Assistive Technology for sustainable societies
(PART II)
Assistive Technology coming of age
The corporate world has been gradually focusing on a few of these assistive technology categories to create enabling environments for employees with disabilities or to empower consumers with disabilities. Particularly focusing on assistive technologies that facilitate communication, accessibility of websites and public information services is perhaps among the most frequent solutions.
A new assistive technology is becoming more relevant to enable deaf or hearing impaired persons. Pedius offers an assistive technology that allows both work inclusion and daily communication options for deaf and hard of hearing customers. The maturity of corporate applications of assistive technologies is also demonstrated by the growing number of international trade fairs and events focused on assistive technologies and services.
For instance, Reatech, organized every two years by Cipa Fiera Milano, is the International Trade Fair on Rehabilitation, Inclusion and Accessibility and Technologies and is considered the industry’s main trade show in Latin America. The next edition will take place in 2021 again in Brazil, a country with more than 10 million deaf and hard of hearing citizens.
A new assistive technology is becoming more relevant to enable deaf or hearing impaired persons. Pedius offers an assistive technology that allows both work inclusion and daily communication options for deaf and hard of hearing customers. The maturity of corporate applications of assistive technologies is also demonstrated by the growing number of international trade fairs and events focused on assistive technologies and services.
For instance, Reatech, organized every two years by Cipa Fiera Milano, is the International Trade Fair on Rehabilitation, Inclusion and Accessibility and Technologies and is considered the industry’s main trade show in Latin America. The next edition will take place in 2021 again in Brazil, a country with more than 10 million deaf and hard of hearing citizens.
The World Deaf Tech
A very important and completely accessible event is World Deaf Tech, born in 2016 after four deaf computer scientists met: Alfonso, from Mexico; Joaquim, from Brazil; Gabriele, from Italy; and José, from Spain. The main objectives mainly focus on the elimination of discrimination, communication barriers, maximizing accessibility, especially in the workplace to facilitate relationships between Deaf and hearing colleagues. With this mission at its core, every two years a Congress is organized that aims to make access to technology a reality for all, emphasizing the importance of assistive and inclusive technology as a tool to improve the quality of life. The next Congress in 2020, after the first in Mexico (2016) and Italy (2018), will be held in Brazil.
From the latest announcement about Apple’s new iPhone emoticons featuring assistive technologies to the recent unveiling of the plans to host the 3rd World Summit On Accessible Tourism in Miami 2021, assistive technologies are penetrating everyday life and making their way into all sectors of activity. They hold the key to unlocking more active participation of people with disabilities in global development.
You can read the first part of this article here.
Elsa Lourenço
Mother of two, passioned about arts, and a PJ lover. She is experienced in PR & Communications with multicultural work experiences. She's a proud ambassador of GenX inside Pedius since 2017, where she is responsible for growing business in Brazil.