Ministry Of Information Technology And Telecommunication (MoIT) Opens New Horizon To Help People With Disabilities

Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) is committed to bring change in the life of disabled persons in the country by bringing digital awareness through mobile applications.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Apr, 2018 ) :Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) is committed to bring change in the life of disabled persons in the country by bringing digital awareness through mobile applications.

A new initiative by Ministry of IT and the private sector aims to change the plight of special people through apps and startups. According to details, the MoIT is funding different programmes in this regard under which private-sector organisations are gearing up to develop specific apps for the target market.

The MoIT has allocated Rs124 million for training and investment in start-ups under Ignite, formerly known as the National ICT R&D Fund to promote start-ups. One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of physical or mental impairment with its prevalence being higher in developing countries.

One-fifth of the estimated global total, or between 110 million and 190 million people, experience significant disabilities, according to the World Bank. People with impairments, on average and as a group, are more likely to experience adverse socio-economic outcomes than people without such impairments.

These may include less education, poorer health outcome, lower levels of employment and higher poverty rates. In 2016, five apps had received the PTA Mobile App Award.

One of them was Smart Devices which helps people with impairments to switch on/off electrical appliances such as fans, lights.

Tell Me is another Android-based voice application that helps people with visual impairment to get to know about their surroundings. Roll Out is another app present on Google Play Store which provides information about all the restaurants and hotels that facilitate physically-challenged individuals.

Last but not the least is Accurate Position Marking mobile application which assists people going through rehabilitation after injuries including head and shoulder injuries. Application developer WonderTree is trying to address the special education issue and rehabilitate special children in Pakistan through its project Augmented Reality Learning System (ARLS).

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can make significant improvements in the lives of people who are physically or mentally challenged. The start-ups have the potential to enable these people to enhance their social, cultural, political and economic integration into communities by enlarging the scope of activities available to them.

"We employ innovation to help fellow citizens, challenged by impairments, to lead engaged and fulfilling lives," commented national technology fund Ignite CEO Yusuf Hussain.