Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
are signs that some industries are starting to consider this in their business
planning. To date, most industries that have considered some form of inclu-
sive design have been more motivated to do so by the existence or threat of
regulation requiring them to do so.
2. Engage proactively in the development of government regulations
and related standards
The work by Stienstra et al. [
11
] is but one exam-
ple of research that has pointed out the importance of establishing govern-
ment enforceable regulations and their related standards. See also G3ict, the
Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies
[
4
], which is a flagship advocacy initiative of the United Nations Global Al-
liance for ICT and Development. Initiated in December 2006 by the Wireless
Internet Institute, G3ict is a public-private partnership dedicated to facilitat-
ing the implementation around the world of the Digital Accessibility Agenda
defined by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This
initiative strongly supports the implementation of appropriate government
policy with heavy emphasis on the coordinated development of standards
regarding accessibility of ICT. This initiative involves government, industry
and nongovernment organizations. Stienstra et al. [
11
] also provide examples
of various pieces of legislation from around the world (primarily the US, Aus-
tralia, and the UK) that in some way regulate accessibility of ICT. Some of
the most commonly cited relevant pieces of legislation in the US are: Section
501 of the Rehabilitation Act [
18
] and Section 255 of the Federal Communi-
cations Commission (FCC) Communications Act [
17
] (both currently under
review) [
15
].
3. Education of students
Ensuring that our postsecondary students, pri-
marily engineers, computer scientists, and industrial designers, who will be
involved in the design of new technologies, are taught the principles of inclu-
sive design is a long-term approach, but one that may pay off as a sustainable
solution to the production of accessible ICT in the consumer mass market.
Ideally these students should not just be taught the theory but also have the
opportunity to complete projects that directly involve persons with disabili-
ties and their access challenges with ICT. The students will then carry these
experiences into their workplaces with the grounded realization that inclu-
sive design results in a much broader range of people being able to use the
technology, thereby increasing a company's market share for a given product
while also helping to contribute to equal access for all.
10.4 The Need for Regulations and Standards
Due to the lack of voluntary uptake by industry as noted above, regulations
and standards will play the key role in providing substantial accessibility
of emerging ICTs in the near-term, over the next 5-10 years. For instance,
