INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesWithin a generation, technology has radically changed the way most people live their lives.Smartphones and other
devices are an added layer of convenience for many people - but they are making it possible to create innovations which could transform the
everyday experiences of disabled people."The possibilities are immense," according to Robin Spinks, a senior innovation manager at the
charity RNIB.He is focussed on how technology can be deployed to improve the lives of blind people and those with visual impairment.The key
change for many disabled users has been the introduction of alternatives to typing information in to a device."We're moving away from a
society where people assume that screen-based input - through a keyboard or smartphone - is the norm," says Robin
"We're moving very, very quickly towards a world where input via voice - to a smart speaker or a personal assistant on a wearable device or
smartphone, or even a telly - that's the entry point for lots of digital services."Image copyrightGavin NeateImage caption
Gavin Neate used to work as a guide dog trainer
The giants of the technology world have often created the platforms for
innovation, but finding ways for disabled people to use them can be the work of smaller businesses.Edinburgh-based Gavin Neate was inspired
after noticing how blind people were using technology while he was working as a guide dog trainer.One of the first products he developed was
a system which allows disabled people to control a pedestrian crossing from their phone.Gavin eventually established the company Neatebox to
come up with other innovations.More recently, the company has developed an app to allow people to communicate any special needs they have
before they arrive at a business, such as a shop.About 2,000 people have started using the app, called Welcome, most of them in the east of
There are hopes that its use can be expanded to other countries.Image copyrightNeateboxGavin said he developed the app after disabled people
told him how hard it could be to explain their needs."When you walked into a shop, there was no consistency in how well the person in the
shop interacted with the person," he explained.Gavin believes the best use of technology is as much about social interaction as bringing
down practical barriers."A lot of people are living with loneliness or find it hard to communicate, or find it hard for other people to
communicate with them," says Gavin."They feel anxious about doing things that other people might just take for granted."Image caption
The idea for some of the technology is fairly simple in principle, such as allowing disabled people to use pedestrian
crossings
Overcoming that isolation, he says, can benefit businesses as much as the individuals."They get more people
They get to give better assistance
The assistance they give is more efficient."They have more loyalty in the people who come through the door because they want to come through
the door again."Robin Spinks believes we may just be at the start of the process in terms of improving the lives of disabled people through
technological change."You begin to see all sorts of applications coming to fruition
For example, autonomous vehicles utilising 5G to navigate the environment and send out signals to other vehicles and pedestrians
"That really begins to open up huge opportunities for people."Image copyrightRNIBImage caption
Robin Spinks says
technology could transform how disabled people get about, access information and interact with others
But all of this
assumes widespread access to communications infrastructure."Thinking about rural areas, there's almost a tendency to think about technology
as delivering the solutions to all barriers but we need to be mindful of the geography factors
"I'm talking about 5G at a time when there are significant chunks of the UK that don't actually have access to 4G."For Mr Spinks, the key to
making the most of the potential technology offers is building in accessibility from the earliest stages of development."It's absolutely
critical from our viewpoint that people with disabilities are part of the design process for these technologies, part of the evaluation
testing, and that ultimately the product embraces the needs of disabled people at every stage - not in a kind of tick-box style where 'we've
created the product, now lets do some testing with the disabled users'
"We need to move away from that kind of thinking."
