Access & Technology/briefly:

Australia: We Will Ride Trams!

On September 13 more than 80 people with disabilities and their allies carried out a peaceful demonstration that stopped Melbourne's Trams for about two hours, severely disrupting the busy downtown lunch break. Even so, the "Catch A Tram" activists reported, the public was quite supportive, many commenting, "Good on you."

According to local reports, one woman who uses a wheelchair managed to get on a tram for the first time in her life and was next carried off, smiling, by a policeman. One tram company joined the protest, circulating leaflets proclaiming, "Access for All," explaining they wanted to make their whole fleet accessible by 2006.

A web release stated that "The people with disabilities protesting received support from thousands of S11 demonstrators who marched to the Tram Blockade in solidarity. Catch A Tram and S11 united on the need for public transport access. For an extended moment, there was a real sense of mutuality and shared purpose that can be built on in the future."

For details, contact Mark Feigan via email arn@netlink.net.au

Access & Technology/briefly:

Americans for the Digital Bridge

A new bill gradually gaining sponsorship in both houses of the U.S. Congress is the Broadband Internet Access Act of 2000. It aims to provide a temporary tax credit to spur deployment of high-speed Internet access or "broadband" to rural and low income areas.

One of the authors, Representative Phil English, stated, " Sweden, Japan and Singapore have already announced their commitment to broadband access." The legislation's authors have limited the credit to the years 2000-2005 to ensure that progress is timely.

Deborah Kaplan, Executive Director of the World Institute on Disability, one of the members of a new coalition known as "Americans for the Digital Bridge," stated that passage of the Broadband Internet Access Act would help to "ensure that all citizens, including those with disabilities, have affordable and equitable access to the enormous benefits of advanced telecommunications services."

Other groups joining the coalition include the National Association of Development Organizations, the American Telemedicine Association and the Alliance for Public Technology. Details: www.americansforthedigitalbridge.com

Access & Technology/briefly:

Canadian Researcher Recognized for Adaptive Technologies

Dr. Charles Laszlo, Chairman of Assistive Listening Device Systems of British Columbia  is the recipient of the 2000 National IWAY award for adaptive technologies. He has been responsible for a portable infrared communication system, an electronic note-taking system for classroom use, a training device to help hearing-aid wearers use the telephone, and most recently, FlightSound, the world's first infrared "airworthiness certified" infrared communication system for in-flight use by hard of hearing travellers. The award is sponsored annually by Newbridge Networks Corporation and awarded by Canada's Advanced Internet Development Organization (CANARIE).

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Access & Technology/briefly:

InterAmerican Development Bank Discusses Accessiblity & Disability

By: Architect Eduardo Alvarez, Accessibility Coordinator Uruguay on Institute on Technical Regulations (aalvarez@adinet.com.uy)

On July 6 and 7, 2000 a roundtable discussion took place on the "Access of Disabled People to Public Transportation, Buildings and the Environment" at the Interamerican Development Bank in Washington, D.C. It was organized by the Financial and Basic Infrastructure Division of the IDB, Region 1.

The program discussed the following subjects:

• The IDB's actions regarding accessibility;
• The problem, its dimensions, and actions taken by the Uruguayan Institute of Technical Regulations (UNIT);
• Alternative solutions, strategic alliances and action taken by Access Exchange International(AEI).
• Roundtable discussion regarding the incorporation of the issue of accessibility into the Bank's projects.

Other subjects discussed:

• Institutional: the organizations which usually participate and their function (municipalities, health ministries, and NGO's). Collaboration between national and foreign institutions.
• Legal: current legal issues, where should these issues be discussed (specific laws, construction specifications, and municipal ordinances).
• Dissemination/Public Education: What sort of actions are taken to promote an idea, obtain assistance, improve the participation of the community, campaigns;
• Cost: What is the cost of the proposed solutions, who would assume the cost; private and public cost.
• Enforcement and application of the rules- refurbishment of public and private buildings.
• Training of Police, municipal and building inspectors, and other relevant personnel;
• Planning: What must be known in order to start in the appropriate manner? Where to start at the urban level, the transportation level and what rules to follow;
• Reasonable short, medium, and long range goals.
• The IDB's function.

Proposals:

Incorporation of accessibility requirements, with an assurance of their application to the projects that will take place through loans from the Interamerican Development Bank. And learning about the projects that have already taken place in IDB headquarters, and via the different representatives in the member countries.

The plan should be implemented in two stages:

1. New Projects: Every new project should abide by the basic requisite of safety and accessibility, making qualitative changes which will not mean essential modifications to the financial responsibility of the lender or the lendee.
2. Gradual adaptation of the urban environment, its buildings, transportation, communications, urban lots, transportation, and accessible tourism.

• Technical support needed in training, quality control, and certification done by a Technical Committee with its secretariat at UNIT - with the sponsorship of the Real Patronato de Espana (the Spanish Royal Patronage) - according to the specific requirements of Iber-America countries.
• To promote informational and training sessions, as well as an environment to exchange ideas and reflect on these issues with technical personnel and decision makers of the IDB, to develop an overall strategy for the project and its implementation.

For more information:
Architect Eduardo Alvarez
Manuta 6662
(11500) Montevideo, Uruguay
tel./fax 5982-6003572
E-mail: aalvarez@adinet.com.uy

Access & Technology/briefly:

Adapted Technology Association in Brazil

Even though there are some academic institutions and corporations in Brazil which are dedicated to developing and creating commercial products designed for disabled persons, such work is isolated, without much guidance and generally, without any support.

At the national level, a proposal was presented recently to establish an association in Brazil for "adapted technology". This is a civil, non-profit entity, which would focus on this area of development through a group of academics and professionals, students of diverse backgrounds related to this area, disabled people, their families, inventors, and other interested parties.

It will also be important to establish an exchange of information on the subject all around the world. This would be one way of reducing the cost of purchase and marketing of these products.

Thus, the First National Symposium on Adapted Technology for the Disabled is being planned to take place in Recife towards the second half of 2001. This event will summarize and disseminate the efforts made up to date by the national industry related to this subject. It will also present a way of consolidating a network which can start working right away.

For more information:
Prof. Antonio Nunes Barbosa Filho
Nucleo de Ergonomia Applicada do Recife -NEAR
Universidade Federal Pernambuco - UFPE
Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235 - Cidade Universitaria
50.670- 901 Recife - Pernambuco
Telefono Personal (81) 9975 27 87
E-mail: profnunes@uol.com.br

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