Access For All

As part of the 2012 International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, the “Workshop on developing intelligent user interfaces for e-accessibility” is organised on 14 February 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal. The workshop will explore the applicability of different modalities of interaction (speech, gesture, haptic interface etc.) and investigate ways to develop intelligent adaptation systems that meet accessibility criteria and can personalize interfaces according to the range of abilities of the user. A particular focus will be given on interoperability though the adherence to standards for accessibility such as WAI-ARIA and ISO standards.
Deadline for the submission of papers – 30th November 2011.

On 19-20 April 2012, Copenhagen (Denmark) will host the “IT Innovation Camp on social media and ICT for people with disabilities”. The aim is to share knowledge, develop ideas and transform early-stage concepts into prototypes in under 48 hours.
The camp will bring together IT companies, developers, researchers, designers, practitioners and students.
The camp is an initiative by Socialt Udviklingscenter SUS in Denmark.

In June 2011, Vodafone Foundation, together with AGE Platform Europe and the European Disability Forum, launched a unique initiative challenging developers to design mobile applications to improve the lives of ageing people and people with disabilities. Four winning applications will be selected and announced at the Awards Night on 5 December 2011, 17.30hrs, Arsenal at the Chaussée de Wavre 950, 1040 – Bruxelles.

Keynotes speeches will be given by:
Vittorio Colao, CEO, Vodafone Group
Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General, AGE Platform Europe
Rodolfo Cattani, Secretary & Chair of the ICT Expert Group, European Disability Forum

The event will be followed by a reception & buffet dinner

RSVP by 29 November smartawards2011@vodafone.com.

The event will be held in English with translation into sign language.

The workshop on e-Accessibility and e-Inclusion is organised at ACM IUI 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal on 14th February 2012.

This workshop will explore the applicability of different modalities of interaction (like speech, gesture, haptic interface, and so on) and investigate ways to develop intelligent adaptation systems that meet accessibility criteria and can personalize interfaces according to the range of abilities of the user. A particular focus will be given on interoperability though the adherence to standards for Accessibility such as WAI-ARIA and ISO standards.
The call for papers is now open.
More detail and a tentative program can be found here.

The European Commission has established the e-Inclusion Awards to raise awareness, encourage participation and recognise excellence and good practice in using ICT and digital technology to tackle social and digital exclusion across Europe. The scheme ran for the first time in 2008. The 2012 eInclusion awards will underline the work done by intermediaries and encourage the dissemination of good training practices in the special award category “we are the champions”. The other award category is “I am digitally driven” and will highlight the impact of digital skills on life prospects, with special focus on employability, re-skilling, visible improvement in socio economic situation of groups at risk of exclusion). Method of participation to the call will be submission of audiovisual material. Key criteria for selection will be: 1) demonstrated positive impact of the initiatives presented on individuals’ employability and wellbeing; 2) creativity and quality of the material submitted in support of the entry. The story told should inspire and encourage other organisations and individuals to take part in e-inclusion initiatives.
More information.

EDF has developed a Telecoms Package Toolkit to support the efforts to bring a real change for persons with disabilities to equally access e-communications. This Toolkit lists the provisions related to e-accessibility for persons with disabilities in the EU Regulatory Framework for Electronic Communications Networks and Services (the Telecoms Package) and gives insights on how they could be understood to enable a full and common understanding throughout the EU. This toolkit is primarily targeted at EDF member organizations to enhance their capacity in following up on the transposition into national legislation and the implementation of the Telecoms Package; but, it could also be useful to anyone who wishes to better understand the disability-related provisions in the Telecoms Package. The toolkit is available on alternative format upon demand.
Download the toolkit