Microsoft Hosts India's First Accessibility Summit For Tech Access To The Differently-Abled

Gwyn D'Mello
Gwyn D'Mello
Updated on May 30, 2017, 19:24 IST-181 Shares
Accessible technology

Microsoft India today hosted its first-ever Accessibility Summit in India, called ‘#ThinkAccessAbility’ to improve access to technology for people with disabilities. The summit aimed to demonstrate how important it is for organisations to have accessible technology, as well as to spur discussions on the topic of making India more accessible to the differently abled as a whole.

The summit was attended by leaders from the government, non-profit organizations, filmmakers, entrepreneurs and budding tech developers alike, in order to exchange views on the best practices for making technology more inclusive to all.

The conference examined a number of use case, included how assistive technologies can help in treating autism spectrum disorders and special learning disabilities. Another team of three young students from IIT Kharagpur showcased something they call White Cane, a personal assistance device for the visually impaired to help them navigate safely.

The conference also addressed the need for regulations to make technology more accessible as a whole, as well as make hiring practices more inclusive.

“We believe that inclusion of persons with disabilities is imperative for India’s growth,” said Navreet Kang, secretary for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. “It is therefore, critical that we empower them with equal access and opportunity. We look forward to public-private partnerships that can enable better social inclusion and help people with disabilities achieve more.”

Jayesh Ranjan, the IT secretary for the Department of IT, Electronics & Communication in Telangana, said, “Our vision is to ensure that persons with diverse abilities have equal access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communication technologies, and to other facilities and services. The Microsoft Accessibility Summit provides an ideal platform to bring together policymakers and influencers to understand the policy environment and chart a direction for making life, experiences and opportunities accessible to all.