide free computers for home use • Establish Digital Subsistence centres • Integration of the handicapped into mainstream society
e- Agriculture This project aims at benefiting from IT through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for technically finding solutions to the farmer’s social, economic, and health problems in pursuance of advancement of development. The organisation has undertaken this task to technically study the problems of agriculture and to establish a meteorological station to enable the provision of information for the farmers and researchers. GDCO is providing agricultural information in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture. GDCO has also prepared a programme at the Mechanised Agriculture Head Office where full information for the interest of more than 10,000 farmers were entered. In this respect, the Organisation has granted the Mechanised Agriculture Head Office, 15 computers for training and implementation of the said programme. GDCO has partnered with specialised Indian Company to visit Gedaref and conducted a study of the method in using the data through the Geographic Coordinates of the Project. This process will provide an electronic record to the farmer and the problems that he had faced in the area, as well as a record of Production Cost and the establishment of the Database for Agriculture in Gedaref. The organisation has also established an Information Centre at the Farmers’ Union with the aim of training and upgrading the farmers’ leaderships traits connecting them with other parts of the world and helping them avail of the necessary information for the technical advancement of agriculture. In this regard, GDCO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance of Gedaref state, is preparing for an International Bourse for the Crops Market. i4d | March 2008
Digital medical record
can send eMails, chat through messengers and can communicate with their families, friends globally. In bridging the digital divide, GDCO faced following challenges and problems: • ICT is not part of disabled culture and not a priority • Poor infrastructure and high cost of ICT equipment • Lack of strategic and executable plans • GDCO deals with very poor community and have financial problems • The community and official interaction is very slow towards disability problems
Achievements GDCO provides free training programme to disable people to bridge the digital divide, and readiness for employment. • GDCO provides them with free computers to keep at home, so that they can work from home. • Establishing telecasters for both the disabled and the community to make them self dependent. • Help the deaf to communicate with their families, friends and have another way of communications instead of the sign language through chatting and e-Mail globally instead of one place. • Creates a new source of revenue to the disable (financial support) and disabled become self dependent and help their families and colleagues. • Exchange of cultural knowledge and sharing experiences and help them discus their problems through the Internet. • GDCO trained 8 of the disabled (TOT) and they started training their colleagues in a very quick way than before and they can get a job so they shorten the period of training to one month instead of six months as before. • Health insurance scheme for the disabled.
March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
telecentrepictures/2281981058/
Image Credit: Creative Commons, http://www.flickr.com/photos/
GDCO has implemented a graduation project of Engineer Basher Altair Al-Basher (Bachelor of Information Technology and Diploma in Computer Engineering from Britain). The implementation of the Digital Medical Record started in the centres of Al-Maser and AL-Nazir quarters, where the physician gives and records an electronic number to the patient. The number is kept in the patient’s medical record and the record contains the case of patient – the Medical analysis- x-ray – examination, and visit). On November 3, 2007, the organisation supplied Gedaref Hospital with 17 computers to the main departments of the hospital, 17 computers to Health Insurance Centres, 10 Trainers working out possibilities for the differently abled computers to the other health centres and three equipments to operate as servers. The project aims to have services and for the purpose of establishing a health database the patient’s medical record kept for providing distinguished health that enables the government sound planning and reduction of treatment cost through the Internet. In this regard, GDCO has signed an agreement with the National Communication Authority to procure and initiate the required equipment which will enable Bridging digital divide for differently abled the treatment of the poor via the televised conferences and GDCO works very hard in bridging digital divide, training and enhancing consultation. It is expected that by the end of 2008, the project capacity building for the disabled and also fighting poverty and inclusion in will cover the entire Gedaref state with precise information about the society. GDCO provides training programme to deaf people through the the disease prevalence. Internet, so that they can have another language instead of the sign and they
e-Learning and support of Gedaref University GDCO aims to take maximum benefit from the computers to make education available for the entire Gedaref Society through Internet and Multimedia and seeks (through e-Learning) to make available the e-Book and the e-Teacher. The organisation has started its path with the Intelligent Schools and completed it by the support to Gedaref University of 100 computers for the Computer College and 20 other computers for the College of Society Development. GDCO has partnered with Gedaref University and the University of Phontes in Eindhoven-The Netherlands. To promote education in the entire state, GDCO is providing free training to all the students in the Computer College on computer maintenance. GDCO also provides free research Internet service to university students and professors.
Project on e-Governance services To promote the e-Governance services in the Gedaref state, the organisation started providing training programme to 90 policemen. At the end of the training, some of them will be selected in the sections connected with public services (such as Nationality, Passports, Identity Cards, Driving licenses, and license renewals). GDCO has established a centre at the Police head quarters and allotted 20 computers for this purpose.
Conclusion GDCO is a member in EATLF & TC-MENA telecentre leaders. It is a member in the global telecentre movement and most of forums and conferences for sharing knowledge and experiences of GDCO.
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India News National e-Governance award for ‘Tele-Bhugtan’ service of Jabalpur (India) Information for development www.i4donline.net
Community Radio Namma Banuli (India) community radio scheme Government of Karnataka has launched Namma Banuli scheme to establish community radio stations in rural Karnataka. A t w o - d a y c o n f e re n c e , ‘ W h o s e technology is it anyway?’ was organised by Voices, in association with the UNESCO and World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters. While speaking in the conference, Commissioner of the Department of Information, KVR Tagore stated that the government is ready to fund almost two-thirds of the cost, if the community wants to start radio services. The government will also subsidise the cost of Kannada translations of radio manuals of Prasar Bharati. Jocelyne Josiah, Advisor for Communications and Information, UNESCO commented that UNESCO will also raise public awareness regarding the spread of community radio in rural Karnataka.
Education e-Shiksha project in India, GAIL GAIL India Ltd. has launched a major education initiative, called e-Shiksha for villages. GAIL has also flagged off two Mobile Computer Aided Learning Centres costing INR six million. The project is being implemented in association with NGO Aurobindo Chaudhari Memorial Great Indian Dream Foundation (GIDF). The e-Shiksha programme is part of the CSR activities and aims to provide basic computer knowledge in local languages to school students and to school dropouts in rural areas in the vicinity of GAIL’s plants at Pata and Vijaipur. In this regard, GAIL has contributed INR 6.3 million for the Mobile Computer Aided Learning Centres which includes two buses at a cost of INR 50 million, each equipped with 18 laptops, a Generator and an AC system. Under eShiksha programme, computer classes will be conducted on ‘Mobile Computer Aided
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The Tele-Bhugtan Service (Tele-payment service) of Jabalpur (India) received the National Golden Icon Award for innovative usage of technology in eGovernance in the field of tele-payment. With the help of Tele-Bhugtan Service, customers can pay IVRS based bills. One can easily make payment of bills, fees and installments while sitting at his house. Customers can also use mobile phones to make the payment. Nidan Technology Private Ltd. is extending technical cooperation for running Jabalpur Tele-Bhugtan Service. The company is also looking for all the software and hardware works of the service. NIC Jabalpur is giving technical advice and cooperation while State Bank of India (SBI) is extending banking service to consumers as well as institutions. Similarly, Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation and other important institutions are also connected with this service.
