KARACHI, Pakistan –
Today, the GSMA and Facebook organized a virtual industry discussion with panelists from DeafTawk (Pakistan), a2i (Bangladesh), Dialog Axiata (Sri Lanka), and G3ict to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) and to encourage more partnerships on disabilities inclusion in South Asia.
Owing to a lack of access to resources and services, people with disabilities are often excluded and marginalized in society. Assistive technologies (ATs) are systems (hardware or software) and programs that help people with disabilities get around more easily.
Any person with a disability has the right to affordable ATs, according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
ATs are critical in assisting people with disabilities in overcoming some of the physical and social challenges that come with their condition.
In APAC, there are an estimated 690 million people with disabilities, but ATs are still largely unavailable to them. To meet this underserved community, action is needed to resolve the barriers and needs of people with disabilities, accelerate creativity, and put them at the center of the design process.
