Forum demands more help for disabled

Using new technologies to help disabled people obtain information was the focus of the 10th China Information Accessibility Forum at the China Braille Library in Beijing this week.

Experts from disabled-peoples' organizations, government agency officials and entrepreneurs whose companies make assistive devices were invited to give keynote speeches on themes covering smart living, assistive devices and education and promotion of standards.

Speakers on Thursday and Friday shared ideas and insights on accessibility of websites, helping blind people read online verification codes and promoting blind people's use of smart phones with assistive screen reading software.

Lyu Shiming, vice-chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, said he hopes the information and technology sector will investigate the needs of the disabled and provide better services for them.

He encouraged society to push for better accessibility to the world of information for the disabled.

More than 100 representatives from nine countries and regions attended the forum, including Abhimanyu Singh, the UNESCO representative to China, and Grace Chan, vice-president of the Asian Foundation for the Prevention of Blindness.

About a dozen companies which design assistive devices, such as home appliances, navigation gadgets, book scanners and players exhibited their products at the forum site.