IBM India announces the launch of the first ever Human Ability and Accessibility Centre in the country that aims to make technology and information easily accessible to people with visual, cognitive, hearing, and motor disabilities in India. These accessible technologies can unleash the value of the untapped talent pool of differently-abled people and contribute enormously to raising individuals’ overall quality of life.

Located at India Research Lab in New Delhi, IBM India Human Ability and Accessibility Centre would cater to the diverse requirement of accessibility stakeholders in India including, government bodies, corporates, academic institutions, researchers and NGOs:

· Provide technology for empowering differently-abled people: including people facing educational and economic challenges.

· Provide technologies to other companies working on solving the industry-wide problem of making educational media and information accessible to a greater number of people.

· Collaborate with key government bodies on accessibility related policy and standards in India.

Speaking at the press conference, Shanker Annaswamy, Managing Director, IBM India & South Asia said, “India faces a growing need for inclusive development that fundamentally depends on addressing social, economic and physical disadvantages and create opportunities for every individual to realize the potential of their abilities. Globally and in India, IBM champions accessibility needs by bringing technologies and innovations that empower the differently-abled and socially disadvantaged through initiatives such as the Human Ability and Accessibility Centre”.

Recognized as the best employer for people with disabilities (PwDs) by National Trust (Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in India) and winner of NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award for an equal opportunity employer for PwDs, IBM is committed to IT accessibility for PwDs for over 90 years. Through the use of some innovative solutions developed by IBM research like Easy Web Browsing (for the visually impaired), WebAdopt2Me (for people with cognitive impairments or low vision), IBM aDesigner (disability simulator), Hindi Speech recognition, English assessment tool called Sensei etc, this advanced virtual Centre will enable human capability so that everyone can maximize their potential, regardless of ability or disability.

According to Frances West, Director - IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Centre, IBM Corporation , “At IBM, our values shape our actions. One of our values is creating innovation that matters for our company and our world. Just as we do for business customers, we’re committed to bringing the best technologies forward to address critical societal issues. IBM has supported technology and information needs to accelerate

accessibility for over 90 years through our research & development, offerings and social outreach programs.”

Accessibility means enabling IT hardware, software and services to be used by more people, either directly or in combination with assistive technology products. Technologies such as speech recognition, wireless communications and text-to-speech synthesis improve the ability to access IT for those who have disabilities and are also increasingly in demand by today’s society seeking convenience and ease of use.

An industry leader in accessibility, IBM creates a culture where people with disabilities are valued and productive. We hired our first disabled employee in 1914 – about 76 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ever since, IBM’s pioneering work in accessible technology has created significant new opportunities for individuals as well as businesses. Through its consulting services, IBM evaluates and understands clients’ key business initiatives and helps them incorporate accessibility into their solutions.