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The Malta Independent | Thursday 4 December 2014
Towards a more inclusive society through the use of ICT H.E. The President of Malta Marie Louise Coleiro Preca together with Parlamentry Secretary Hon Dr Jose Herrera and Hon Kristy Debono, presided the Annual General Meeting of the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA). “It is important that whoever is providing ICT services, appreciate and implement effective ICT accessibility mechanisms in order to have a more inclusive society through the use of technology.” stressed H.E. The President of Malta while thanking FITA, the private sector, government departments and persons with disability for their dedication and tangible actions. This year’s FITA AGM was preceded by a mini Expo to which local organisations and suppliers of accessible ICT products were invited. During the activity a live demonstration of ICT accessibility products was showcased, where visitors were able to try the products and evaluate how they could benefit from them. Some of these products are also part of the FITA ICT pool and can be borrowed all year round from FITA. The mini Expo also included a number of presentations about ongoing projects and accessibility aspects which drew a lot of interest. Ms Elizabeth Olivieri, Chairperson of FITA addressed those present and thanked the
esteemed guests, for their continued support. She also thanked Mr. Tony Sultana, MITA’s Executive Chairman for the support that MITA regularly gives to FITA. Ms. Olivieri described how FITA has a reltively wide portfolio of services and initiatives geared at addressing both disabled persons and also educators and employers who seek to enhance the accessibility
of their services. She also urged disability NGOs and service providers to make use of these tools and opportunities provided by FITA. As per Government’s vision in this sector, FITA can collaborate with private and public sector entities to ensure that more persons with disabilities can be integrated into various jobs and initiatives. This will be done by improving the ICT knowledge
and skills of persons with disability through FITA’s various programmes and also by suggesting applicable ICT platforms for entities to operate more inclusivly. Mr Stanley M Debono, FITA CEO delivered an overview of FITA’s activities, including the use of the MSE over the years and the benefits for entities like local banks and their clients from using FITA’s ICT Accessibility
Certification services. Mr Tony Borg and Mr Joseph Cauchi, both FITA service users, delivered short presentations outlining how they benefited from FITA ICT Training and FITA’s ICT Accessibility Consultancy respectively. Opposition Spokesperson for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, Hon Kristy Debono, explained how important it is that more individuals get to know about FITA’s work and how this is benefitting large amounts of disabled persons through increased accessibility. Hon. Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth, commented how the training and ICT solutions must be used for persons with disability to generate exposure to work opportunities. This will not only lead to financial independence, but as FITA experienced directly through its own ICT courses, an increased level of self confidence. “These people that are working wholeheartedly to gain qualifications and maximise their potential” he said. Persons with disability have increased access to education and rightly so, now have higher expectations. It is therefore important that they are given equal opportunities for work, so they will continue to become more productive and contribute more actively in society.
Stay protected and have a happy and safe holiday season Follow these simple information security tips and enjoy the holiday season in a safe way.
has begun and the danger is heightened, it is important to constantly be aware of new cyber-attacks or threats in the marketplace. • Follow breaking news stories for new security breaches to stay alert and be on top of your game • Only shop for holiday gifts at retailers you know have not been compromised • Check your credit card statements often to make sure that you were not affected.
Do Your Research Whether online shopping, donating to charities, or tracking your gifts, do your research to make sure the company you are working with is legitimate. • Do an online search of the company you’re buying items from to see if there’s any news about recent risks • Go to the company’s homepage to make sure it is a genuine business • Instead of clicking on a link in an email for a shopping deal, visit the site directly Analyse Apps Before downloading a new app, review it to make sure you know exactly what you’re putting on your smartphone. • Only download apps from an official app store and not a third party • If the app requests too many permissions, do not download it. It may be requesting access to information on your phone that you would prefer to keep private, and certainly more information than it needs • Use antivirus software
Bank Carefully People are spending more money during the holidays than they do all year. Cyber criminals may try and use this fact to more easily scam consumers. • If your bank calls requesting information, hang up and call them back through the official main phone number. It’s im-
portant to talk to your banker through the official number so you know it is legitimate • When withdrawing money, be aware of your surroundings. Check to make sure that you are in a safe place to enter your information. If anything looks amiss, leave • Inspect the ATM for loose wires
or machine parts that may have been tampered with. This could indicate hackers trying to fix the machine for their benefit Stay Informed Holiday season or not, cyber scams and identity theft happen very frequently throughout the year. Now that shopping season
Educate Your Employees You’ll want to make sure that your employees know how to protect themselves, and their devices with your sensitive company information – at all times, but especially during this hectic holiday travel and shopping season when devices are more likely to get misplaced and people let their guard down. • Ensure devices are secured with complex passcodes to allow access to smartphones, tablets or laptops • Share the most common scams that exist around the holidays with your employees so they know what to be on the lookout for and how to stay protected.
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The Malta Independent | Thursday 4 December 2014
Roderick Spiteri
Roderick Spiteri is Marketing and Communications Manager at MITA and editor of Malta Independent ICT feature
The Malta Independent ICT Feature
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he use of technology can have various advantages on how we live and we must ensure that these benefits are accessible to everyone. This was the main message from this week’s event held by the Foundation for IT Accessibility (FITA) which started off with an exhibition of some assistive technologies that can enable people with
different abilities to use the computer. The event continued with an explanation of some of the useful projects and inactivates undertaken by the foundation over the last months. MITA, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretariat for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, is organising a new project aimed at reducing the digital divide
amongst older citizens. The Agency believes that digital inclusion in later life is a priority area and is therefore seeking industry collaborators to partner for the sponsorship of a number of related devices. The joys of the festive season can easily be shadowed by an online transaction gone wrong. We are therefore providing some helpful security tips to enjoy the
holiday season in a safe(r) way. All ICT Features are available on www.mita.gov.mt/ictfeature
Calling industry players for digital inclusion and active ageing ■
Jacquie Cremona Crossey
are asked to visit the MITA website for further information on partnering in this rewarding initiative at www.mita.go.mt/oldercitizens or through
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he National Policy for Active Ageing has highlighted the issue of digital inclusion in later life as a priority area both nationally and at the EU-level. In pursuit of this policy priority, MITA and the Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing are launching a pilot project that will explore the effectiveness of peer training for older citizens within their own community environment. Through this new initiative, MITA aims to empower more citizens aged 65 and over to address the challenges of digital inclusion in later life. MITA has recruited a team of older citizens who will be trained in different approaches in methodologies that will enable them to deliver a short course about basic Digital Literacy skills to their peers. These actions will help to increase digital confidence and awareness of older citizens whilst bridging the gap between the generations by making the latest technology and jargon more understandable. This should increase older citizens’ independence when carrying out basic digital tasks and transform them into active members of the technological era. During the course, participants will learn how to navigate the Internet, send emails, participate in Social Media platforms, chat via video and voice applications, the utility of e-Government, e-Commerce and e-Banking. Other topics which will be covered will
include using technology to take up further personal interests, learning, pursuing hobbies and entertainment online. Research and experience have shown that tablets are the preferred tool for disseminating in-
formation to citizens 65 and over. Therefore, MITA is actively seeking industry partners who are willing to contribute to this initiative through the sponsorship of the hardware and Internet dongles. Any interested parties
oldercitizens.mita@gov.mt Jacquie Cremona Crossey is an Executive at the Digital Outreach Unit at MITA