Universal Access

ABSTRACT Human factors and ergonomics applies scientific information about human cognition and behavior to support the design of products and systems that enhance human well-being and performance. Human factors and ergonomics professionals investigate human–system interaction at the individual, group, and organizational levels. The aim is to design products that augment human physical, cognitive, and motivational capabilities and improve the social, technical, and organizational aspects of a system. Human factors and ergonomics has been used to improve safety and productivity particularly in complex sociotechnical systems.

This communication discusses how automatic speech recognition (ASR) can support universal access to communication and learning through the cost-effective production of text synchronised with speech and describes achievements and planned developments of the Liberated Learning Consortium to: support preferred learning and teaching styles; assist those who for cognitive, physical or sensory reasons find notetaking difficult; assist learners to manage and search online digital multimedia resources; provide ...

... Dr.Sarita Singh Bhadauria Department of Elex & CSE MITS Gwalior (MP) India saritamits61@yahoo.co.in Vishnu Sharma, Department of Computer Science Jaypee University of Engineering and Technology, Guna (MP) India Vishnusharma97@gmail.com ...

The collapse of State-centralized management model in Latin America gave rise –during the 90’s- to urban public services ’ management instruments designed under a maximalist market-driven conception. Today, networks ’ dynamics and tariffs ’ systems are at the core of the current debate about these services ’ private management in Argentina. Severe population outbursts claim a complete review of public services management scheme. Novel designs fostered by global companies and multilateral agencies – e.g., out-of-network deliveries or differential qualities for the poor – crystallize socio-spatial fragmentation, operate as territorial versions of “targeted social policies ” and severely undermine urban citizenship. The semantic field constructed by the discourses of various economic and political actors about social tariffs – i.e., about funding instruments for ensuring universal accessibility to urban networks – is a privileged observatory that unveils a complex web of conflictive ra...

This study aimed to develop and test a framework and tool for assessing and developing community participation in Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) in New Zealand. A qualitative study completed in three phases: semi-structured interviews with 42 key stakeholders in the primary care sector; development of and consultation on a draft toolkit, which included a PHO review process; and piloting the toolkit in four different types of PHOs. A toolkit entitled Community Participation: A Resource Kit and Self-Assessment Tool for PHOs (CP Toolkit for PHOs) was developed, which contains a set of resources for organisational self-review and a framework for community participation under the six headings: Organisational Structure, Maori Responsiveness, Governance and Management Processes, Use of Resources, Links to the Wider Community, and Consultation and Decision-Making. The pilot PHO sites found the CP Toolkit, and the review process contained within it, to be very relevant to the implementa...

Budgetary capacity that would allow for the public funding of the provision of universal access to primary education is lacking in many sub-Saharan economies. National revenues significantly lag behind the overall economic productivity measure of GDP. Analysis of data derived from UNESCO and UNDP for 2004 shows that governments in the region spend far less in US dollars per unit cost on primary education than do developed countries. Increasing the unit cost of education in order to enable a government to guarantee universal primary education would take away resources from other tiers of the education system in many countries in the region. The alternative is to universalise access, despite existing budget allocation constraints, and thereby further compound the problems of poor infrastructure and limited human resource capacity that continue to compromise education quality in sub-Saharan Africa. FINANCEMENT PUBLIC ET DÉFIS BUDGÉTAIRES POUR GARANTIR L’ACCÈS GÉNÉRALISÉ À L’ENSEIGNEMENT PRIMMAIRE EN AFRIQUE SUBSAHARIENNE – La capacité budgétaire qui permettrait le financement public de l’accès généralisé à l’enseignement primaire fait défaut dans un grand nombre d’Économies subsahariennes. Les recettes nationales demeurent nettement inférieures au niveau global de la productivité Économique reflétée par le PIB. Une analyse de données sur l’année 2004 provenant de l’UNESCO et du PNUD démontre que les gouvernements de la région dépensent beaucoup moins en dollars US pour le coût unitaire de l’enseignement primaire que les pays industrialisés. L’augmentation du coût unitaire dans l’enseignement, qui permettrait aux gouvernements de généraliser l’enseignement primaire, ne ferait que soustraire des ressources à d’autres niveaux du système Éducatif dans un grand nombre de pays de la région. L’alternative consiste à généraliser l’accès en dépit des contraintes budgétaires, et ainsi à aggraver encore les problèmes dus à une infrastructure insuffisante et à des capacités limitées en ressources humaines, qui continuent à nuire à la qualité de l’enseignement en Afrique subsaharienne. STAATLICHE FINANZIERUNG UND HERAUSFORDERUNGEN FÜR DIE HAUSHALTE BEI DER GEWÄHRLEISTUNG EINES UNIVERSELLEN ZUGANGS ZUR GRUNDBILDUNG IN AFRIKA SÜDLICH DER SAHARA – In vielen Ökonomien Afrikas südlich der Sahara fehlt es an ausreichenden Haushaltsmitteln, um den universellen Zugang zur Grundbildung zu finanzieren. Die Staatseinnahmen bleiben erheblich hinter dem BIP als Maßstab für die gesamtwirtschaftliche Produktivität zurück. Von UNESCO und UNDP abgeleitete Datenanalysen aus dem Jahr 2004 zeigen, dass die Regierungen in dieser Region weit weniger US-Dollar für Grundbildung ausgeben als Industriestaaten. Würde man die Bildungsausgaben pro Einheit erhÖhen, damit eine Regierung universelle Grundbildung gewährleisten kann, so würde man damit in vielen Ländern der Region lediglich anderen Stufen des Bildungssystems Ressourcen entziehen. Die Alternative besteht darin, ungeachtet der vorhandenen Einschränkungen bei der Zuweisung von Haushaltsmitteln den Zugang für alle zu ermÖglichen und damit die Probleme der mangelhaften Infrastruktur und der begrenzten Personalkapazitäten, durch die die Bildungsqualität in Afrika südlich der Sahara noch immer beeinträchtigt wird, weiter zu verschlimmern. EL FINANCIAMIENTO PÚBLICO Y LOS RETOS PRESUPUESTARIOS PARA PROVEER ACCESO UNIVERSAL A LA EDUCACIÓN PRIMARIA EN EL ÁFRICA SUBSAHARIANA – La capacidad presupuestaria que pueda permitir el financiamiento público de un acceso universal a la enseñanza primaria es insuficiente en muchas economías subsaharianas. Los ingresos nacionales se sitúan muy por debajo de los indicador generales de productividad económica en PIB. El análisis de los datos obtenidos de la UNESCO y del PNUD en cuanto a 2004 indican que, en dólares estadounidenses de costo por alumno, los gobiernos de la región gastan mucho menos en educación primaria que los países desarrollados. Pero si se aumentaran los costos por alumno, para permitir que un gobierno garantice la educación primaria universal, estos solamente absorberían recursos de otros segmentos del sistema educativo en muchos países de la región. La alternativa sería universalizar el acceso, pese a las limitaciones de asignación presupuestaria y la consiguiente agudización de los problemas de falta de infraestructura y de recursos humanos que siguen perjudicando la calidad de la educación en el África Subsahariana.