Learning Centre’ in the villages surrounding the work centres at Pata and Vijaipur.
m-Serve India adds 83 million mobile users in a year Indian telecom industry is shining now a days. The country has become the fastest growing telecom market in the world. Now India’s total mobile subscriber base stands at 237 million in comparison to China’s 534 million, US’s 257 million and Russia’s 172 million. At this pace, India is set to overtake US and become the world’s second largest mobile market by May 2008. According to the latest data available from Informer Telecoms and Media, 83 million is the highest number of subscribers added to any mobile network in the world between February 2007 and January 2008. India is expected to have 450 million mobile subscribers by the turn of the decade, which means every third Indian will have his/her own mobile phone by 2010. nd other colleges in Punjab. Technology
IT sector in West Bengal (India) to add 20,000 jobs in 2008 The information technology (IT) sector in West Bengal (WB), India is likely to add 20,000 jobs in 2008. Currently the state has about 300 small to big sized companies and employs 55,000 job seekers. IT majors like Zensar Technologies, HCL, IBM, Cognizant, PWC, Capgemini, Wipro and, Genpact have lined up investment of INR 5,00 billion in setting up new centres and offices with manpower addition. According to a recent study conducted
by Edelweiss Securities firm, in the IT sector there is a chance of 40 percent rise in salaries of freshers in coming two years as multinational companies (MNCs) are planning to add over one million personnel in India by 2010, while global IT companies will add around 1.08 million employees in India by 2010, by increasing headcount to 2.73 million. This would be a 65.25 per cent increase from the 1.65 million employed by the end of 2007. The government is also trying to move up the value chain and make the state a chip fabrication hub in future. The government is trying to work out to attract various chip designing companies to set up offices in West Bengal’s ‘India Design Centre’. The government has already invited chip giants like Intel, Texas Instruments and Qualcomm to open IT hubs.
Wireless Pimpri-Chinchwad (India) to go Wi-Fi soon The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has launched an ambitious public-private partnership project to provide wireless connectivity for the entire twin township. Initially PCMC had a plan to make the 13-km stretch of the Pune-Mumbai highway passing through the township as a Wi-Fi zone but now the municipal corporation changed the scope of work and has now decided to cover the entire area of 171 sq.km. The corporation is targeting to complete the project by 2012. The project is being visualised as a means to empower citizens where they can have abundant Internet access, besides helping in strengthening the economy, building infrastructure for e-Governance, e-Education and e-Health facilities and provide means for commercial transactions. i4d | March 2008
RENDEZVOUS COMMUNITY RADIO IN THE HANDS OF COMMUNITIES: OPERATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS, 2-4 FEBRUARY 2008, BAREFOOT COLLEGE, TILONIA, AJMER, INDIA
From lab to land A three-day workshop on ‘Community Radio in the hands of Community: Its Operations and Collaborations’ was held on 2-4 February 2008 at Barefoot College in Rajasthan. The theme of the workshop was focused on Community Participation; Community Management and Community Ownership. Recognising and promoting the concept of ‘Lab to Land’ as envisaged by Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) and Media Lab Asia (MLA), both the organisations have decided to organise a series of workshops aiming to integrate ICTs into specific issues related to health, education, livelihood, etc. The workshop on Community Radio is one of the first workshops in the series.
Participants The participants in the workshop were SelfEmployed Women’s Association (SEWA), women members of the Self-Help Groups, doing multifarious activities focusing on socio-economic empowerment of women, Sankalp, an organisation working in the two blocks, namely, Shahbad and Kishanganj, covering 100 villages in the Baran district of Rajasthan, Sampark, an organisation working in the Jhabua district, which is predominantly a tribal district located in the western part of Madhya Pradesh, representatives from Barefoot College, Tilonia, working in the nearby villages on education, health, livelihood and women’s empowerment programmes, M.S.Panwar Institute of Management and Communications, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, whose students first worked on Community Radio with the communities in remote villages of Solan, later applied for Community Radio license, etc. Other prominent participants included S N Goswami from Media Lab Asia; H O Srivastava from World Development Forum; Ina Shastri from Banasthali Vidyapeeth; Rajender Singh from Henvalvani, Uttarakhand; and Raghav March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
Mahto from Bihar. They shared their experiences with the participants on Community Radio: various technology options including low-cost studio; content from communities and community participation, management and ownership.
Release of booklet/CD DEF prepared a small booklet on ‘Community Radio in the hands of Communities’ along with a CD containing the online module of UNESCO; a softcopy of the booklet Busy participants in the Community Radio workshop on ‘Community Radio: Programme Production and Packaging’ and the presentations made during the workshop Sharing of the best practices for circulation to the participants, was The unique feature of the workshop released by Ashish Garg of GeSCI. was sharing of the best practices. The During the introductory session, presentation of Henvalvani case-study participants expressed their expectations made the stake-holders learn how a from the workshop which included low cost studio could be built with a how Community Radio could be linked practical demonstration and how low cost to education, women’s empowerment, technology could be used for recording and agriculture, particularly to address packaging of the programmes. Participants the knowledge gaps. Participants also also wanted to know how low-cost studios mentioned how Community Radio could could be established. Case studies from be given in the hands of Self-Help Groups ‘Karol Ki Awaaz’, a radio programme and how Community Radio could be from a Mass Communications Institution used as a tool for good governance by in Solan (Himachal Pradesh); Banasthali highlighting local concerns, local issues Vidyapeeth(Rajasthan); and Raghav, and local problems. How ICTs can be (Bihar), India provided a good platform integrated with Community Radio; to the participants to learn about various whether Community Radio could also components of Community Radio in a be a part of the Village Resource Centres holistic manner. or Community Centres; Internet radio; H O Srivastava, Director, World World Space Radio and so on. Development Forum, made a presentation The two and a half day deliberations on what Community Radio is; what were designed keeping in view the are the various options of technology grassroots participation in the workshop and audio studios. He also enabled the and sessions were focused on specific issues participants to raise questions on policy like why Community Radio; local content; guidelines and helped them to understand functioning of the radio station; various the nitty-gritty’s about transmitters, its options of technology and tools with hands functioning and spectrum allocation. on experience; what community radio While talking about principles and values policy says and what are the codes and of Community Radio – capacity building and networking; NGOs contributions in guidelines; application process, etc.
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making Community Radio a reality, the participatory mode of the workshop encouraged the participants to clear their doubts on various issues. Hands on experience on the use of technology helped them to record one hour radio programme together and was listened by the participants in the Barefoot College Campus. Another unique feature of the Workshop was the presentation by Dr Ina Singh from Banasthali Vidyapeeth, who shared with the participants, how they have already been running their campus radio and serving the community in and around the Campus. Barefoot College, Tilonia and Henvalvani, Uttarakhand have already submitted their applications for license and applications are being processed. SEWA, Sankalp and Sampark are submitting their applications soon, all the more reason for taking this platform for learning, sharing and getting clarity on their issues and concerns. The technology options were demonstrated like mike, mixer, digital editing through computer, recording, etc. and the participants were made to record their programmes. The participatory approach helped to bring out the hidden talent and the knowledge among the participants and the myths and beliefs related to technology were somehow removed. The continual exposure to the technology will help them to work on Community Radio with confidence and courage.
