Telecoms Sector: Commission advocates Assistive technologies for people with disability

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has called for promotion and  inclusiveness of assistive technologies to help the People Living With Disability, PLWD in the telecommunications sector.

The Executive Vice-Chairman, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, made the call at  virtual workshop  on Developmental Programme on Assistive Technology,  in Abuja.

The event was held to  address unmet needs in the sector.

The programme was tagged: “Assistive Technology in Telecommunications.”

The  NCC Boss explained that to achieve this mandate, ”it would involve paying attention to new media development and in particular on approaches to its availability, accessibility and usability.”

He noted that both accessibility and usability could differ for individuals depending on physical abilities just as it can differ for sectors-specific transactions when searching for assistance.

Professor Danbatta however, said that the underlining design or manufacturing philosophy adopted, was important to meet this wide variety of needs in the original design of telecommunications systems, so that an increasing number of users can benefit from available services.

“For the physically challenged, assistance is not only needed but required to be given. Sometimes also, in national interest assistance is required especially with new media – e.g. in surveillance, immigration, policing, trade and so on. In order to address these unmet needs we turn to Assistive Technology (AT) through universal design in all forms of telecommunications services design”

“Thus, from new technology assessment view point, assignment of Assistive Technology function is an addition and novel regulatory approach towards fulfilling the universal access and service obligation. Besides, AT is in compliance with the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union (1T0) through Study Group-16 which Working Parties (WPs) deal with Multimedia,” he stated.

”Through its different WPs, SG-16 develops capability to handle different information media and control actions which varies within wide boundaries amongst users of telecommunications and multimedia services,” the NCC Boss reiterated.

According to Professor Danbatta, some objectives of the conference are; to ensure co-ordination of telecoms related services or products with the design-for-all and Assistive technology fields and to promote the role of NCC as a focal candidate in the design-tor-all Assistive Technology. Other objectives are to promote local content contributions and expand knowledge acquisition in developing future guidelines and tools by sector players, among others.

He also urged stakeholders to focus on key areas like the current provision of Assistive Technologies in the field of Communications, with a view to the identification of unmet needs.

The Executive Vice-Chairman, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, was represented by the Deputy Director, New Media and Information Security, NCC, Dr Chidi Digwu at the event.

The  Director of New Media and Information Security, NCC, Dr Haru Alhassan, explained that the aim of conference was to provide context awareness on Assistive Technology (AT).

Alhassan, who was represented by Mrs Elizabeth Musa, said that the  AT was assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for physically challenged people, as well as things of national interest like surveillance, policing and so on.

He also said that ”the conference would ensure  the availability of resources targeted effectively to identify areas where NCC could have the greatest potential impact in supporting the future development and application of new AT by way of Design for All (DfA) or Universal Design (UD).”

In his paper presentation titled “Assistive Technology Policy Legislation and Regulations” a Consultant Professor Ken Ife,  urged the NCC to develop appropriate policy framework, strategy and action Plan on access for Persons with Disabilities in the telecoms sector.

He also urged ”the commission to carry out comprehensive needs assessment of the different disability groups and the AT related technologies they would need per sector and understand the issues and barriers surrounding them.”

Also, the President of Nigeria Computer Society ,Professor Adesina Sodiya urged the government to put measures in place to ensure people living with disability are secure especially in using smart devices and the cyper space in the area of data use and data privacy through assistive technologies.

Mercy Chukwudiebere