Life is beautiful. But living is not always as simple as one can imagine. Actually, we all are aware of immense difficulties that everyone comes across whether this barriers are refer to either the fisical or virtual world.
As a matter of fact we all, now and then, go through this experience independently of our own contingences. Who, among all the people we now hasn’t had some problems while trying access some websites. If we think on people whit any type of handicap, then a great deal of those problems are over weighted. Fortunately, we live in a society which is interested on including all the people whit his knowledge. So, we have at our disposal on the web environment a considerable amount of utilities that aloud an easier access to information which therefore will increase the process of knowledge acquisition. There are probably many more than those which I will now mention, and so I invite the reader to give his own suggestions.
One of the most well known screen readers is the Jaws software for windows, which despite not being perfect is the most dependable software of the kind. It helps blind people to be aware of the many contents available on one’s computer. It helps blind people but it will only enable a young man like me to cultivate himself whit other friendly hand to help him. So, it is very important all the efforts being developed by the investigators like Professor Luís Figueiredo of the Institute Politécnico da Guarda whit the goal of trying to allowed a friendlier interface whit the personal computer and whit a whole group of home devices like televisions and stereo equipments. He works whit the aim of softening those barriers I previously mentioned. On this mission, he is being accompanied by firms like Microsoft that are trying to achieve the same objective – becoming PCs assessable to all.
As you can see, there is a group of people interested on giving their best to include all citizens on the proposals of learning and giving his feed back to society.
This small text is about to finish, but it could never end wihout a reference to the significant role played by an young association whitch has been developing an excelent work on behalf of persons facing mobility problems. This association was created by Salvador Mendes de Almeida, and apart from a whole well thought initiatives, has brought to life a meaningful website which contains all a different places assessable to weal chair moving people. If you access to http://www.portugalacessivel.com you will find those many places from theatres to cafes and restaurants to public transports, you can go and be sure you won’t find obstacles to enter. As it is easy to see, this website is of most importance whether you go on your weal chair or with your little soon.
All those initiatives are of great relevance to a guy like me which still thinks life is worth living. As long as the sun keeps shining, the coffee keeps testing nice, the girls go on smiling at you and you´re perseverance don´t fails, it will be business as usual.
Miguel Monteiro
About the author: Miguel Monteiro has 33 years old, is Graduated in Management from ISCTE, in Lisbon and participates in many events, related whit accessability/fisical barrieres from Salvador Association iniciatives. Any comment on this article would be very welcome by the author.
