Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
As noted in the Introduction, the UN Convention may play a big role
in getting jurisdictions in many parts of the world to establish appropriate
regulations. In particular, the Optional Protocol to the UN convention will
increase pressure on countries that ratify the Optional Protocol to establish
mechanisms to ensure the accessibility of ICT. As quoted from the Convention
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14
]:
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a body of independent
experts tasked with reviewing States' implementation of the Convention. The Com-
mittee periodically examines reports, prepared by States, on the steps they have
taken to implement the Convention. For those States that are party to the Optional
Protocol, the Committee also has authority to receive complaints from individuals
of alleged breaches of their rights and to undertake inquiries in the event of grave
or systematic violations of the Convention.
Therefore, in countries that sign on to the Optional Protocol, there will
exist a robust regulatory mechanism that will allow individuals to lodge com-
plaints to this international body. Hopefully, just the fact that countries know
that they will potentially be held to account will encourage the establishment
of effective local standards and regulations in a timely fashion. As more and
more countries establish these types of regulations, there will be a resul-
tant demand on the manufacturers of ICT to bring us closer to the ideal,
as illustrated above in the example of the hearing aid compatible cell phone
handsets, in which persons with disabilities can easily access mainstream tech-
nology that is designed to be accessible or easily adaptable for their personal
access needs.
10.5 Concluding Remarks
The potential for greatly enhanced inclusion for persons with disabilities us-
ing emerging ICTs is clear, but unfortunately the new barriers they present
are also clear. Students better educated in accessible design of ICT and not-
for-profit companies that represent persons with disabilities working with the
ICT industry are long-term strategies that can help change these new barriers
into enablers. More importantly, in the shorter term over the next 5-10 years,
the implementation of more regulations and standards governing the acces-
sibility of ICT is required. Governments and the general public that produce
the empowering political will must act now, or more persons with disabilities
will become further marginalized in this ever-increasing and faster-evolving
information age.
