 |
A new project called Able to Include The internet is very useful for people with disabilities However, sometimes the internet is not easy for them to use. The project Able to Include will help fix this problem. They will make tools that:
|
Groundbreaking project Able to Include is seeking to break online barriers for people with intellectual disabilities by creating an open-source and context-aware accessibility layer.
The project, launched by nine partners in Europe, is determined to improve the way people with intellectual disabilities interact with the information software.
The internet can improve the lives of people with disabilities in multiple ways. It can ease their access into employment, as well as helping them keep in touch with their friends and loved ones. It’s a key element in connecting people with the rest of society, however the software created for mass usage is simply not accessible for many people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are equal members of society and should be treated as such. They should have the same opportunities as everyone else to access the information society, and should be supported in doing so,” said Inclusion Europe Director Geert Freyhoff.
The aim of Able to Include is to ensure the accessibility of software by integrating the accessibility layer with the existing and future ICT tools, particularly in mobile applications.
The three key technological tools which are being developed by partners – a text and content simplifier, a pictogram-text, text-pictogram and pictogram-pictogram translation tool, as well as text-to-speech functionalities – will decode information, making regular written language accessible for people with intellectual disabilities.
At the same time, these tools will help the wider public to better communicate with people with intellectual disabilities, by deciphering information written in pictographic languages. Able to Include will also produce an open source Software Developer Kit that will promote the introduction of the accessibility layer in any software application and development environment.
