Under this title an event was held on February the 11h in New York. The event came as a side event to the UN Commission for Social Development’s 59th Session.
Among the speakers Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf of AIAS Bologna and Secretary General of the Global Alliance of Assistive Technology Organizations (GAATO).
According to him it is true that there are multiple barriers to digital inclusion at all levels, but there is also a lot of good practice that indicates the way. In particular he mentioned the EU funded TRIPS project highlighting the need for user-centred design in transport, the Regional Centre for Assistive Technology in Bologna, as an example of an independent competence and advice centre and the establishment of GAATO as an example of international stakeholder collaboration.
Four the core recommendations of Hoogerwerf:
- Research! We need data on the impact of the digital divide and of digital empowerment
- The sharing of good practice
- Co-production of innovative strategies to bridge the digital divide
- The Development of standards and good practice guidelines for Assistive Technology Provision systems and for the use of technology in Inclusive Education