POSSIBLE

Possible: accessibility by design - why?

Technological advances have progressed at an unprecedented rate throughout the 21st century. As technology advances, it transforms more and more areas, including public transportation, banking and retail, healthcare, higher education, and government-related services. COVID-19 has further accelerated this process, with many people working, studying, and shopping from home.

Despite the advantages of such advances, including environmental benefits and ease of use, they also pose a threat. Approximately 15% of the population is comprised of people with disabilities and 5% is comprised of elderly people with accessibility needs. These two populations constitute 1.2 billion people, who are unable to use digital technology unless they are accessible.

With more and more of the world becoming digital, and according to the 2022 forecasts, all IT spending segments will grow positively, it is vital that ALL people can access the newest technology and services related to technology. Making the newest technologies and technology-based services accessible will enable them to be used. Insufficient action will exacerbate the social and economic disparities facing people with disabilities and the elderly.

Providing accessibility retroactively is incredibly costly, rather than inclusive design. Furthermore, the price tag is both financial and social, and takes many years to fix - we need to shift the paradigm from retroactively fixing acessibility to accessible by design.

Possible! Initiative: what do we do? 

The "Possible! - Accessible Technological Future by Design" initiative aims to address this reality by turning an obstacle into an opportunity: ensuring that people with disabilities will have full access to the new technological era by design. The project will make sure the tech era is accessible and usable for people with disabilities and the elderly, generate new startups and technologies, provide inclusive employment opportunities for people with disabilities, as well as contribute to a reduction in social inequity and generate economic growth. As part of this initiative, businesses and people with disabilities will be benefited in a win - win situation. 

Our initiative will involve working closely with "The Valuable 500" and the global initiatives of the World Economic Forum.

Possible Challenge

• Most technologies are created without taking into account accessibility, and their implementation comes retroactively or does not occur at all, making them inaccessible to people with disabilities. This is a major threat to the ability of people with disabilities to live in this future technological era.  
• Several sectors of our lives, including transportation, health, education, commerce, smart homes, smart cities, government services, and tele/video communication robotics, and XR, are integrating technologies or services based on technologies; however, these technologies are not accessible, and accessibility barriers are not yet identified.
• In each sector we will define the upcoming trend and its relevance to accessibility, while making sure to define a more focused area to analyze. 
• The main challenge here is to identify and define in each sector the upcoming barriers for people with disabilities that can be resolved by technologies and encourage Corporates & Startups to develop relevant accessible technological solutions. 

Possible  Solution

• Awareness - Tech leaders should be made aware that they have a responsibility to make their products and technologies accessible and inclusive by design
• Gap analysis - Mapping and researching accessibility barriers in each sector
• Promotion – advertising and promoting the results of the Gap Analysis (accessibility challenges in need of an accessible technological solution) to relevant technological companies and service providers globally.
• Empowerment - encouraging the development of accessible technological solutions, products and services.

Possible Activity

The process includes four steps: 

1. Accessibility Research Report.
2. Report Publication & Promotion worldwide.
3. Motivating Technology Development.
4. Building awareness to the importance of accessibility by design.

Based on our conversation we are now launching milestone 1# of the process, and we are happy to have you as our partner on this initiative.

Possible sectors

• Transportation - with an emphasis on autonomous vehicles This sector would be our first process.
• Education & Employment - Ed-tech and learning platforms and the future of work
• Aviation - focusing on drones
• Healthcare - Healthcare tech focusing on telemedicine
• Computers - particularly XR (extended reality)
• Robotics - and Autonomous Systems
• Verification - The process of verification and identification

Possible for you?

Click here to Register >>