Learning to operationalise community radio stations
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Sharing of the experiences Meena from Bhawargarh village of Baran District, working with the Jagrat Mahila Group mentioned that Community Radio can help them in many ways. Working in 100 villages and having face-to-face meetings for conveying the similar messages is very time consuming. Through Community Radio, we can address the women together. A group of women are experienced in recognising and using various herbs in our area and making medicines, which are locally used and are effective. We would like to use radio to share our knowledge with the world outside. Rajesh from Sampark mentioned that the tribal women do not have any platform to talk about their culture, their lifestyle, their issues and concerns. Radio in the hands of the tribal women cannot only empower them but also provide them the recognition which they have not been getting adequately. Rajender Singh from Henvalvani said that handover Community Radio in the communities as a tool for infoentertainment programme. Handover the radio in the hands of communities and let them decide what content they want to produce, what they would like to air and how they would like to manage. This is the only way for making Community Radio a reality.
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Future action plans •
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A few recommendations •
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For making Community Radio sustainable, five minutes advertisement in an hour’s programme is allowed. This more is to see whether Radio could be used to promote the local products by the communities and share their expertise in making the local products with the outside world. Individual organisations were seeking support in organising capacity enhancement workshops for them to start Community Radio and integration with Internet radio.
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Low-cost technology options should be made available as community-based organisations do not have funds to start Community Radio. If at all, funds are allocated, apart from setting up the studio and the transmitter, the funds are needed to meet the recurring cost for some time including capacity building till the time the programme is sustained. If women groups are managing the Community Radio, there is a need for their skill enhancement in the technology front, which normally does not happen. Men come forward to play this role. Special attention should be given on this aspect. Whether the towers already set up by the Mobile Phone companies could be used for Community Radio transmitters/ antenna. Whether individual organisations should negotiate with them or it could be taken as a policy initiative. Though as per the policy, 50 percent of the content should be generated through communities, whether content could be exchanged among the Community Radio practitioners, if yes, what would be the copyright issue. Whether acknowledging the source would be enough or not.
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DEF would be providing the requisite support to Barefoot College, Tilonia in setting up the studio as the participants have already started making the radio programmes involving communities from the villages. The process for setting up the transmitter would be done once the formalities with the Ministries are completed. Similarly, Sankalp and Sampark have also requested for more training workshops to prepare themselves for starting Community Radio initiatives and applying for the license. SEWA is in the process of applying for the license through their Federations and will get in touch for technical as well as programme support. DE F has scheduled five more workshops of this kind during this year in the States of Uttarakhand, West Bengal, NorthEast, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
DEF would be very happy to provide training and hand-holding for initiating the process of Community Radio with the Community Based Organisations. They may feel free to contact Digital Empowerment Foundation, Geeta Malhotra at geeta@defindia.net i4d | March 2008
RENDEZVOUS TECHSHARE INDIA 2008, 4-5 FEBRUARY 2008, NEW DELHI, INDIA
Breaking the barriers Introduction In a country where it is considered that almost ten percent of the world’s disabled population lives in India, it is imperative for the ecosystem to realise the power of technology that can break barriers for people with disabilities and include them in the mainstream. India has the Persons with Disabilities Act that focuses on equal opportunities and protection of rights for persons with disabilities. Also, recently India ratified the UN convention to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. But the nation has not succeeded in mainstreaming people with disabilities into society. The answer lies in building and creating awareness about the needs and potential of the people with disabilities and not in the legal framework alone. In addition, it is essential to create awareness about the role of technology in empowering people with disabilities.
Breaking the barriers ‘BarrierBreak Technologies’ with its expertise in technology and understanding the needs of people with disabilities envisaged that in order to change the
A full-house in breaking the barriers
mindset of India towards people with disabilities the nation needs a platform whereby it could get the entire ecosystem – the government, the corporate, the NGOs, the disabled, the product companies and the education providers under one roof. The platform was Techshare India 2008! Breaking the Barriers was a pan disability accessibility conference and
From left to right: Shilpi Kedia, Founder and MD, BarrierBreak Technologies, Shadi Abou–Zahra, World Wide Web Consortium, Veena Chhotray, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowermen and Javed Abidi, Executive Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
exhibition held on 4-5 February at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Organised by BarrierBreak Technologies in partnership with Royal National Institute of the Blind (UK), the event aimed to highlight the role of technology in the lives of People with Disabilities and tried to know how technology can be used by them to access education, information and employment. On 4th February 2008, Techshare India was inaugurated by Veena Chhotray, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and shared her perspective on the pertinence of an event like Techshare India 2008. She said, “I appreciate the attempt being made by the organisers of the conference, and we are certainly on the right path. Most of these issues have come up in the last few decades as technology has evolved. While the Government is aware of these concerns and has taken steps to address them - the gaps do exist. In order to promote employment of People with Disabilities in the corporate sector, the Government of India has earmarked a fund of INR1800 billion,” she added. Shilpi Kedia, Founder and MD, BarrierBreak Technologies, in her welcome address, said, “The need for an event like
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this was long overdue in India. Techshare India brings together the entire ecosystem - the government, the corporate, the NGOs, People with Disabilities, the product companies and the education providers for the first time under one roof. The conference is a platform to share insights and learnings and in the process serve a bigger purpose which is to educate people about accessibility, promote accessibility and highlight the laws and standards that are there and encourage their implementation.” Sh a d i Ab o u – Z a h r a f r o m t h e Wo r l d Wi d e We b (www) Consortium, in his keynote address, highlighted the need for assistive technologies to be built into the design of the web interface. He said, “The web is now the key for every day life and there are many tools that are available to the designers to make Internet accessible to people with disabilities.” He also emphasised on the commercial opportunity available in catering to the growing market represented by people with disabilities in terms of products and technologies; and encouraged business houses to play a larger role in this field. Javed Abidi, Executive Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) said, “India is a privileged country to have the best of the technology, top corporate houses as well as the best brains that we export around the world. In such a scenario, it is very unfortunate to see that the people with disabilities are losing out.” “The situation is such that the corporate sector is not even aware that we have fantastic assistive technologies available and how they can be incorporated to give better opportunities to people with disabilities. That according to me is discrimination,” he added.
Panel discussions Techshare India started with two energising panel discussions. The first discussion was on ‘Perspective of different disabilities – Where we stand today and what is needed tomorrow?’ chaired by Javed Abidi, NCPEDP. The eminent panelists were Dipendra Minocha, Shivani Gupta, Sudha Kaul, and Madan Vasishta. The second discussion was on ‘Accessibility makes good business sense’ chaired by Shilpi Kedia, BarrierBreak Technologies. The panelist who gave their valuable insights were Pradeep Gupta, Niranjan Khatri, and Sonia Shrivastava. The speakers spoke about the need for assistive technology required at affordable prices and the need to develop these technologies in India.
Insights from the experts The presentations of the conference were divided on the basis of four tracks: The Road Ahead – Envision the Accessibility Road Map, Making a Difference, Bridging the Digital Divide, and Accessibility in Action – Workshops. On the first day some of the key presenters were: • Brian Hardy, Vision Australia presented on ‘Testing Website Accessibility - Using the free AIS Toolbar’ • Dr Sudha Kaul, ISAAC focused on ‘International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Breaking the Communication Barrier’ • Shanti Raghavan, Enable India highlighted the need for ‘Workplace solutions for employment of disabled’ • David Baquis, US Access Board presented on ‘Section 508 and Electronic Information Technology Accessibility’
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Technology: making a difference
•
Vivek Gaikwad, BarrierBreak Technologies conducted a workshop on ‘Flash and Accessibility’
The second day saw presentations by: • Lisa D. Friendly, Bookshare.org shared insights on ‘Bookshare.org: The online library built by people with disabilities’ • Edward Hitchcock, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago presented on ‘Assistive Technology options for access to a computer, communication and environment’ • Mandy Thompson, RNIB shared ‘Accessible information provision - an overview of RNIB’s current processes and future ambitions’ • Henny Swan, RNIB conducted a workshop on ‘WCAG 1.0 to 2.0’ During the sessions there were sign-language interpreters to assist the hearing impaired in understanding the presentations. In addition to participating in the conference, delegates further had the opportunity to explore 20 plus exhibiting stalls, including world leading assistive technology suppliers such as Dolphin Computer Access, Optelec, HIMS, and Ash Technologies.
