ICTs for persons with disabilities
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This article is a part of the essay series: “The Freedom to Know: International Day for Universal Access to Information 2024”
According to the World Bank, there are approximately 40-90 million people with disabilities (PWDs) in India that make up roughly 4 and 8 percent of our population. A truly inclusive society necessitates independence and self-reliance in day-to-day life.
PWDs have historically been relatively disadvantaged in terms of being able to access and leverage Information and Communication Tech (ICTs). For visually or deaf-mute persons, for example, the ability to access crucial information and resources is crucial. India has consistently supported the global agenda on ensuring the rights of PWD and continues to make strides in this regard.
PWDs have historically been relatively disadvantaged in terms of being able to access and leverage Information and Communication Tech (ICTs).
As a champion of the rights of PWDs, we have come a long way. And yet, more can be done.
Enabling programmes, policies and goals
India has had a long history of proactively engaging with the issue of disability. It was one of the first signatories of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007. This was the principal international instrument that set concrete global agendas and directed efforts to comprehensively address the issue. Article 9 laid down the ideal of accessibility including access to information, information and communication technologies, including the internet. India has continued to endorse similar international conventions and agreements such as the Biwako framework, an internationally agreed upon set of guidelines that stipulated access to information and communication via assistive technologies and the Incheon Strategy, a set of regionally agreed-upon development goals within the Asia-Pacific region for promoting and protecting the rights of the PWDs via the use of new technologies. Its 3rd goal is of particular importance as it envisages “enhanced access to knowledge, information and communication” to “make the right, real.”
Such commitments are proactively supported by domestic initiatives like the Accessible India Campaign, a farsighted initiative to set up standards of accessibility and identify components for its application. All these efforts culminated in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWDA), where for the first time accessibility acquired the status of a right and not just a welfare principle. Other major multilateral engagements have included the New Delhi declaration on inclusive ICTs for persons with disabilities and the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018. This seeks to make India a digitally empowered economy and society, by means of creating accessible and affordable digital communications infrastructure, for which the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) may be judiciously applied.
The National Disaster Management Guidelines on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, 2019 by the National Disaster Management Authority of India builds on Article 11 of the UN CPRD, and Section 8(2) of the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016.
Other niche areas where India’s policy reach has extended are the PWD-specific national disaster mitigation rules. The National Disaster Management Guidelines on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction, 2019 by the National Disaster Management Authority of India builds on Article 11 of the UN CPRD, and Section 8(2) of the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016. These guidelines lay down a comprehensive framework to extend equitable protection to PWDs in times of disaster keeping in mind their unique and additional vulnerability in such circumstances. Moreover, it envisages ICT measures for warning and communicating with people affected with communication difficulties.
The accessibility standards for persons with disabilities in television programmes by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is another niche area of India’s policy reach in its ICT-empowered PWD accessibility agenda. This lays down standards, programme access specifications for service providers, grounds of exception, and the role of government, etc.
Addressing challenges
PWDs often experience intersecting disadvantages. Furthermore, access and affordability are the twin difficulties that they face in their access to ICTs. End-user equipment that equitably harnesses ICT solutions to redress daily difficulties is the need of the hour. India has come far with many such schemes in place for facilitating such access, nonetheless last-mile delivery is lacking.
Other than physical access, an extensively available user-friendly interface familiar with the varied nuances of disability and competent in streaming real-time, internet, TV and other IT content and services at par with others is the next big step in ensuring comprehensive access. India has enacted many policy initiatives that instruct the implementation of technologies like a screen reader, colour contrast, font size control, closed captioning, and subtitling, closed captioning and encourages sub-titles or sign language wherever feasible in TV programmes.TV and set-top boxes are required to provide uncomplicated and effortless options to access them. Major controls meant to access these features should be promptly distinguishable. The captioning should be accurate, complete, synchronised, devoid of any error and distinctly visible from the rest of the visual content.
India has enacted many policy initiatives that instruct the implementation of technologies like a screen reader, colour contrast, font size control, closed captioning, and subtitling, closed captioning and encourages sub-titles or sign language wherever feasible in TV programmes.
Standard setting of sign language interpretation of TV content is also on the agenda. Moreover, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Digital India programme—Content Management Framework project, India has undertaken the farsighted enterprise of making its public websites compliant with its web content accessibility guidelines. Building on these terrific achievements, we may continue to improve. Universal conformity of the Indian IT ecosystem to these policies and initiatives is the next logical step.
Newer horizons
- Accessible equipment and interfaces: Universal design principles could also be incorporated into accessibility inventions to redress the cost and ease of access issue. Furthermore, subsidizing internet access and existing assistive technologies like adaptive braille keyboards, AI-powered smart canes, live-listen, etc. could be a helpful step. We may also formulate a uniform code of standardisation and accessibility compliance rules regulating compliance of all equipment and ICT services available in the country.
- Private sector participation: The private sector efforts to develop ICTs must be undertaken in close collaboration with PWDs themselves. It may further ensure the incorporation of viewpoints of PWDs into the design of ICT products and services. Customisation and fine-tuning of ICT products and services, economic sufficiency through employment generation, generating increasing awareness among the general public, and breaking barriers by consciously building more inclusive workplaces; the role and impact of the private sector are unquantifiable.
Debajyoti Chakravarty is a Research Assistant at the Observer Research Foundation
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