Heard of a process that allows the human head to work like a mouse to control a computer? Mobile phone apps that can identify the colour of an object by taking pictures of it? An application that reads out the content of the text that you see on your mobile phone screen?

These technologies may be of little or no interest to many of us, but there are millions of people who need them in their everyday lives. For them, techies and businessmen who invent and customise these products and processes are like demigods. For these products supplement or complement the abilities that some human beings either didn't possess or lost at some point in life.

Assistive technologies for the disabled have got a huge boost with the arrival of digital technology. Over the past few years, hardware-based or software-based information and communication technologies (ICT) have brought in a huge transformation for the disabled, making their lives near normal by allowing them to perform routine activities in easier, effortless ways.

And they are not limited to only essential tasks such as performing a financial transaction; they encompass a much wider gamut of routine as well as non-routine activities such as leisure (reading a book or watching television) to academic (learning a new skill) or various areas of interests (gaming). These technologies contribute immensely to the integration of the specially-abled with the mainstream society as well as the modern digital world.

There is a wide array of devices, including computer access aids, environmental controls, or sensory aids such as text-to-speech software or hearing-related technology.

It could be a switch that converts the keys of a computer keyboard into button clicks for people who can’t control their movement or have just a finger; or a sip-puff device that can help people with limited or no motor capability to operate switch-activated devices, including computers and wheel-chairs.

There are numerous software devices that augment communication devices; there are adapted toys, there are environmental control systems and there are scan controls that can help the visually challenged move around freely.

In terms of business, too, these technologies provide huge opportunities. Not really a wonder that there is a whole batch of domestic as well as global players trying to address this market in the country. According to a McKinsey report, Indian families spend about Rs 72,000 crore per annum to take care of their disabled relatives. And yet, less than 1 per cent of India's 80 million people with some disability have access to technology.

Even in other developing countries, roughly 5 to 15 per cent of people who require assistive devices and technologies have access to them. Production is low and often of limited quality. There is a scarcity of personnel trained to manage the provision of such devices and technologies, especially at local levels. In places where access might be possible, the costs are prohibitive.

“The biggest boon that technology has brought worldwide is in the lives of people with severe disabilities,” said Javed Abidi, world chair of Disabled Peoples International. “But disabled people are being left behind by technology and not so much taken ahead by it; because the pace at which change is happening is rapid.”

Abidi said the vast and exciting work of augmentative and alternative communication is not just unchartered in India, but is mostly relegated to labs with no plans for scaling up or going for mass production. “Whatever little is available is so expensive that it’s beyond the means of an average family,” he said.

Bill Gates’ Microsoft Corporation talks of a vision to create innovative technology that is accessible to everyone and that adapts to each person’s needs and eliminate barriers for people with disabilities and enables individuals to take full advantage of their capabilities.

Kinect, a motion sensing input device created by Microsoft for Xbox 360 video game console and Windows PCs, is now used widely by rehabilitation therapists for stroke and brain injury patients.

“We need technologies such as Kinect to interpret the person, the human being and their actions,” said Rob Sinclair, chief accessibility officer of Microsoft at Techshare 2012, an event on assistive technologies that kicked off in New Delhi on Monday.

“Computer accessibility has the potential to revolutionise the world. One in four people have hearing problem, one in seven people have some kind of cognitive disability. One billion people across the world need adaptation and inclusion. Print is a barrier for people who cannot read,” he said.

Sinclair says the need is to create an open source of software so that everyone can contribute to the solution. Microsoft envisages a pyramid of 25 years investment that will result in accessible technologies. “We need quality of applications not quantity. More and more inclusive innovations need to happen now,” he said.

Apple claims to be the first Silicon Valley firm to create the industry’s first disability solutions group in 1985, and being on the forefront of making computer technology that meets the special needs of children and adults with disabilities around the globe.

It says assistive technology is part of its products as standard features — at no additional cost. For example, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and OS X include screen magnification and VoiceOver, a screen-access technology for the blind and visually impaired. To assist those with cognitive and learning disabilities, every Mac includes an alternative, simplified user interface that rewards exploration and learning. And, for those who find it difficult to use a mouse, every Mac computer includes Mouse Keys, Slow Keys, and Sticky Keys, which adapt the computer to the user’s needs and capabilities.

Barcelona-based Code Factory has developed an application that allows the blind and visually impaired to use Android in an intuitive, easy and simple way.

UK-based Dolphin Computer Access has a Supernova Access Suite that can help the visually impaired gain full screen reader offering magnification, speech and Braille support, giving the visually impaired the freedom to access Windows in the way that suits them best.

“We have customised it to provide access to Indian English accent voice and Hindi support,” said Dave Williams, head of Marketing Communications of Dolphin Computer Access.

Domestic player CDAC has developed a product called GEM or GEstures with Mouse that uses gestures as inputs for a computer system. “It is intended for people suffering with different kinds of motor disabilities, who may not be able to use mouse or keyboard as normal people do. It provides them with an alternate and effective mechanism for using computer to perform various tasks such as navigation, executing commands and keyboard shortcuts, and launching applications,” said Sagun Baijal, senior technical officer of CDAC, Mumbai.

ICT support aside, to make life easier for the physically challenged, advances have been made in mechanics and engineering aspects as well. Be it a rotating car seat that makes for easy entry or exit or hand-operated clutch brake-accelerator that could be used both in vehicles for the limb disabled or in accessible vehicles for wheelchair patients, techies are constantly on the job to assist their less fortunate peers live life to the fullest.

Industry leaders say accessibility to these technologies is an issue. And once you have the market, products are bound to get cheaper and more readily available as those in business would be enticed to go for mass production.

“Some of the technological tools created by companies to aid accessibility are expensive, while some are not so. The real issue here is whether these products can be made available through resource centres to people with disabilities," said Shilpi Kapoor, founder of BarrierBreak Technologies, which claims to be India’s first web accessibility development and testing house.

bijoysankar@mydigitalfc.com