From Braille keyboards to electric wheelchair Techshare India provided a magnificent platform for the assistive technology vendors to explore the Indian market. One of the biggest challenges of the accessibility market in India is that people with disabilities themselves are not aware about the assistive technology available for them.The exhibition area was open to general public to build the awareness among students, teachers, parents, senior citizens, and people with disabilities at large. The exhibition showcased best of assistive technology products such as electronic screen reader that enabled people with visual disabilities to read information on a computer screen; Braille display keyboards that could read what was on the screen as well as allow people with disabilities to work on a regular computer; digital talking pen, electronic wheelchair, color identifier that could enable a visually impaired to choose garments as per the right colors and many more. i4d | March 2008
The Techshare Workshop
Experience zone The organisers ensured that everyone who walks in to the exhibition walks out with an experience regarding the challenges faced by people with disabilities and the potential of technology in helping them overcome these challenges and lead an independent life. The experience zone, created within the exhibition area, which included computers installed with various assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, onscreen keyboard, and trackball. In the experience zone, one could see people with disabilities using assistive technologies to work with computers. The experience zone was manned by Mamta Tandel, Accessibility Project Lead and Preeti Rohra, Accessibility Consultant at BarrierBreak Technologies. Mamta Tandel says “Being a part of BarrierBreak Technologies for quite a while, I was aware of communicating with people with different kinds of disabilities. But handling the experience zone at Techshare India 2008 was a completely a different kind of an experience. Especially since we had to interact with many people with different disabilities at one time!” The experience zone was visited by people with different types of disabilities to know about products and software which were useful for them but were also interested in knowing about products which would be useful for other disabilities. For example, there was group of hearing impaired enthusiasts who were keen in knowing how a trackball worked for the mobility impaired and how a visually impaired user would use a colour identifier to know the different colours. March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
People were amazed to see assistive technologies such as a portable screen magnifier from HIMS, trackball, colour identifier from Caretec, and screen readers such as JAWS and SAFA. An interesting product on display was Supernova, a screen reader-cum-magnifier. There were other products such as a device that would identify the battery life for both visually impaired and the deaf and dumb people, tactile sheets that visually impaired users could use to learn computers, apart from Braille slates, pamphlets to learn sign language, etc. Another main attraction was the ‘Virtual Barber Shop’ a small and wonderful exercise within the Experience Zone. In a small section, people were made to experience the power of sound. People were asked to put headphones and listen to an audio file which depicted the process of a haircut. After listening to the audio, people were explained how human brain listens to sound and its importance for people with visual impairments. People were quite intrigued with the exercise. Though at a time one person was allowed, people were willing to wait in queue to experience the Virtual Barber Shop.
Kodak moment - a hearing impaired assisting a visually impaired! As this was the first event of such a magnitude on Accessibility in India, a conscious effort was made to pull in volunteers to assist persons with disabilities. The volunteers group that included the The Deaf Way organisation formed a major part of people with hearing impairment. A formal training was organised to orient the volunteers on how to interact with the people with disabilities. In addition, demonstrations were done on how to guide a visually impaired, assist a person on wheelchair, interact with hearing impaired and serve food to people with disabilities. During the course of two days there were close to 100 people with disabilities; one could see volunteers guiding them to the sessions or exhibition area. But the best one was seeing a hearing impaired volunteer assist a visually impaired delegate to get to a session. People around were amazed to see this happen.
Conclusion The platform was effectively used to discuss the availability and use of technologies to enable people with disabilities. In addition, Techshare India also highlighted the importance of implementing accessibility standards and complying with different accessibility laws. Shilpi Kedia expressed her intention to organise the conference annually in order to keep Indians abreast of the latest products and technologies as well as to promote initiatives that would ease path of bringing these solutions to India. For latest information about Techshare India visit: http://www.barrierbreak. com/techshareindia.php
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RENDEZVOUS ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON ‘ICT AND CLIMATE CHANGE’,TERI DSDS 6 FEBRUARY 2008, NEW DELHI
ICTs to mitigate climate change Moderator: •
Dr Basheerahamed Shadrach, Senior Programme Officer - Asia, Telecentre.org, IDRC
Speakers: • • • • • • •
Dr Leena Srivastava, Executive Director, TERI Dr Prodipto Ghosh, Senior Distinguished Fellow, TERI and former Secretary, MoEF Dr Veena Joshi, Team leader, Rural Energy & Housing, SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) Dr L S Rathore, Head AgroMet, Additional Director General, IMD ( Indian Meteorological Department) Dr L H Prakash, NCMRWF (National Council for Medium Range Weather Forecasting) Dr R K Mall, Associate Professor, NIDM (National Institute for Disaster Management) Mr Raghu Saxena, Country Director, Earth Watch Institute
TERI organised a round table discussion on ICT and Climate Change on 6th February 2008 in New Delhi to highlight the role of ICTs in adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. The discussion focused on various activities in this domain, and examined their effective outreach. It also focused on a mechanism through which rural communities could be informed about the impending climatic variations and their effects. It was observed that though ICTs contribute to climate change, the purpose of the forum was to forge a better understanding of these tools in adapting to and mitigating climate change.
Summary of the discussions Dr Leena Srivastava’s presentation outlined the existing patterns of climatic change, and how they have been affecting both natural and human systems, making them vulnerable to climate change. She spoke about how climate change affects agriculture, water resources, and the health of poor and vulnerable communities. Her presentation highlighted how ICT has
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helped improve productivity of different sectors, especially in rural areas. The role of ICT in capacity-building through impact and vulnerability assessment, coping measures, and outreach was also dealt with. She emphasised on a proactive approach for the sector. Her presentation concluded on the note that there should be a platform for to-and-fro information flow, which assesses impacts and vulnerability and disseminates coping and adapting measures to the rural communities as well. She pointed out that as an adaptive measure, farmers need to be informed about the likely impact and trends of climate change. This would help them in adapting to new cropping patterns. She expressed deep concern for the rural and poor communities primarily because they are most dependent on climate, and are also the least informed about climate variability. There needs to be a concentrated effort from all stakeholders in this direction with ICT as the backbone. She emphasised that it is time for all stakeholders to get together and bring about a change in the manner we live our lives and in the manner we impact the climate system.
