How Mobile Phones Can Improve Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities (Event Resources)

According to the latest "World Report on Disability," published jointly by the UN World Health Organization and the World Bank in 2011, one billion persons around the world live with a disability, of which a large proportion are in developing nations. As human interfaces in finance and commerce are replaced by digital interfaces and new payment systems, ensuring that these systems are accessible and operable by persons with disabilities is critical.

In this seminar, the presenters report on the latest accessibility standards and innovations in mobile technologies and how they may be leveraged to solve accessibility issues from reading banknotes and accessing ATMs, to completing micro-payments and using web-based services. The presentation concludes by reviewing the role of various stakeholders involved in deploying accessible mobile solutions for persons with disabilities. This undertaking represents a significant opportunity given that the number of mobile phones in service will be greater than the world population in 2012 with high rates of adoption among developing nations.