Very good summary. I was also present at the meeting. Rohit -----Original Message----- From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of avinash shahi Sent: 20 November 2013 13:20 To: jnuvision; accessindia; sayeverything; worldopinion Subject: [AI] My notes: National Confrence on Harnessing Technology for VI at IICC yesterday
At the Outset, I should ask was any information regarding this confrence was supplied on Access India? Below is my notes As I start this exercise for my teacher and mentor to be aware about my experience there, I must express my reservation straightaway on the Designation of NIVH, why it is still known as National Institute for Visually Handicap. Yes 'Handicap'. It doesn't resonate with the progress we've made over the years in the country and it is politically futile. and I discussed this to one of their representatives out of public view to prepare a proposal to get it renamed. Anyway, Indian Islamic Cultural Centre at Delhi's Heart Lodhi Road Is buzz with More than 150 Blind students, professionals, Researchers, Librarians, and of Course Almost All major NGOs Heads active in the Field. My Library Head is also here, I'm so glad... 3 Security Guards seemed to have been sensitized to help blind visitors. And all are greeted by Tags like Madam/sir here not there. The venue doesn't look friendly for people with locomotor disability, and Stairs are every where to facilitate your movement In fact, Lunch is being served where one has to go 14 stairs down... and again its self-serving system. Alas blindness... Main attraction for people like me are Many bureaucrats Including Stuti Kakkar, Secretary Department of Disability Affairs Well-groomed, welcoming jesture and easy to interact thanks to Miss Priya, one of the employees at IICC who helped me meet her and gave little description of her jestures. She sounded determined to do something new which has never happened. Then I thought was there Department of Disability Affairs before? Anyway she discussed many fascets of Department's innitiatives and promise to do more like monitoring of Braille presses.and of course agreed to assist me in my field work and visit to her office. Now itstime to get ready to pay attention to speakers. I just opened the braille sheets given to me checked the list and started thinking how this plenary sessions are structured, and those who are going to speak in the morning, will get attention from the Government bureaucrats because these special individuals are not going to stay longer to the venue... So this politics of visibility is well manefested there. And I know it happens everywhere. Afterall, all can not speak in the morning you know... Braille sheets are well-dotted and found names like: Dr Sam, Mr Depender , Mr George, Mr Prashant Verma, Mr Ketan Kothari, Mr Nirmal Verma, Mr A.K Mittal, And others. not only this, sessions are gonna be chaired by People like Mr SK Rungta, Madam Kanchan Pamnani Mr Akhil Paul, Mr Rama Krishna and others. my laptop is opened now to note: what these speakers have to say whom majority of us know as leading from the front. All are conversing in English 'language of the priviliged'. But in the backside Students are talking in Hindi but very slowly, and when any known face crosses these young adults they also start murmering in english. Lappy is charged it will work till five hours at least. First Plenary session is on Accessibility to Banking Services. This session is chaired by Mr SK Rungta Who started off by saying: 'Technology can deceive us', And hailed Aadhar as critical for banking services. Then I recalled recent Supreme Court Order which categorically states: 'Aadhar Card is not mendatory for availing government services'. Below my rough unedited fast notes from the venue And I couldn't note all speakers because had to leave later in the day. First Plainery on Banking session for blind Mr SK Rungta is chairing the session. Mr Rungta: Coming of Addhar card is very critical for banking services There are attitudinal barriers from opening the account to accessing other services. First speaker: Sam Taraporwala Sam: Banks need to go KYC process Know to your customer to realize their potential. Blind have diverse banking needs. What rules say: after 2008 RBI circular said: blind people are to be treated at par with others. IBA in November that year, came out with guidelines which said for the operationalization of the guideline. Then in 2009 we had an RBI circular providing 1third ATMs accessible for blind people. How do we make sure that thinks are inclusive. Today almost 70 percent people uses mobile. Banks are fast moving in to automation. There is a bigger challenged in convincing people. How technology is enabler we need to understand. Speaker: Nagesh NayarAccessibility in ATMs He started with asking slue of questions HSBC braught first ATm in India. 1.6 lakhs. SBI put up a branch on Fairy boat. Union bank establishment its branch on Aryahant Vikramaditya. First Accessible ATM was installed in canada by Canada Royal bank. When first ATm was installed in US in 1999. So when was India's first ATM was installed in 2012 by Union Bank of India. India has more than 5000 Accessible ATMs. It displayes graphics, pictures and textures. ADA of Us is the foundation document has been emulated by other states to make public services accessible to Blind users. Voice guidance solution was demonstrated to banks. Union bank installed its first ATM in 2012. In febuary 2013 IBA has issued a guideline on how to make Accessible ATMs. We have accessibility out in the street today. We need to put all Talking ATms listing on Virtual map so that blind users can find the Talking ATm location in their City. Next speaker: Ketan Kothari on Mobile Banking First technology reaches to anybody is none other than Mobile Phone. Mobile