The round table discussion stressed on the need to include local voices in the system, there should be a medium or platform for information flow in both directions. This medium/platform has to be simple, easy to understand, localised, and should enable quick response. The learning of one community can be shared with another and so on. Timely solutions would help in improving rural livelihoods. The present forecast gives data for the next five days. Smart and intelligent applications/models need to be developed which would provide data for a longer period. The forecast should be in the local language. Technical terms also need to be more colloquial for better understanding. Forestry, education, e-Governance, agriculture, climate change impact assessment studies, and so on were identified as the potential areas of intervention since ICT has the advantage of cutting across most of the sectors. ICTs can go a long way in not only bridging the digital divide but also the lifestyle divide in populations. ICTs have a vital role in developing services and thus mitigating GHGs (greenhouse gases). ICT-enabled instruments also reduce the time and space gaps and be energy efficient. ICTs can play a major role in enabling the panchayats in real-time dissemination of information to local communities through automated weather stations. Use of ICTs can actually reduce GHG emissions by providing various services at the virtual space, like ticket booking, e-Banking and distance learning. The discussion stressed on the need for a more concerted action in sensitising the government and policy-makers for appropriate policy decisions to enable the use of ICTs in adapting to climate change. There needs to be a convergence of ways and efforts within the government on policy decisions and play outlays for using the various mediums ICTs offer for i4d | March 2008
across India as the network for establishing models of service delivery for assessment and coping with climate change. The round table stressed on this opportunity as a way forward.
Conclusion
Sorting out climate change issues
assessment and coping measures to climate change. It was felt that that the potential use of community radio was still untapped with regard to quick information dissemination and disaster alertness due strict government policies. The discussants stressed on the need for a model for advocacy and adaptation. The government has a great role to play in setting the adaptation measures for climate change. As the service providers increase their geographic reach to the rural domain, the government must also act as a catalyst by creating conducive framework and policies. The group felt a need for investments in localising information and engaging communities in practices for assessment of vulnerability and adaptation techniques. New funding mechanisms need to be worked out through PPP (Public–Private Partnership) models for creating a platform that works directly in assessment and coping measures using a multi-stakeholder approach. The group called for a multi-stakeholder approach which needs to plan ahead of time and come out with solutions that go deeper into the village level, are area specific, technologies that are low cost and energy efficient. The group called for a wider use of ICTs in identifying the processes that connect the digital and the non-digital world. The media can play an active role in outreach and dissemination activities. All media of communication – traditional radio, television, print media, community radio, GIS and remote sensing, new age mobile telephony, Internet, and video conferencing – have the potential of reaching out to every household. Thus, there can be wider dissemination of information and faster action. Community radio, local newspapers, Village Knowledge Centres, Common Service Centres, Krishi Vikas Kendras, all have a role in such information dissemination. Mobile phones have a huge potential in advancing the use of ICT for vulnerability assessment as well as adapting to climate change. SMS and voice mail services can be effectively used in advance warning systems and bulletins. ICT infrastructure has to be built in the villages. In the long run, ICTs can even help in rural income generation. ICT infrastructure can also function as a repository of information on disaster risk mitigation. The Department of Information and Technology has taken an initiative of rolling out 100,000 common service centres March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
The session ended with an agreement that active involvement of all stakeholders in a mission mode is needed for generating action. The poor have the least resources, knowledge, and ability to adapt to climate change. They are also the most vulnerable. Climate change needs to be demystified since the common man should be aware of the potential problems in order to address them. Their capacities should be built to adapt to the changes especially in the vernacular media. The group called for experiments of establishing a mechanism for creating communities of practice and influencing the policymakers. They called on TERI to play an important role in bridging the various parties, the policy providers and the practitioners.
Action points The round table recognised the need to address the various issues discussed. It also acknowledged that adaptation is not done overnight. There has to be a concerted effort over a period of time, meaning that a conducive policy is needed for the use of ICTs for climate change. They called upon TERI to lead a national-level multi-agency involvement and play an active role in moderating and cementing the mechanism. This national level platform would trigger the pipeline of to and fro information that is timely and easily understood. A major thrust would be on assimilating the information already available with the stakeholders. TERI should bridge the gap between the policy providers and the implementers, and should experiment with some states in processes that bridge the digital divide particularly related to climate change. The round table found a great opportunity in DIT’s 100,000 CSCs initiative and felt that TERI should work towards integrating the knowledge platform with CSC models that builds capacity of grassroots bodies/NGOs and the village populations in variability assessment and adaptation to climate change. The group also called on TERI to be the knowledge provider especially to the vernacular media and also demonstrate the use of emerging mediums like community radio, web, and mobile along with print and television towards mitigating climate change. The round table felt that TERI’s experience in this domain at both the local and global levels would be of immense advantage in managing this multi-stakeholder approach as steps are taken towards fighting climate change.
Participating organisations were Times Group, Telecentre.org, Indian Express, IMD,DIT, NCMRWF, INFRAS, TERI, SEEDS, SDC, UNSolution Exchange, Earth Watch Institute, CSDMS, NIDM, Ekgaon Technology, TERI, Airjaldi, Independent Consultant on ICT, Spatial Decisions, APCTT, Financial Technologies, One World South Asia, European Union, JNU, British High Commission, ISAP and IDRC.
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RENDEZVOUS CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE JUSTICE FOR THE REALISATION OF MDGS: SOUTHERN PERSPECTIVES AND VOICES, 8-9 FEBRUARY 2008, NEW DELHI
Doing climate justice Climate Justice On the 8 th and 9 th of February 2008, OneWorld South Asia (OWSA), organised their seventh annual regional meeting on “Climate Justice for Realisation of the MDGs: Southern Perspectives and Voices”. The main aim of the consortium was to bring forth pertinent climate justice issues including issues relating to energy independence and global warming. Industry experts, Government officials, professionals, non-government representatives, and community stakeholders participated in the meeting. The meeting was a collaborative attempt to reconcile differences, integrate views, encourage entrepreneurship, facilitate negotiations and ensure the realisation of the much-talked-about Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). OneWorld South Asia has prioritised the following to contribute towards achieving the MDGs in their programming focus: • Using new media tools for voicing the voiceless • Capacity building and strengthening civil society organisations through the use of ICTs • Building ICT capacity among grassroots communities and people • Advocating for people friendly ICT policies This conference enabled the network of over 800 partners and members to deliberate on an issue that confronts all.
Inaugural session Naimur Rahman, OWSA Director, welcomed the dignitaries and delegates. Rahman’s message focused not only on the theme of the meeting but also on the aims and objectives of OWSA. The Guests of Honour were Walter Fust, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Chair, Global
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Welcome note by Naimur Rahman, Director of OWSA
Knowledge Partnership (GKP) and Saroj Devkota, Vice Chairman HLCIT, Govt of Nepal. Fust, while reaffirming the role of discussion and dialogues in fostering the realisation of MDGs, stated that he is hopeful that the two-day conference would lead to a common vision on climate justice issues and will help in the inclusion and assimilation of southern voices on MDGs and the realisation of MDGs. In his welcome note Walter Fust said, “I firmly believe that climate change is the defining human development issue of the 21st century.” Natwar Thakkar, Founder, Nagaland Gandhi Ashram, was the honorary Chief Guest in the summit. He optimistically added, “There is still a possibility…the entire value system has to be revolutionised. The craze for consumerism and emphasis on materialism has to be replaced by a more rational, more sensible and spiritually oriented lifestyle.” Jocelyne Josiah, Advisor, Media and ICT for Asia – UNESCO and Dana D. Fisher, Secretary and Director, USAID India, were special invitees to the session.
