National Accessibility Portal
The National Accessibility Portal (NAP) is a five-year research & development project aimed at addressing the marginalisation of people with disabilities from the mainstream economy and society. The project was conceptualised and developed by the CSIR in partnership with a representative group of Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs) and the Office on the Status of Disabled Persons (OSDP) in the Presidency.
Approximately 4 million people in South Africa are disabled and access to information, services and the ability to effectively communicate is a key need. Significant technological challenges exist in making services accessible to people with different forms of disabilities in an affordable way. Existing devices and software that allow people with disabilities to interact with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems are prohibitively expensive and have not been designed with South African context in mind. Technical challenges that are being tackled include; research and development in Text-to-Sign-Language, support for South African Languages, development of quality Open Source technologies including Text-To-Speech screen reader and measures to enable DPOs to operate the portal. The Institute will also explore R&D collaboration with South African Universities and Industry as well as partnering with International peers in Europe and the developing world.
NAP will be a one-stop information, services and communications channel that will support everyone involved in the disability field – persons with disabilities, caregivers, the medical profession, and those offering services in this domain. NAP services will be accessible from anywhere in the country including from home as well as specific and specially equipped service centres and access points located in schools, clinics, hospitals, multi-purpose community centres, etc, linking up where possible with existing government, private sector and Disabled Peoples’ Organisations’ structures. Usage by unskilled people will be facilitated by interpreters and helpers trained in ICT and disabilities (expected to include people with disabilities themselves).
The project allows government and society to move away from regarding people with disabilities as dependent on welfare and social handouts. The project aims to enable people with disabilities to play an active role in the economy and allow them to improve the quality of their lives. It is importantly a communication medium that will allow people with disabilities to share experiences with each other as well as find information irrespective of their physical location. This is especially important in cases where they are far from metropolitan centres. Sustainability will be addressed through a diverse set of activities ensuring implementation of organisational and business models that effectively support and promote economic empowerment of people with disabilities.
The system has application beyond South Africa and in particular, in the context of NEPAD and the African Decade of Disabled Persons, throughout the rest of the Continent.
metaLAB's Contribution: Options for Replication and Sustainability
NAP’s ambition is to radically change the 'disability landscape' in South Africa. So, at a high level the question that needs to be answered is, How will NAP spread and 'live on'?
The CSIR team is keen that, in the pursuit of the end goal of sustainability, the first deployment to be as 'real' as possible. One of the implications of this is that CSIR do not want to set any precedents in terms of using CSIR funding for operational sustainability of a NAP deployment or any other non-sustainable interventions
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