EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities Pilot project: Set up of Internet access points and provision

EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs,

in Particular for Persons with Disabilities

Pilot project: Set up of Internet access points and provision of ICT equipment to people with visual/hearing impairments (age related visual/hearing problems) in remote/border areas

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONSRepublic of Bulgaria

EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities

Current situationInternet access for persons with

visual/hearing impairment problems is far from being satisfactory

The situation is even worse in remote/border areas

Living conditions - not always adapted to the specific needs of elderly people



In BulgariaA trend of continuous aging of

the population (by 2020 almost 40% of the EU population will be older than 65).

Many of those people have but limited computer skills and thus they remain digitally excluded



In BulgariaMain policy and strategic documents providing for equal opportunities for people with disabilities: National Concept for Encouraging the Active

Life of Elderly people in Bulgaria for the period 2012-2030 - ICTs determined as one of the main directions of the national lifelong learning policy within the context of active ageing

National Program for Employment and Training of People with Disabilities - prevention of social exclusion



In BulgariaLaw on Professional Education and

Training opportunities for training of adults with special

educational needs

• National Strategy and Action Plan on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities provision of accessible information services and documentation for

disabled people, accessible web-space, appropriate and on-line

accessible content and services, etc.



In BulgariaSeven centres

for adult education, incl. in ITCs; more than 500 unemployed obtained vocational training, incl. in basic computer skills.



At international level in co-operation with the ITU Two joint projects successfully implemented: Two schools in Sofia and Varna for blind children and children

with impaired vision equipped with dedicated hardware and software Specialized hardware and software for blind people provided

and installed, as well as a wireless network connectivity and training in the Home for Elderly People with Visual Impairments in the city of Dobrich. ◦ 50 % of the elderly people in Dobrich acquired basic computer

skills. ◦ High interest shown by the elderly people towards their training in

basic ICT skills The good results obtained of this project encouraged us to

propose this pilot project.



ObjectivesAn environment in the border regions adapted to the needs of adults with impaired vision/hearing

Expected results Access to information and documentation for visually impaired

adults Easier cross-border communication and relations among the

population Economic upswing Higher quality of life Slowdown of the depopulation in the rural/border areas both at

national and regional level Facilitating the deployment of solutions for e-accessibility,

including television/ICT applications for people with disabilities in other regions



Solution - provision of: Specialised software for the web-sites of 2/3

municipalities in border regions for people with impaired vision and/or hearing problems to access on-line information and documents and to communicate

Wireless connectivity (access points) in rural/border areas through the local Post Offices in 2/3 municipalities

Training of disabled people in basic/advanced computer skills, incl. training of trainers of disabled people.



Thank you

Julieta Tencheva [email protected]


Documents

EUR 3 Ensuring Access to Tecommunications/ICTs, in Particular for Persons with Disabilities Pilot project: Set up of Internet access points and provision