Building a Southern Perspective on Climate Justice The first session that focused on the linkages between inclusive economic
growth, poverty eradication and climate change was moderated by the session chair, Walter Fust. The speakers in the session not only attempted to underscore the major concerns of climate change but also tried to decipher the inherent fallacies in climate policies, migration policies and growth policies. Tara De Mel, Chairperson, Worldview, Sri Lanka, speaking first in the plenary, set the ball rolling. She stated that climate change is not only an environmental issue but a socio-economic issue circumscribing all aspects. According to Tara, the scientific reality of climate change and the recurrent emission of greenhouse gases have to be countered with a strong political response and there is a need for energy policy reforms. Wasim Zamam, Director, UNFPA, South & West Asia, was the second person to speak in the plenary. He primarily focused on the population, migration and urbanisation issues. He aptly said that in most of the South-East Asian countries, there is an explicit lack of favourable migration, relocation and resettlement policies. Zamam opined that population growth factor is mainly responsible for climate change because growth in population leads to a depletion in natural reserves and resources. Minar Pimple, Deputy Director, UN Millennium Campaign i4d | March 2008
Asia, spoke about the ways to energise MDGs. He spoke about an interdependent relation between MDGs and climate change forum. The first session of the conference was enlightened by the video message of R K Pachauri, Chairman IPCC & Director General, Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI). Pachauri stressed on the need to assess the impacts of climate change. He also added that in order to ensure energy sufficiency and lessen the burden of greenhouse gas emissions, correct policy measures need to be adapted and implemented. He stated that the impact of climate change mainly fall on the poor and the underprivileged and said that the global community as a whole has to show a sense of responsibility, sense of fairness, equity and exercise of ethics because the poorest of the poor have done nothing to bring this problem on themselves. In furtherance of his statement he said, “I am not saying that South Asia has to wait for the rest of the world to provide that help. We ourselves, among ourselves can do a lot and I think it is time for us to join hands across political divisions, across boundary lines and to see how we can articulate these problems in a proper perspective and then come up with solutions,”. Rakesh Khanna, Taraenviro, India, deliberated upon biodiversity and climate change with special reference to food production. He spoke about the declining conditions of the agricultural lands, coral reefs and other coastal zones. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, CEO & National Programme Director, Lead, Pakistan, spoke on inclusive economic development, shared sovereignty and survival issues. Expressing concern, Sheikh confirmed that there is no definite protocol for adaptation strategies. S Padmanabhan, Dy Director and Senior Advisor, USAID, focused on regional cooperation to ensure higher and better forms of sharing of renewable and other forms of energy in local and regional markets. The first plenary session was followed by six parallel sessions, three sessions on the 8 February 2008 and three on the 9 February 2008. The major issues of discussion in the parallel sessions were food security; natural resources management; mitigation and adaptation strategies; inter-sectoral relationships; sustainable development; role of ICTs; role of new media; new initiatives, collaborations and partnerships. The parallel sessions focused on research solutions to climate change, role of civil society organisations, public-private partnerships, community development, capacity-building, natural disaster management, etc. The parallel sessions debated over the impacts of climate change on micro and macro variables and other socio-economic and environmental indicators. Three major highlights at the meeting were the launch of ‘LifeLines for Education’, launch of ‘South Asian Feminist Portal’ and the initiation of ‘National e-Governance Stakeholder’s Forum’. The project ‘LifeLines for Education’, outlined and initiated by OWSA in collaboration with USAID, British Telecom (BT), Cisco, Vikramshila Education Resource Society, International Youth Foundation and QUEST Alliance, was launched on the 8 February after the first three parallel sessions. The project, ‘digital service’ provides teachers in rural India with access to resources and pedagogical assistance. Both ‘South Asian Feminist Portal’ and ‘National e-Governance Stakeholder’s Forum’ were launched on 9 February after the first three parallel sessions. March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
Recommendations During the two-day conference, the participants deliberated on climate justice issues ranging from good practices, mitigation strategies to re-designing of technical and policy parameters. Intense debates happened over the creation of inter-sectoral linkages, impact on South Asia’s food security, income opportunities and livelihood resources and the would-be role of ICTs in tackling climate change issues. By the end of the meeting, the panelists could recommend some areas that are relevant to tackle the issues and problems that emanate from climate change. Summing all the recommendations, Rajakutty, Professor & Head. Ph.D.(Economics), National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), India has suggested some recommendations: • to help in the development of knowledge and understanding of the impacts of climate change • to identify local and regional indicators • to identify research areas • to enhance energy efficiency • to foster the growth of capacity-building agencies • to ensure that donor agencies mitigate climate change impacts • to enhance the role of ICTs and media in knowledge sharing and knowledge dissemination • to continue dialogue through cooperation and coordination among ministries • to combine, train and sensitise traditional and new media In his concluding speech, Naimur Rahman said, “We come forward to advocate for a global solution to the global challenge of meeting climate change demands, underpinned by global institutional and financial mechanisms. We also seek the inclusion of the voices from the South, of the poor, the marginalised, and the grassroots communities in the climate change dialogue, and in formulating appropriate and just strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change.”
Conclusion The finale of the meeting was reached with the adoption of a ‘Position Document’ that considered climate change as a global phenomenon, the impacts and incidences of which would be faced by all nations, the developed and the developing. The conclusive statements of the document are: • Developed nations are mainly responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions, which has led to global warming, melting of polar ice and other environmental hazards. • India emits a lot of greenhouse gases. • Mitigation and adaptation are important strategies that can control climate change. • Because of certain pressing needs and consequential factors, developing nations (mainly from South-east Asia) will continue to emit greenhouse gases.
