The Second National CENTAC Congress of Accessibility Technologies

The National Center for Accessibility Technologies (CENTAC) organized the Second National CENTAC Congress of Accessibility Technologies on 18 October in the Monasterio de laCartuja, Andalusian Center of Contemporary Art in Seville.

The aim of this conference is to provide knowledge and practical experience of successful examples in the ICT market focused on accessibility to address the many aspects of thismultifaceted reality with the participation of consolidated entities, promising organizations and people with real experience in this area.

Its ultimate goal is to promote the development of accessibility technologies at enterprise, industry and services, to improve the lives of people with disabilities, their families and caregivers through new technologies and information technologies.

Some of the entities that participated in the conference are:

1. Code Factory, presented some of their solutions:

• Speak TV: This application allows people who are blind or visually impaired to use all thecommon features of digital television in an accessible manner.
• Mobile Accessibility: is a screen application that enables blind or low vision people using anAndroid phone with an intuitive, easy and simple manner.
• Mobile Speak: screen readers that consist of software applications installed on the mobile phone, allowing you to use the device even if the person cannot read the screen. The information that appears on the screen is represented as voice output.

2. Google, products and services were presented to improve accessibility: Accessibility Engineering:

• Screen Reader, Chrome Vox
• Full Screen Zoom
• Color Correction
• Google applications: Google Docs, Sites, Calendar, Gmail, etc.

All speakers agreed that a product adapted to the disability must be a useful product for everyone, not created exclusively for these people, a product reaches the market and make life easier for us all.

The main challenge is the transition from research to market, so it is very important to have the support of associations, including:

• CEAPAT: Reference Centre for Personal Autonomy and Technical Aids
• COCEMFE: Spanish Confederation of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities
• FIAPAS: Spanish Confederation of Deaf Families
• ONCE

It is very important that the design and development of products takes place taking into account the sector's needs and can respond to their requests with new products that fit their lifestyle. In this area, they propose to carry out surveys, interviews, workshops with the people for whom it is addressed the product. Thus they become part of the product life cycle being able to ensure market acceptance.

The key concepts are:

• Accessibility
• Usability
• Design for all