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Every year on 3 December the world celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities. As an initiative leader in the field of information and communications technologies (ICT) for persons with disabilities and the aged, Hina Patel of the CSIR’s Meraka Institute is passionate about using technology to achieve the aims of inclusion and empowerment.
In 2009, the theme for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is ‘Making the MDGs [Millennium Development Goals] Inclusive: empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world’. This theme has been selected to draw attention to and promote a better understanding of disability issues and mobilise action for the empowerment of persons with disabilities. The commemorative day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every aspect of life.
Around 10% of the world’s population, or 650 million people, live with disabilities. Although South Africa ratified the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, less than 1% of persons with disabilities are gainfully employed or live an independent existence. Patel points out, “People are often unaware of the large number of persons living with disabilities around the world and the challenges they face. This significant number provides us with an opportunity to create impact through technology.”
She also notes, “It is absolutely essential from the onset, to work with persons with disabilities in achieving solutions. As such, the Meraka Institute maintains close ties with the Disabled Persons Organisations, whose mantra is “nothing about us without us”. As a practical demonstration of her commitment, she had included seven persons with different disabilities as fully fledged members of her research team. She is passionate about using ICT R&D to bring about a change in the disability landscape and contribute to the independence of persons living with disabilities.
Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action, while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus, disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.
Under Patel’s leadership, the CSIR’s Meraka Institute has notched up several ICT for inclusion successes. The National Accessibility Portal (NAP) that addresses the information and communication needs of all persons with disabilities in South Africa, has released NAP 3.1 with new media features. This revamped portal includes improved static content localisation of South African Sign Language (SASL). In addition to the deployment in Soweto, NAP centres have now been piloted in Johannesburg and Pretoria for the Deaf. The aim is to develop massification strategies to sustainably deploy NAP centres throughout South Africa. NAP is currently in a commercialisation phase, thus ensuring the impact is sustained for the future.
At individual level, Patel made a cogent case for ICT accessibility on behalf of South Africa. In 2008 she was asked by Petronella Linders, then chief director: gender, disability, youth and children of the Department of Communications (DoC) to represent South Africa on ICT accessibility at the World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly (WTSA'08) of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) held in Kempton Park.
Patel’s portfolio at the Meraka Institute includes senior leadership responsibilities as a competence area manager and strategic research manager. She holds a BSc in computer science and is busy with a Master’s degree in management of technology and innovation.
She demonstrates continued dedication to the effort on ICT R&D for persons with disabilities. Through her leadership and her established team, the CSIR has gained an important capability with regards to e-inclusion and accessibility. This capability is demonstrated through active involvement and thought leadership in initiatives such as Afrinead (African Network on Evidence-to-Action in disability) and effecting international standards through the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) sub-Saharan office, hosted in the Meraka Institute. This has positioned the CSIR as a driver in government for the practical implementation of the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
References and relevant links:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/
http://www.napsa.org.za
http://w3c.org.za
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