Evangelist at Microsoft told us about the process of putting face recognition and eye control options into Windows 10. He explained that this was technology that previously cost "thousands of pounds": I used to work in that field, and the reason that it cost thousands of pounds was that the cost of sale was thousands of pounds, not the nuts and bolts themselves. We think that technology has huge possibilities in many applications, so we are working with that manufacturer to get that cost down to £150 to get eye control on a computer. We also heard about Natasha, a visually impaired person in full-time employment, who explained that: “when I first got a mobile phone aged 11, I had to get my mum to read my texts". Fifteen years later, Natasha is using a fully accessible touch screen phone. This puts her "on a level playing field" with sighted peers, with access to the "same information and technology, out of the box with no additional hefty price tag" (see also Case study 2, below). AT in this form helps disabled people make phone calls, send emails, access the internet and write documents—all through adaptations to the same technology most people use every day. Robin Christopherson, Head of Digital Inclusion at AbilityNet, a specialist advice and information service for disabled people explained that "ten or fifteen years ago (AT) was the domain of the specialist". Now mainstream technologies designed as a convenience for able bodied people "are the difference between life opportunities or work opportunities" for disabled people. Case study 2: Stacey Stacey is blind. She explained: ‘As someone with no useful vision, I exist through my ears when it comes to accessing the content I need. Whether it’s replying to work emails, booking calendar appointments, sending a Tweet, finding a route, navigating a spreadsheet or booking the next big
Evangelist at Microsoft told us about the process of putting face recognition and eye control options into Windows 10. He explained that this was technology that previously cost "thousands of pounds": I used to work in that field, and the reason that it cost thousands of pounds was that the cost of sale was thousands of pounds, not the nuts and bolts themselves. We think that technology has huge possibilities in many applications, so we are working with that manufacturer to get that cost down to £150 to get eye control on a computer. We also heard about Natasha, a visually impaired person in full-time employment, who explained that: “when I first got a mobile phone aged 11, I had to get my mum to read my texts". Fifteen years later, Natasha is using a fully accessible touch screen phone. This puts her "on a level playing field" with sighted peers, with access to the "same information and technology, out of the box with no additional hefty price tag" (see also Case study 2, below). AT in this form helps disabled people make phone calls, send emails, access the internet and write documents—all through adaptations to the same technology most people use every day. Robin Christopherson, Head of Digital Inclusion at AbilityNet, a specialist advice and information service for disabled people explained that "ten or fifteen years ago (AT) was the domain of the specialist". Now mainstream technologies designed as a convenience for able bodied people "are the difference between life opportunities or work opportunities" for disabled people. Case study 2: Stacey Stacey is blind. She explained: ‘As someone with no useful vision, I exist through my ears when it comes to accessing the content I need. Whether it’s replying to work emails, booking calendar appointments, sending a Tweet, finding a route, navigating a spreadsheet or booking the next big
HC-673-word.docx