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Bytes for All... The house that social networking built An article on the above title was posted by Frederick Noronha of Bytes for All. Read the entire article: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ bytesforall_readers/message/11571 This article was a sort of an interview with architect Cameron Sinclair who launched the Architecture for Humanity project in 1999. This project has helped to build affordable housing for people in the Indian Ocean regions hit by the Tsunami as well as those hit by Hurricane Katrina in the USA. In 2006 Sinclair
the Bytes for All readers list had plenty of talent who could do translations in Hindi, Urdu and Bengali, etc. But since translations took time list members in a position to give time and effort must form a pool of talent to take up this task under the auspices of Bytes for All. Funds would not be a problem if registered with organizations like kiva.org, where one can find monitory support from people with lack of time and technical know-how. Partha of Bytes for All opined that, this was a wonderful idea and the Bytes community could support it, not by directing funding to itself and then assigning it to the volunteers but by coordinating to connect volunteers to proper resources. He also said that instead of focusing on funding now, we should rather focus on the list of things to be done as well as developing a plan to accomplish these. He informed that a free wikispace was created to paste all your ideas. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/bytesforall_readers/ message/11571
One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)-XO
won the coveted TED prize in architecture. The spoils of which were channeled towards founding the Open Architecture Network under Creative Commons. Sinclair feels the future of his field is in the slums. Where the UN has projected one third of the world’s population will reside by 2030. When asked how the Internet has helped the Open Architecture Network, Sinclair says this project would not have existed without the Internet, which has facilitated the exchange of ideas and information not for financial gain but social gain. He says it’s not about a bunch of white guys working in academic institutions but people working on the site in 104 countries. And working with localised innovation and a top down approach. He gives an example of a ‘Hippo water roller’ which is a barrel shaped container used to transport water in rural areas where traditionally water had to be laboriously carried atop the head. Sinclair said that the Open Architecture Network web site was still English and that caused a major problem because half the world speaks Chinese, Hindi and Swahili. He said volunteer translators were required. One of our readers Vickram Crishna opined that
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Our reader’s list has seen a variety of posts on OLPC in recent times. For information, the XO laptop is promoted by the OLPC project of MIT Media Labs. Celebrated technologist, Nicolas Negroponte heads the OLPC project. The vision is to assist in education of children in developing countries, by providing each child with one laptop specially created for this purpose. One of our readers Larry Press was however disappointed with the XO laptop. Larry says that the XO features are innovative but not Internet ready. This will matter a lot where there is no Internet connectivity and the XO applications will seem lame to its other Internet –based counterparts. Even with Nicolas Negroponte’s optimism that connectivity will come to poor countries with the advent of markets, Larry says evidence does not support this optimism. Our reader Edward Cherlin, questioned Larry whether he would support Open Source Hardware. Which meant providing low cost connectivity (satellite, fibre or wireless) to villages. Villages cannot afford to roll out national systems by themselves. However if point-to-point wireless network were in place it would at least provide an ad-hoc solution. And this would be better than having nothing. Edward opines, even if there is connectivity (mobile phones and Internet) and one PC per village, economic and educational activity and opportunity is boosted in the region. And this is well documented. Edward gave examples Earth Treasury, Partners in Health, Microfinance, ITC e-Choupal, etc. He further suggested that connectivity would allow everybody to talk to everybody else and work together, thus creating a free, open, competitive market of real people not just corporations. i4d | March 2008
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Bytes for All... Edward thinks that the greatest problem about connectivity is not difficult terrain or technology, but governments themselves who lack a proper policy for it. Another reader Vickram Crishna informed that Sandisk would soon make available a cheap flash device. And since this device will be hardwired into the motherboard, it will result in considerable saving in terms of connectors and cases, as none will be there. Ideal for XO laptop? Fredrick Noronha, of Bytes informed that the XO was already in schools in Peru and Uruguay. And many other developing countries including India were next on the list. Another reader Atanu Dey had an interesting observation. He says it’s easy to be seduced by the notion that technology is the solution to all problems. Technology can address only the technical aspects of the problem. And the best example of this is the OLPC-XO laptop. Edward Cherlim countered this saying technology provides the infrastructure to reach the poor of the world. Saying technology cannot solve problems of the poor is like saying the printing press solves problems only of the printing industry. When in fact it has provided a method for us to share knowledge on politics, science and religion for hundreds of years. According to Dey, technology can do nothing about sociological problems and in fact may make them worse. Edward dissented saying ‘may’ is not the same as ‘will’. When we work on something radical there are bound to be problems. Would Gandhiji have stopped working for Independence if he had known about the ‘ethnic cleansing’ that was to follow? According to Dey, XO is a rugged technological masterpiece. He says that XO promoters claim that it’s more about education and their goal is to bridge the digital divide in poorer countries. The poor are on the wrong side of many other divides all rooted in the greater ‘income divide’. He says that the biggest flaw of the XO is that it ignores basic economics. For a full implementation of XO project in India would involve purchase 100 million laptops at the total cost of INR 50,000 billion a year. In developing economies buying a XO will be akin to buying cake instead of bread and butter. Edward suggested that OLPC’s point was that with a laptop you could get a job and pay taxes to defray the cost of your laptop with interest. Working out the math Edward said that India could surely spend INR 500 on a person per year. Dey says in India the education system has failed in its mission. Look at the high drop out rates. This is because low priority is given to primary education, and total government control on education means low quality and limited supply. Without primary education, the poor are unable to compete for opportunities at higher levels. Achieving universal education is a matter of political will and collective social consciousness not a matter of building laptop bridges over digital divides. Edward countered saying, since governments are uninterested in providing basic education to the poor, one has to find another way. That’s when a laptop comes into picture, as it provides not only education March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
but also economic opportunities. According to Dey, digital divide is not a hindrance to education, as 99.99 per cent of the world got educated without the use of high-end technology. Edward had presented a whole new meaning to ‘high-end technology’! Books in school involved the printing press. And going to school, involved railroad, steamships, telegraph, photocopier, fax, television and the works along with all the physics involved. Who says it’s not high-end. Dey, says this is a problem of political economy not technology. According to Edward it’s not entirely the case. Political economy is a matter of ICT. Nothing can be done for the villages until they learn to band together to create political movements of their own, and not just wait for handouts from shortsighted governments. As Gandhiji would do, take matters concerning your future into your own hands. Like he did it for salt and imported textiles. The computer gives access to e-Commerce. A great way to empower the poor eliminating middlemen. http://www.bytesforall.net/?q=translate_the_house_that_social_networking_built
Other events •
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ICT For Development pioneer RI SOL is inviting applications from the Bangladeshi youth (up to 18 years old) to participate in an ICT and Youth Grant competition. Link: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/bytesforall_readers/message/11472 Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT) announces it’s first workshop on: Website designing for dummies - Understanding how websites work. Link: http://www.rabble.ca/columnists_full.shtml?x=66889
Bytes for All: www.bytesforall.org or www.bytesforall.net Bytes for All Readers Discussion: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ bytesforall_readers To subscribe: bytesforall_readers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Bytes for All Discussion summary compiled by: Archana P. Nagvekar, India, archananagvekar@rediffmail.com
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RENDEZVOUS NASSCOM FOUNDATION, ICT FOR CATALYSING CHANGE, 15 FEBRUARY 2008, MUMBAI, INDIA
IT, ICT and inclusive growth NASSCOM Foundation (NF) hosted the ‘Global CSR Conclave: ICT for Catalysing Change’ on 15 February 2008 in conjunction with the NASSCOM Leadership Forum in Mumbai. The Conclave aimed to provide a platform for the key innovators and leaders who have impacted social development in the country. The conclave mainly focused on issues on role of IT, microfinance, public-private partnership, corporate social responsibility, best practices and inclusive growth and was attended by industry experts,development experts and civil society representatives. The conference began with the screening of NF Film and a welcome address by Saurabh Srivastava, the Chairman NF Srivastava spoke on the efficacy of IT in improving the quality of human life. Following the inaugural note by Srivastava, Som Mittal, President of NF, shared his views on the need towards enhancement of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and added that CSR is required to foster social relations and to reach out to the under-served. He spoke on IT industry’s contribution to the development landscape. Walter Fust, Director General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), deliberated upon multi-stakeholder partnership for ensuring sufficient public and private investment in ICT4D.
Indian IT industry’s impact on economy and society In the first session, the much-awaited research report ‘Indian IT/ITES Industry: Impacting economy and society’ was released by Saurabh Srivastava alongwith Ambassador Walter Fust, Jacques Attali, President, Planet Finance, Jerry Rao Former CEO of Mphasis, and Trustee-NASSCOM Foundation and Som Mittal. The research report is a joint effort by NASSCOM, Deloitte and NASSCOM Foundation. After the formal release of the book, Roopen Roy, Head and Managing Director (MD) of Deloitte, India provided an overview of the book. Walter Fust, while sharing his views in the first session, stated that ICT is not just only limited to Internet but there are many other tools, which can help in development. He emphasised on multi-stakeholder partnership in the achievement of development goals. The first session concluded with the ability of IT industry to bridge the economic gap.
