1. Using ICT and Social Media to Empower
Persons with Disabilities
Nera Monir Divan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
ICTs, inclusive governance and conflict prevention CoP
Istanbul, May 2013
United Nations Development Programme

2. Electronic South Eastern Europe Initiative
Albania
Bosnia &
Herzegovina
Croatia
Macedonia
Moldova
Montenegro
Romania
Serbia
Kosovo*
Chairperson of eSEE Initiative
Croatia
e-SEE Initiative Secretariat
Supported by UNDP CO Bosnia and Herzegovina
Supporting Countries and Organizations
UNDP, EC, Governments of Italy, Slovenia, Estonia

3. e-Accessibility in SEE
•Low implementation level of Area C of e-SEE Agenda:
Inclusive Information Society
•Inclusion EU Access demands
•UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Chapters
4, 9, 21, 24, 32)

4. e-Accessibility in SEE (cont.)
•Workshops for 400+, consultations with 240 key institutions in 9
countries
•Regional ownership: 40 local experts consulted, 240 verified

5. Empowering the Marginalised
•SEE: Lack of e-Accessibility Strat. Framework & Legislation
•Ministerial Declaration: e-Accessibility Action Plans
•Technology is there: W3C
•The main thing missing is the will to commit to this!
•Early action in e-services will yield best results

6. Empowering the Marginalised (cont.)
•Mapping of e-Accessibility actions, good practices, situation
overview
•Set of Policy Proposals and Recommendations vis-a-vis UNCRPD
and EU access.
•Gender Equality an integral part of the process
•Unexplored potential of ICT and Assistive Technologies

7. One-stop-shop for PwD- database of
assistive technologies http://dat-see.com/
• Regional AT Database
• Aid Directory
• Institutions in charge
• Legislation in one spot
• UN Convention: Article 4,
9, 21

8. First educational software in BHS
http://eseeinitiative.org/lefca/
Text • Developed for and tested in
classrooms
• Based on “LEARNING FRAMES”
• Successful in teaching children
with AUTISM, other
developmental delays
• UN Convention: Article 4, 7, 9

9. e-Participation portal for persons with
disabilities www.visemogucnosti.info
• Report Discrimination
• Give Suggestion
• Find out more: UNCRPD
• Digital Stories
• UN Conv.: Article 4, 9, 21

10. Infoservis: First Regional Web Portal for the
visually impaired http://www.infoservis.ba/
• Initiative of a visually impaired
citizen
• 100.000 hits, 5000 articles
• Fully W3C Compliant
• Special Feature: School of
Journalism
• UN Convention: Article 9, 21

11. Accessible Web-pages of the BiH Council of
Ministers http://www.infoservis.ba
• UNDP provided technical
assistance and testing
• Fully W3C Compliant
• Content of web-pages of all
state level government
institutions available to visually
impaired and elderly
• Testing conducted by visually
impaired persons

12. Path Ahead
Assistive Technologies Incubator?
- Consumption vs Production of technologies
- Highest number of engineers + innovators
- Economic sense: unified regional market