banking is the solution for banking services to remote residing people. USSD Unstructured Sppplementary Service data. We can transact multitude os transaction without sighted assistance. Who can have mobile banking? IVRS can not offer all the services on Mobile. TRAI hs not come up single connectivity which facilitates USSd. All the NGOs working in the field need to advocate for better services from banks for blind people. Second Session on Accessibility of Web and online services Department of Electronic Ministry of Information and Technology has been pursuing various policies which ensure that Web Portal is accessible to all. We have issued the guidelines to make web portal accessible and online content accessible. SSTC Standard testing quality certification is the norm which website owner have to go through. Speaker: Dr Narmita Narsihman on Web Accessibility Accessible website is essential to use all services these. To download books, to access banking services and so on,. Accessibility is a measure of aproduct that can be accessed effectively by persons with disability. If you can't listen Audio capture then its of no use. 2.0 Web accessibility guidelines She is showing the video now. Where disabled are talking their experience of trouble while accessing Web portals. Maharashtra Government is giving hand on training to developers to make web portals accessible. Next speaker: Miss Verma Today's wgovernment websites have difficulty in accessing websites. www.guidelines.com is a website where you can ask your query to access services. If I try to make non-accessibility site in to an accessible site then it costs a lost in retrofeeting.Previous guidelines were not there for access services on mobile. 67 Comprehensive guidelines hav been prepared now whidh will be implemented across government websites. NIC is doing training for government employees who are involved in designing web portals.Ministry has award for an accessible website. Next Speaker: Prashant Verma on accessibility of websites "I have done the survey of few Indian websites and tried to find whether Indian websites have complied to the standards of WCAG or not." "I have found 3 barriers:, No structural Mark up is very big problem because it is non existant where lebles are not in the heading style. Grafical content doesn't have enough description in it. As far ass Government websites are concerned good news is that lot of website which are developed these days are now accessible.He is now with the help of slides the Department of Science and Technology website... Now MSJE website is on the screen. Now parliament of India website followed by Central Information Commission's website on the screen. Next session Reading books First speaker: Dependra Manucha Braille books, DAISY and e-Text books are used by blind people fo their study purpose. Brqille translate softwres cover 19 Languages out of 23. Then OCR which converts image in to recognizable format. Assistive technology to be able to read it. Less than one people in India use assistive technology in India to access Reading and other web services. Only forty thousands people are registered with various libraries catering the needs of Visually Challenged people. DAISY Forum is an compelation of 92 Different organisations in the world. We can not re-publish or re-create all published in an accessible formats. Next speaker: Ms. Elizabeth Gai Beaumon: Benetech is a really non-profit Organisation deals in software developing. Benetech runs the global literacy programme. We started to work in India in 2008. Bookshare has more than 2 Lakhs sixty thousands members. We upload books in eight Indian Languages. How bookshare works in terms of partners we work with DAISY Forum of India. Booksaare is growing by 3 thousands to 5 thousands books per month. And we have tied up with big publishers like Sage, And 20 Indian Publishers.George Khushraw General Secretary of DAISY Consudium. Next Session: Access to Digital Television Speaker: Mr George Abraham: He starts off in an energetic voice by invoking 3 passions of Indians. Cricket, Politics and Bollywood. And Audience responds in an expected fashion. Accessibility to TV and Set of Boxes is a bigger challenge for blind people. We don't know when our desired channel is clicked and where it is while nevagating through remote. He discusses his bitter experience with Tata Sky. And advocates for audio discription of screen display. Next Speaker Mr. Richard Orm: He starts off with talking about 'Talking TV'... He also demonstrates few Audio/Vidio sounds bits to make audience aware about how your experience of viewing TV is inclusive when you are described the happenings on the screen. He is now giving some stats about blind viewership in UK. then talking about Panasonic invention of Talking TV where remote is talking, when you change channel it tells you the name of the channel and the programme. This presentation is very engaging,you know... Sorry I missed the last session because have to leave for campus feeling headake... But would like to share my worth-noting write up that that many sessions were chaired by those who themselves said: 'beginner in technology', And it was worth-pondering where majority of listeners are blind many blind themselves gave PPT presentations... Perhaps this is the norm these days... But overall, my first experience to listen to almost all known faces at one place on single day who are active in the field in various capacities will help me in planning future plann how to go take further disability activism and movement. And time has ripped to move out of Delhi, please... -- Avinash Shahi M.Phil Research Scholar Centre for The Study of Law and Governance Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessind ia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
