The ubiquity and diversity of electronic devices are the driving reasons why e-accessibility is so vital. Given at the IAU Seminar on higher education for Education and e-accessibility (IAU HEEFA-ICT4IAL) held on 18-19 November 2014, Ankara, Turkey.

1. e-Accessibility
WHY IS E-ACCESSIBILITY IMPORTANT?
1
ANKARA, November 2014

2. NOT LONG AGO
2

3. UBIQUITY
3

4. UBIQUITOUS
4
PERVASIVE
MOBILE

5. Number of mobile users worldwide (2010-2020 in millions)
Statista site
5

6. Ubiquity
 A digital world of information (Hilbert and López, 2011)
 Dematerialization of services
 Flipped classrooms
 Virtual classrooms
 Social media
 Internet of Things (Vision and Challenges for Realising the Internet of
Things, EU 2010)
 Cloud computing (Horizon Report, 2014)
 Tablet computing (Horizon Report, 2014)
6

7. “
”
To me (a quadriplegic) the
Internet occupies the most
important part in my life.
It is my feet; it is my hands - it
gives my life meaning.
DR. ZHANGXU
7

8. DIVERSITY
8

9. Diversity
 Contexts
 Users
 Users of assistive devices represent a continuum of abilities (Cook et al.
2008)
 Tasks
 Devices (and software)
 BYOD (Horizon Report, 2014)
9

10. Situations in which American users typically download apps
Statista site
10

11. Diversity
 Contexts
 Users
 Users of assistive devices represent a continuum of abilities (Cook et al.
2008)
 Tasks
 Devices (and software)
 BYOD (Horizon Report, 2014)
11

12. Devices
 Desktop computers
 Portable computers, netbooks, hybrid computers
 Mobile phones
 Tablets
 E-book readers
 TV sets
 Consoles
12

13. AT Devices
 Screen reader
 Magnifiers
 Braille displays
 Audio captions and transcripts
 Head-sticks
 Special joysticks, trackballs, special and virtual keyboards
 Scanning software
 …
13

14. Number of apps in leading stores – July 2014
Statista site
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15. eACCESSIBILITY
15

16. http://www.gari.info/
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17. http://www.amovil.es/
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18. eAccessibility
 Users?
 Digital outcasts? (Kel Smith, Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology
Forward without Leaving People Behind, 2013)
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19. “
”
When I use the pen, my
thought is on controlling the
pen. When I use my
adapted computer, my
mind flies and I can then
write poetry.
JORGE, PERSON WITH CEREBRAL PALSY
19

20. “
”
e-Accessibility economics
must be understood by
recognizing that it benefits
not only disabled persons,
but society as a whole.
G3ICT - BENEFITS AND COSTS OF E-ACCESSIBILITY
20

21. “
”
The most important blind
visitor to your website is
Google!
JIM BYRNE
21

22. “
”
A person can never be
broken. Our built
environment, our
technologies, are broken
and disabled.
HUGH HERR
22

23. Thank you!
RUI FERNANDES
23
rui@cantic.org.pt