Beijing, China - June 8, 2005 - IBM and the China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF) signed a partnership agreement at a press conference yesterday reflecting the current campaign by the Chinese government to create a "Harmonized Society through Accessibility" that will assist people with disabilities, and IBM's leadership in this area.
At the press conference, Frances West, director of the IBM Worldwide Accessibility Center, said that the new IBM China Accessibility Center, launched January 1, will work closely with the Chinese government to help promote consistent, open standards for Web accessibility, and explore innovative solutions to improve access to IT for people with disabilities. Accessible IT offers tools that help:
- People who are blind use screen reader applications that read information aloud.
- People who are deaf read captions, embedded in video and audio files.
- People who have low vision, color blindness or are aging to increase text size or change the color contrast of Web pages.
Under the partnership agreement, IBM and CDPF announced plans to:
- Co-sponsor, along with the China Braille Press, a campaign to teach thousands of blind Chinese citizens to use computers. IBM will donate new ThinkPads to assist with the campaign.
- Work toward setting accessibility policies, laws and standards that help people with disabilities in China to participate in the "information society" more fully and productively.
- Co-host the second China Information Accessibility Forum in October, 2005.
West, who was joined at the press conference by government officials, educators and advocates for people with disabilities, said: "IBM's objective is to work with government agencies, advocacy groups and businesses to draw the attention of the entire society to the needs of disabled and aging citizens, and the associated economic opportunities. IBM wants to contribute to the development of a harmonious Chinese society with innovative, accessible information technology and solutions."
The initiatives announced today are part of a Chinese national goal to create a "Harmonious Society" that will empower citizens through science and technology. For China, the adoption of accessible technology is an important step in moving its 60 million citizens with disabilities from "survival to self-achievement" as part of a broader program of education, job training and societal advancement. And the new agreement between IBM and CDPF reflects the IBM strategy to deliver not just innovation, but innovation that matters to the world.
"Enhancing human capacity through accessible technology and solutions," West said, "is innovation that matters as it allows for a more inclusive society, a society where human and societal potential can be optimized."
The IBM China Accessibility Center will work with other divisions of IBM in China to help coordinate the research, development, marketing and sales of accessible technology, products and solutions. The China Accessibility Center joins existing IBM Accessibility Centers located in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.