Enthusiasm for the benefits of the information revolution is boundless; it promises to provide economic opportunity, growth and democratic communication. Yet, these promises are fulfilled only to those with access and competence to use these new technologies. Stark international and national contrasts exist between those who have access to the information technologies and those who have not. Despite the increasing attention digital divide issues have received in the public arena, in the academic literature, there is no consensus regarding the appropriate policy to implement. This paper draws on the different policy trajectories recommended by the literature of telecommunications development and uses them as an analytical lens to examine the case of a developing country like Mexico. It explores the underpinnings of the digital divide in Mexico and provides the data that substantiates the concept. The argument in this paper is that the Social Capital concept is useful in the design and implementation of a universal access policy. From this standpoint, the focus of the debate moves beyond short-term supply considerations to dynamic issues such as technological adoption in an asset-based community development.

This guide covers all aspects of pedestrian and bicycle planning. It is intended for policy makers, planners and advocates who want the best current information on ways to make their communities better places for walking and cycling. It provides basic information on various planning and design concepts, and offers extensive references to help implement them. It describes general nonmotorized planning

We present a new mobile text-entry method that relies on alphabet navigation and dismisses memorizing, offering visually impaired individuals an easy writing mechanism. Current mobile text-entry interfaces are not suitable for blind users and special braille devices are too heavy, large and cumbersome to be used in a mobile context. With the enormous growth of mobile communications and applications it

In the last decade the national Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme has focussed on universaling access to elementary education (Grades I–VIII). Most recently the Right to Education Act provides the legislative framework to guarantee schooling to all children between 6 and 14 years of age. It remains the case however that less than half of all children attend and complete secondary school especially in the Northern states. Under the 11th National Plan Rastriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) has been launched to increase the numbers entering secondary school. This paper explores some of the key issues in planning and managing the growth in participation that is envisaged so that 75% or more enjoy the benefits of transition to Grades IX and X. The issues include the constraints on expansion that arise from the restricted output of elementary school graduates, the continued exclusion of the poorest and those from disadvantaged groups from progression to Grade VIII, the costs to households and government of universal secondary schooling as currently structured, the limits to growth of private provision, the massive infrastructure needs, and the problems associated with increasing teacher supply and deployment. Policy dialogue around secondary school expansion is a central concern if India is to close the gap between itself and China and other rapidly developing countries in educating most of its population beyond the elementary level.► Participation in primary education has improved greatly in India in the last decade. ► Less than 50% of all school age children attend secondary schools. ► India is far behind China and other rapidly developing countries in providing access to secondary school. ► The costs to households remain a barrier to increased participation amongst all but the rich. ► The Rastriya Madhyamic Shiksa Abhiyan (RMSA) programme needs to keep costs to households low and encourage more or the poor to transit into secondary schools.

The implementation of e-democracy depends on functional Internet access. At present, only 75 percent of European residents have such access. Do we need a fundamental right to Internet access in order to ensure citizens’ participation? The present study argues that considering the wide scope of state surveillance on the Internet, the fundamental right to Internet access, which can be interpreted as a creation of public service of Internet access, could potentially be dangerous in respect to human rights online. At the same time, universal service of Internet access constitutes a necessary legal base to satisfy the need for a functional Internet access.