Skills and rural employability The second session of the conclave titled ‘Building Skills for Rural Employability & Entrepreneurship’, was chaired by Lakshmi Narayanan, Chairman, NASSCOM. Mr Harsh Manglik in
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From left to right: Jerry Rao, Former CEO of Mphasis, and Trustee-NASSCOM Foundation, Jacques Attali, President of Planet Finance, Saurabh Srivastava, Chairman of NASSCOM Foundation, Walter Fust, Director General, SDC, Som Mittal, President of NASSCOM Foundation
his presentation emphasized on the need for inclusive growth. Speaking on the need to bridge the gap between trainers and employers, Manglik emphasised that there is a need for vocational training programs to create more employment in the rural areas. Raju Bhatnagar, Head-Indian Operations, SerWizsol, while speaking on leveraging the power of ICTs for expanding skills sets of undeserved communities, stressed on the importance of local languages and the use of ICTs in education. Bhatnagar also shared many successful stories on rural BPO. Rajendra Pawar, Chairman, NIIT, discussed the need for linking rural skills to employability. Pawar focused on various initiatives on using IT for enhanced learning.
Innovations for outreach The third session that focused on innovations for strategic outreach’, was chaired by Kiran Karnik, Former President of NASSCOM. The session discussed the potential of ICT in Microfinance (mf ). Jacques Attali emphaised the need for innovations in MF, while Jonathan Weinstein of Unitas discussed the processes and challenges involved in ICT in microfinance. Manish Khera, CEO of Financial Information Network & Operations (FINO) shared his experience on the challenges and prospects of leveraging the community technology access centres for MF services. Samit Ghosh of Ujjivan discussed the new frontiers of ICT in microfinance. The last session was ‘In Conversation’ between Jerry Rao and Ramalinga Raju, Chairman of Satyam Computer Services. Raju shared his experiences of the Byrajju Foundation and pointed out that applying knowledge, technology and funding go hand in hand. i4d | March 2008
What’s on Africa 22-24 April 2008 West Africa Biofuels Summit 2008 Abuja, Nigeria www.westafricabiofuels.net
18-20 June 2008 3rd National Conference on Peer Education, HIV and AIDS Nairobi, Kenya
Issues in Cyberlaw, Cairo www.crime-research.org/events
Europe 26-29 July 2008 ICETE 2008 - International Joint Conference on e-Business and Telecommunications Porto, Portugal www.icete.org
www.nou.edu.ng/noun/acde2008
Australia 20-22 May 2008 Government@CeBIT Australia 2008 Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney
India
www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~derrick/WMEE2008
6-8 August 2008 Government Technology World 2008 Gold Coast www.terrapinn.com/2008/gtw%5Fau
Egypt 10-13 May 2008 International Workshop on Evaluating Climate Change and Development Alexandria www.eea.europa.eu/events/international-workshop
12-15 May 2008 ITU TELECOM AFRICA 2008 International Convention and Exhibition Centre (CICC), Cairo www.un-gaid.org/en/node/1085
2-4 June 2008 The First International Conference on Security, Privacy and Confidentiality March 2008 | www.i4donline.net
www.adl.unap.ro/else
Singapore 9-11 April 2008 eCommerce Asia Summit 2008 Suntec City www.terrapinn.com/2008/ecommerce
25-27 April 2008 Mobile Content World Asia 2008 Suntec International Exhibition & Convention Centre
30 May 2008 India Radio Forum 2008 Mumbai, Maharashtra
Thailand
www.indiaradioforum.com
www.e-case.org/e-Education2008
16-18 April 2008 Disaster Management 2008 Exhibition and Conference New Delhi
27-29 March 2008 The 2008 International Conference on e-Administration Bangkok
www.dmindiaexpo.com
www.e-case.org/e-Administration2008
www.agimo.gov.au/practice/delivery/events/2008/ cebit2008
29 June 2008 The 2nd International Workshop on Web Mining for E-commerce and Eservices (WMEE2008), Melbourne
11-12 April 2008 e-Learning and Software for EducationeLSE 2008 Bucharest
www.terrapinn.com/2008/mcw08%5Fsg
www.nope.or.ke
8-11 July 2008 2nd African Council for Distance Education( ACDE) Conference and General Assembly, Lagos, Nigeria
Romania
27-29 March 2008 The 2008 International Conference on e-Education, Bangkok
United States eINDIA 2008 29-31 July 2008 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.eindia.net.in
Germany Med-e-Tel 16-18 April 2008 Luxexpo, Luxembourg www.medetel.lu/index.php?rub=home&page=defaut
Malaysia 12-13 December 2008 2nd International Conference on Science and Technology (ICSTIE’O8) Permatang Pauh, Penang www.icstie.com
Pakistan
24-26 October 2008 The University of Atlanta’s First International Symposium on Online Teaching and Learning, Georgia www.UofA.edu
14-17 July 2008 The 2008 International Conference on e-Learning, e-Business, Enterprise Information Systems, and e-Government (EEE’08) Las Vegas, Nevada www.world-academy-of-science.org/sites/worldcomp08/ ws/conferences/sam08
United Kingdom 25-27 June 2008 Governance of New Technologies: The Transformation of Medicine, IT and IP Edinburgh www.law.ed.ac.uk/ahrc/script-ed/conference.asp
10-11 September 2008 E-Learning and Distance Education Conference (ELDEC), Islamabad
12-13, May 2008 International Climate Conference London
www.vu.edu.pk/eldec2007
www.campaigncc.org
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IN FACT
Disability dimension in MDGs As a part of development cooperation initiative, certain Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were unanimously identified and endorsed upon by the international community at the United Nations Millennium Summit (2000). MDGs are supposed to serve the cause of sustainable development by ensuring the growth of parallel infrastructures and inclusiveness. MDGs can not only be achieved through preferential policies of treatment and collective participation procedures, it can also be achieved through empowering the disabled people who are unfortunately found at the bottom by MDG indicators. In the following table, there are examples on the status of disabled people in respect of each of the goals. The third column of the following table mentions examples on how infrastructure improvements facilitate the achievement of the goals and enhance the creation of enabling environments. The MDGs, the status of disabled people and the role of infrastructure improvements:
Millennium Development Goal
other ) Status of People With Disabilities ( PWD
Improvements in infrastructure have a key role in creating an enabling environment
Eradicate extreme poverty
PWD (mainly in developing nations) belong to protest of the poor
…improve opportunities for disabled people to escape from poverty
Achieve universal education
Only a few per cent of disabled children go to school
... enable children with mobility and seeing difficulties to go to school
Promote gender equality
Women and girls with disabilities are the most marginalised and abused
…enable disabled girls to go to school and women to earn incomes
Reduce child mortality
Mortality rates of disabled children are high
…reduce the risk of fatal or disabling illnesses
Improve maternal health
Pregnant women who are disabled run a high risk of mis-carriage. Differently abled mothers find it difficult to nurture their children
… enable these women to avail of MHC services and have good hygiene conditions. ... also assure them of jobs after they attain motherhood
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Disabled men and women are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Differently abled women are at high risk of being sexually abused and are prone to diseases like HIV/AIDS
… prevent infectious diseases and manage epidemics
Ensure environmental sustainability
Many disabilities result from bad environmental management. For PWD, access to clean water is poorer than that for non-disabled people
…help manage natural resources and physical environment to derive benefits from it in a sustainable manner
Develop global partnership for development
PWD are not aware of their rights
…facilitate the use of modern infrastructure for networking and advocacy e.g. creating awareness and empowering disability organisations
Source: http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/en-disability-infrastructure-2004.pdf
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i4d | March 2008
knowledge for change
India's Largest ICT Event 29-31 July 2008, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
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