Enabling the Disabled Enables Us All

During a recent conversation with Anna Bradley, CEO of Criterion 508 Solutions, she reminded me of how many devices and technologies were initially aimed at enabling people with disabilities, but whose utility later made them popular with the general public as well.  I had one of those light bulb moments where “Enabling the disabled enables us all©” popped into my head. With quotes and copyright!

Kitchen Faucets and Closed Captioning

For an example of a common item that works for the disabled but is often preferred by the non-disabled as well, we need look no further than our kitchen sink. The convenience of single handled, easy-swivel  kitchen faucets are popular with everyone, not just those with disabling arthritis of the hands. Similarly, closed captions were developed for the hearing impaired or deaf, but I often use them for films when an English accent gets a bit thick for my Midwestern ears.

The Language Disabled

That brings me to what I call the “language disabled”. The definition of disabled is not hard-edged in my mind. Certainly, those who are blind or deaf or physically challenged in some way are generally thought of as disabled. Their disability may create roadblocks that hinder or impede communication with others. So what about all those millions (billions?) of people who can’t communicate with others simply because they speak a different language? Surely they are disabled in that situation.

The Future of Star Trek is Here Today

Fortunately, Star Trek’s “universal translator” enabling two users speaking different languages to converse in real-time seems closer to reality than ever. Google’s Translate now supports more than 30 languages and recently added text to speech capabilities. Microsoft is now demonstrating live language translation using a program that combines speech recognition software, machine translation, and text-to-speech technology. Meanwhile the Jibbigo voice-to-voice translator app for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch supports Spanish-English, Japanese-English, Chinese-English, and Iraqi-English real-time translation. “You talk in one language, it talks back in the other. Simple as that,” according to the company.

One can imagine this type of technology being applied to all sorts of travel situations. Enabling the “disabled” English-only speaker to converse with her new French speaking friend for example. The implications for the classroom and learning are equally interesting. Better communication between foreign exchange students and their classmates or teachers could be facilitated—though immersion language learning could suffer.

Assistive Technology in e-Learning

Could these technologies be applied to e-Learning? Along with the growth in e-Learning has come a growing need for tools and technologies that enable the disabled to fully participate. Voice activated controls that don’t require physical movement of a mouse, closed captions for video with sound, audio versions of text, and text versions of audio are all needed to make the learning experience available to the disabled. But those learners who are not generally thought of as disabled will also appreciate the richer, more engaging learning experience these assistive accessibility technologies provide. Proving once again that enabling the disabled enables us all.