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Funding announced for winner of the Alternate Format Business Technology Challenge

Funding announced for winner of the Alternate Format Business Technology Challenge

GATINEAU, QC, Dec. 3, 2021 /CNW/ – Employment and Social Growth Canada

The Government of Canada carries on to get motion to eliminate barriers to accessibility and inclusion. That is why Employment and Social Enhancement Canada partnered with Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) to create the Alternate Structure Small business Technology Obstacle, to persuade little companies to innovate, and assist maximize obtain to physical and electronic alternate structure components for Canadians with print disabilities.

Currently, on Global Day of People with Disabilities (IDPD) 2021, the Minister of Employment Workforce Advancement and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough introduced that Mr. Tim Rees is the little small business winner of Section A single of the Alternate Structure Company Technology Obstacle. Mr. Rees, who identifies as a particular person with a incapacity, will acquire funding of up to $150,000 to produce his modern strategy for an assistive voice-application that would incorporate new software package and the use of good speakers. The application would give publishers the means to add their creative performs to audio structure quickly. It would then allow the conclude consumer to have books, publications or other resources browse aloud via the smart speaker, and to navigate the paperwork working with voice commands.

Technologies has modernized and simplified the means in which we are ready to hook up with a single an additional. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also played a large position in breaking down limitations, especially for persons with disabilities. Technological know-how innovators have been key players in incapacity inclusion through digitalization, by making equipment that enable individuals with disabilities to have better access to resources, making better prospects for complete participation, which would have in any other case not been available.

In keeping with the topic of IDPD 2021, “Leadership and participation of folks with disabilities toward an inclusive, available and sustainable put up-COVID-19 planet”, the Govt of Canada is investing to ensure that folks with print disabilities in Canada have equivalent prospects to take part in society and recognize their whole prospective.

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“When all people has an equal opportunity to take part in modern society from the start off, we all realize success and leave no a person behind. The Alternate Format Business Technological know-how Problem supports this objective. It encourages inclusivity by style and allows to assure individuals with disabilities have superior prospects to read, understand and appreciate guides and other print material.”
– Minister of Employment, Workforce and Incapacity Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough

“We are helping business people who have progressive thoughts to conquer some of today’s major problems. This assistive voice-app will assist ensure that all Canadians with print disabilities have entry to alternate format reading components.”
– Minister of Innovation, Science, and Marketplace – François-Philippe Champagne

Brief specifics

  • About 1.5 million Canadians have print disabilities. People with print disabilities include things like people who may perhaps have studying, examining, perceptual, bodily or visible disabilities that have an effect on their potential to examine typical printed revealed supplies. Considerably less than 10{797b2db22838fb4c5c6528cb4bf0d5060811ff68c73c9b00453f5f3f4ad9306b} of printed elements in Canada are obtainable in alternate formats that are fully available to individuals with print disabilities, which limits their whole social and financial inclusion.

  • Finances 2019 announced an investment decision of $22.8M over 5 yrs to the Canada E-book Fund (CBF) for the Changeover Approach for the Generation of Alternate Structure Guides in Canada. The aim is to guide Canada’s impartial guide publishing industry with raising the output of obtainable textbooks, integrating available capabilities into the production and distribution of electronic publications (eBooks and audiobooks), and strengthening obtain to electronic titles by Canadian authors.

  • By the Alternate Structure Business Engineering Challenge, the CBF also supports Canadian little and medium-sized enterprises to produce more economical and cost powerful technologies for creating accessible textbooks and facilitating obtain. The Obstacle is administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Advancement Canada’s Modern Solutions Canada method and is a essential ingredient of the Changeover Approach.

  • In the 2020 Slide Financial Statement, the Governing administration introduced an more investment decision of $10 million in excess of 4 several years, starting in 2020-2021, to the Centre for Equitable Library Obtain (CELA) and the Nationwide Community for Equitable Library Providers (NNELS) to aid the changeover in direction of sector-centered creation, and the distribution of obtainable examining resources for Canadians with print disabilities. In March 2021, the Governing administration provided an extra financial investment of $1 million to CELA and NNELS in recognition of the profound outcome the pandemic has experienced on culture, and the increased need to have for obtainable reading through resources.

  • The Federal government is moving ahead with its first-at any time Disability Inclusion Action Program, which will consist of a new Canada Disability Reward, improved processes for eligibility for Govt disability applications and gains, and a sturdy work strategy for Canadians with disabilities. These strong actions complement the Accessible Canada Act and assist generate a much more inclusive Canada.

Backlinks

Generating an accessible Canada for people with disabilities
Primary Minister announces assistance for Canadians with disabilities to tackle worries from COVID-19
Statement by Minister Qualtrough on the anniversary of the Obtainable Canada Act

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