IBM first employed a disabled employee in 1914. Since that time, positive changes have occurred for people with disabilities, including, the involvement of the American government which instituted several laws and standards related to the quality of life for disabled persons.
The movement to use information technology to improve disabled peoples' quality of life may have been underway before American legislation took effect. However, this movement gained momentum in the years following the enactment of that legislation. IBM has been a leading contributor to this movement.
In one of its more recent efforts to promote accessibility worldwide, IBM established its Human Ability & Accessibility Center. Our correspondent conducted a telephone interview with Ms. Frances West, Director of the Center, who was, at that time, on a business trip in Geneva, Switzerland.
Taking the first step in the early 1950s
Despite the six-hour time difference from Beijing in Geneva, Ms. West talked energetically on the phone. She told the correspondent that she was attending an international conference in Geneva jointly sponsored by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict). Ms. West reported that this consortium is attempting, through the key project of the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development, to promote the use of information and communication technology by, and for, disabled persons all around the world.
In fact, IBM has always been one of the practitioners in promoting information and communication services for disabled persons. From the 1950s to the 1970s, IBM developed many products for disabled persons, such as:
- The talking typewriter and Braille printer for visually impaired persons.
- Screen reading software for mainframe computers and, later, for personal computers.
- SpeechViewer, a product that helped deaf people and people with speech impairments learn to speak.
- PhoneCommunicator, a product that turned a personal computer into a teletype machine for people who are deaf.
- A software program designed to help people with cognitive impairments and another to help computer users who had visual impairments.
In the 1980s, the company established the IBM National Support Center for People with Disabilities in a bid to promote these assistive technologies. In addition, IBM set up the Special Needs System Group to develop other hardware and software products.
Moving into the new century
In the early 21st century, IBM started to transform its entire business from targeting end users to focusing on "the enterprise." In the area of accessibility, the company now strives to help businesses and governments provide technologies and solutions for disabled persons. At the same time, IBM contributes to the creation of standards and regulations and attends relevant business groups to proactively promote information and communication services for disabled persons.
"IBM's involvement in the area of accessibility shows corporate social responsibility and offers a great business opportunity and market," said Ms. West. "The current information industry mostly highlights the summit of the human being pyramid, ignoring those living at the bottom. In the past, people regarded services for disabled persons as services for a special group of people, and now it is becoming a social issue. The United Nations even elevated true, accessible information and communication services for disabled persons to the 'human rights' level. Their feeling is that disabled persons are citizens and social participants who deserve their due respect from the society. With the aid of advances in technology, disabled persons can often transcend physical obstacles to improve the quality of their lives, participate in social activities and make contributions to their society," Ms. West went on to say.
As a matter of fact, many large and medium-sized enterprises are following the IBM lead. But as the pioneer in the field, IBM has its own opinion on the specific implementation method. It holds that: "It is necessary for governments, institutions and enterprises to make a concerted effort to implement the program. The G3ict came up with a new concept of 'integration of governments and enterprises,' indicating that only when government effort is involved can the program be promoted vigorously. We are looking forward to more investment from the government in technological innovation, which helps enhance employment possibilities for disabled persons and provide them with helpful guidance and employment support.
As Director of IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center, Ms. West often exchanges her ideas with accessibility promoters from all around the world. In her view, China is a leading contributor in this field. As a proponent of, and participant in, the China Information Accessibility Forum, Frances praised China's involvement with the program. She said, "Having been concerned about promoting information and communication services for disabled persons for many years, the Chinese government has fostered many advanced ideas in the field and takes the lead in the world in standards development and implementation. We see a determined China that has successfully launched four China Information Accessibility forums since last year."
Accessible information and communication technologies
IBM is among the few large technology companies that has invested both capital and effort in the market for accessible information and communication technology. Explaining why IBM has invested a great deal in speech technology that serves disabled persons, Ms West said, "We have devoted a lot of research monies and efforts in audio technology. The applied technologies, such as the technology of adding simultaneous subtitles to speech, are a huge benefit to disabled persons. These same technologies also provide enormous benefits to all people when used in certain situations."
IBM has developed many practical technologies and products, such as ViaVoice speech recognition software. In terms of promoting Internet accessibility and Web-surfing for disabled persons, IBM has also produced a series of software products:
- Home Page Reader, a "talking" Web browser that can help the blind people "read" online information has won many awards.
- Easy Web Browsing can be installed on a Web page to provide a user friendly interface for visually impaired people and seniors. This software also offers several language selections, including Simplified Chinese and Mandarin Chinese.
- WebAdapt2Me technology can provide customized Web page displays intended to help people with visual impairments and people who are experiencing cognitive difficulties. In addition, this software contains features that enable people with issues related to typing to input information more easily.
- aDesigner, a Website development and evaluation tool, can help Web designers produce Web pages that are accessible to disabled persons in accordance with relevant technical standards.
In addition to product development and sales, IBM provides service consultations geared toward helping businesses in specific trades and industries become accessible throughout their enterprises.
It is a recent development that IBM has started to focus on information technology as a means of serving disabled persons in China. IBM set up the China Accessibility Center On June 7, 2005 and immediately launched a program to promote accessible information services for disabled persons in close cooperation with its partners, including the China Disabled Persons' Federation and the China Foundation for Disabled Persons.
The IBM China Accessibility Center and the IBM China Software Development Center employed ViaScribe technology to create an accessible teaching environment for schools. During the 4th China Information Accessibility Forum held in December 2007, IBM donated the latest Web page browsing technology to "Chongqing Loving Care Pavilion Program." And, IBM is proactively providing accessible information services for its Chinese clients and partners to help prepare them for the upcoming Olympics and the Paralympics.
At the end of the interview, Ms. West expressed her view that "both enterprises and governments should, instead of merely helping disabled persons sustain the basic needs of their lives, consider financing the technological innovations which can promote employment possibilities for disabled persons and provide practical support to them so as to give them the opportunity to make contributions to society. The fruits of technological innovation can help enable the disabled to improve their lives and achieve much; this will shine enormous positive influence upon the whole society." She also added, "The fact that disabled persons can access information and communication technologies is regarded by many governments as a very important factor in sustaining societal stability."
In the near term and into the future, IBM will strive to advance technological innovations to better serve disabled persons and to provide them greater employment opportunities in order to contribute to the vision of a world where all people are able to realize their full potential, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.