5 key barriers to digital inclusion for persons with disabilities
On 7th September, the GSMA Innovation Fund for Assistive Tech launched thanks to our partners and donor, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The GSMA will be one of the few programmes providing both mentorship and grant funding of GBP 100,000 to GBP 250,000 (read more about other opportunities here).
To be eligible innovators must be tackling one of the GSMA’s 5 primary barriers to digital inclusion for persons with disabilities. Here’s a bit more information about the barriers and what they mean:
1. Access
Access — increasing accessibility and usability of handsets and mobile services for persons with disabilities.
Simple everyday tasks can be painfully time-consuming or impossible when services aren’t accessible. Making services more accessible is not always straight forward. For example, voice command allows people with visual impairments to navigate and operate a phone. Most of these solutions have been designed for English speaking users, so algorithms may not necessarily work for other languages or local dialects. This limits the availability of the technology.
Example of innovations: mobile money provider offers visually impaired customers access to services that require authentication without having to type a PIN or password. The service uses interactive voice response (IVR) and is therefore more accessible to all. This also benefits elderly customers and those with who are not able to read or write in a specific language or sign language.
2. Affordability
Affordability — improving the affordability of handsets or mobile phones and usage fees for persons with disabilities.
Solving the issue of affordability is at the heart of sustainable assistive tech business models. Typically, assistive tech can often be expensive due to a reliance on hardware or wearables and/or because often ‘higher end’ handsets commonly offer the best accessibility features. Data to access the internet can also be expensive, since it is usually an ongoing cost. Those with a hearing impairment, who use video to communicate, require heavy bandwidth usage keeping costs even higher. This makes the issue of affordability a significant barrier for users.
Example of innovations: free digital content, with paid for hardware, or vice versa. Alternatively, digital AT users could either purchase a device and receive digital content for free, or pay for the digital content (i.e. PAYG, subscriptions) and receive the device for free. (See this GSMA report pg. 19 for more solutions).
3. Relevance
Relevance — ensuring availability of content, products and services that are relevant to, and meet the needs of persons with disabilities.
Solutions need to meet the needs of users, have relevant content and consider factors such as spoken language, sign language, knowledge of local accessibility constraints and linkages to local services. Being open to wider applications of the solution also means considering the relevance of the solutions for more than one group. Tackling the barrier to relevant services can encourage more persons with disabilities to use mobile internet.
Examples of innovations: using voice and image recognition technologies, solutions can help persons with visual impairments to assess objects and colours in their local community, identify and count local currency, recognise and read an MNO top-up card, or read a local taximeter.
4. Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge and skills — providing persons with disabilities with the knowledge and skills required to access and use mobile services, as well as increasing awareness and understanding of the benefits of mobile technology.
Developing the digital skills of users is fundamental for the digital inclusion of persons with disabilities, including their confident use of digital AT. Oftentimes, mobile phones are not perceived as assistive solutions by persons with disabilities, their caregivers, relatives or phone lenders. Awareness of relevant products and services is also low. Most commonly, persons with disabilities are simply not aware that a solution exists to improve aspects of their lives.
Examples of innovations: provide a dual approach by offering training to persons with disabilities as well as creating useful digital AT solutions with voice guides. Referral models could also help raise awareness of specific products. Innovators might generate income from commissions when customers purchase products or services from the endorsed company because of the digital AT placement.
5. Safety and Security
Safety and Security — addressing harassment, theft, fraud and security concerns of persons with disabilities who want to use mobile services and/or building trust in these services
Persons with disabilities face challenges and concerns regarding the confidential and safe use of mobile services, which are not always designed inclusively. Ethical practices and privacy safeguards do need to be implemented, for example, when assessing business models paid by advertising or referrals. A commonly reported issue is where persons with disabilities have been charged more than expected at the point of exchange with a sales agent (because usually bank notes do not have any identifiable features when touched). Trust is a key barrier to address.
Examples of innovations: Apps offering features which include identification of banknotes using the mobile phone camera, an emergency number to share the phone’s exact location with others when lost and text-to-speech services to read pieces of text scanned with the camera etc.
For more information on eligibility and to how to apply visit gsma.com/ATInnovationFund.
Deadline for applications is Friday 16th October 2020.
As always, special thanks to our donors the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK), the GSMA Assistive Tech team especially @Clara Jan Aranda and Sophie Pitcher. Written 18 Sept 2020.
