SV: SV: SV: [governance] IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A PHANTOM?

Mon Jul 30 11:11:09 EDT 2007

Dear David,

Thanks a lot for catching up this issue. You are so right that this is not only a question where you come from, it is a true matter of accessibility and an true interest to close the gap of electronic accessibility. 

But it is also a matter of costs, as blind persons must buy application programs which is so extremely expensive,and put the cost for the computer to a minor cost.  Not all of us can afford this. So the whole issue is about affordability and accessibility, no matter where you come from. 

I will say, it is no problem with the skills and interest of using ICT among blind persons, but as websites in most cases are inaccessible it marginalise us and keep us out from the information  stream , even if we wish to be part of it, we can not. It is a good example of how a bad designed environment makes persons unnecessary "disable"  by  ignore and acknowledge the existence of blind and visually impaired persons in the world.  It is to make us disabled , it is not us who are disabled behind the keyboard!

Kind regards
Kicki 

Kicki Nordström
Synskadades Riksförbund (SRF) 
World Blind Union (WBU)
122 88 Enskede
Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 399 000
Fax: +46 (0)8 725 99 20
Cell: +46 (0)70 766 18 19
E-mail: kicki.nordstrom at srfriks.org 

kicki.nordstrom at telia.com (private) 

________________________________

Från: David Goldstein [mailto:goldstein_david at yahoo.com.au] 
Skickat: den 30 juli 2007 01:52
Till: governance at lists.cpsr.org
Ämne: Re: SV: SV: [governance] IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A PHANTOM?

Kicki has mentioned something that is overlooked, and that has nothing to do if one is from a developing country. Web developers are often appalling in their appreciation of the issues faced by people who are blind in accessing the internet.

Even with the best screen readers and computer equipment, they are often next to useless if the websites can't be "read" by the screen reading software.

David

----- Original Message ----
From: Kicki Nordström <kicki.nordstrom at srfriks.org>
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; kwasi boakye-akyeampong <kboakye1 at yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Monday, 30 July, 2007 6:33:56 AM
Subject: SV: SV: [governance] IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A PHANTOM?

Dear Kwasi,

You are so right but to this we must add the extra ordinary costs that additional programs as screen readers etc, takes for enable blind and visually impaired persons to access ICT. A screen reading program and a Braille Display to read the text, cost several times more than the computer as such and it is no reduction because you are coming from a developing country! 

I should not afford this technology if I have to pay from my own income, but in Sweden, we get this through different insurance, and can therefore use the available technology! But the technology is also underdeveloped, as many Websites are inaccessible due to formats, drawings and pictures, colours, columns and tables which the screen reader can not interpret as it is also problems with PDF-files. 

Equality of accessing ICT is far away for poor people from any country but in particular developing countries, and then to get the world to understand that everything designed in a website can not and will not be possible to read for the worlds 180 million blind and visually impaired persons. We need to get a new solidarity and understanding what is possible to technical develop and teach to normal blind and visually impaired people, The more technical and specific the ICT become, the more exclusive it will be. 

Warm regards
Kicki 

Kicki Nordström
Synskadades Riksförbund (SRF) 
World Blind Union (WBU)
122 88 Enskede
Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 399 000
Fax: +46 (0)8 725 99 20
Cell: +46 (0)70 766 18 19
E-mail: kicki.nordstrom at srfriks.org 

kicki.nordstrom at telia.com (private) 

________________________________

Från: kwasi boakye-akyeampong [mailto:kboakye1 at yahoo.co.uk] 
Skickat: den 28 juli 2007 14:16
Till: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Norbert Bollow
Ämne: Re: SV: [governance] IS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE A PHANTOM?

Norbert, you wrote:
"This of course needs to be funded somehow, but as
soon as this has been achieved, all visually disabled people
everywhere will be able to benefit from this ...".

I disagree with the underlined bit because in the developing (under-developed) regions, even the non-visually impaired are struggling to have access to computers. Internet access is even worse. So for the visually impaired it is worse for them in developing countries.

Believe me, the digital divide issue is worse than we make it sound. Most of the solutions we propose are just not practicable in the deprived regions. They are models fit for the developed countries. For instance, most developing countries are struggling with electricity supply even in the cities. Most rural communities are not connected to the national electricity grid. So bridging the digital divide goes beyond providing them with computers. 

Greetings,
Kwasi

Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch> wrote: 

	Kicki Nordstrom wrote:

	> World Blind Union has tried to negotiate with the producer of screen
	> reading programs, that we from industrial could pay more to reduce
	> the price for customer in developing countries. But this was not
	> possible due to business tradition.

	I think this calls for the development of a good screen reader program
	as Free Software. This of course needs to be funded somehow, but as
	soon as this has been achieved, all visually disabled people
	everywhere will be able to benefit from this, and will be able to
	always use the newest version without big extra costs, without being
	contrained by the "business traditions" of a profit-oriented company.

	Greetings,
	Norbert.

	-- 
	Norbert Bollow http://Norbert.ch
	President of the Swiss Internet User Group SIUG http://SIUG.ch
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