Context: 

A report was launched by the, Department of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities, Government of India about the level of digital accessibility of the most used apps in India. 

Question: Striving for Digital India without dovetailing it with Accessible India will not lead to an inclusive society.  Discuss in context of the barrier of digital inaccessibility faced by persons with disabilities.

Few facts about disabled people:

• The estimation in Census 2011, that 2.21% of India’s population is disabled is a gross underestimation. 
• According to the World Health Organization, about 16% of the global population is disabled. If that figure is extrapolated to the Indian context, it would mean at least 192 million disabled people. 

About the Report:

• The report used the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (a set of globally recognised parameters to determine how disabled friendly an app or website is) to evaluate these apps.
• The report found that four out of the 10 apps ranked low, while five were in the medium category. 

Digital Inaccessibility:

• Lack of Closed Captioning: People who are deaf or hard of hearing will get no value from an uncaptioned video.
• Low Vision: For some people with visual disabilities, the standard size of letters on the screen are usually too small for them to read. Some people cannot distinguish specific colors from others.
• Small buttons or click boxes can be difficult for people with mobility issues to target with the mouse.
• Captchas: Captchas can cause major accessibility issues for people with disabilities.  Sometimes they cannot be seen by the user, sometimes the sound recording cannot be heard. They can completely block access to your content for people using assistive technology.
• Mobility Disabilities: Mobility disabilities can affect both fine and gross motor control. 
  • For example, Standard height computer tables may be too low for some wheelchair users or a  standard keyboard or mouse may be inoperable for someone who does not have use of their arms and/or hands.
• Input: Most individuals who are blind use standard keyboards, however, braille input devices are available. Braille key labels can assist with keyboard use.

Way Forward 

• There is a need to start discussions on digital accessibility, product design and the development process.
• AI as a tool for automatic accessibility testing and analysing feedback: AI can help to further automate the accessibility testing process, and feedback from users with disabilities can now be analyzed at scale to provide actionable insights to developers and companies.
• Developing tools to improve accessibility: Tools should be developed with the aim of making the digital experience more accessible to persons with disabilities. 
  • For example, a new search engine to help those with disabilities find websites that are accessible to them.
• Nudging social media companies to experiment with AI: Social media companies can be nudged to experiment with artificial intelligence to help the visually impaired use their platforms, and also to expand their screen-reading software and mobile apps.
• Potential of Technology: While technology has enormous potential to level the playing field for the disabled, it can, at the same time, reinforce the barriers that the disabled otherwise face if it is not designed with their needs in mind.

News Source: The Hindu