KU holds workshop on designing mobile apps for the disabled

Providing equal opportunities to disabled persons was a national responsibility but the challenge could not be overcome without the society’s collective effort, observed University of Karachi Dean Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi, on Wednesday.

He was addressing a workshop, titled ‘Embracing mobile accessibility for persons with disabilities in Pakistan’, aimed at designing applications which could ease accessibility issues of disabled persons. 

“We must create an environment which is not discriminatory towards disabled persons. They are a vital part of our society and many of them are delivering despite their imparities.”

The organisers of the event included KU’s Departments of special education, office of research, innovation and commercialisation, computer science, in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Telenor, National Information and Communication Technologies, Research and Development and Special Talent Exchange Programme - a self-help organisation for persons with disabilities. The event was held at KU’s Department of Teacher Education.

Dr Iraqi maintained that the workshop was a great initiative; “I congratulate KU’s Dean Faculty of Education Prof Dr Nasir Salman, and all the varsity’s departments for putting up collaborative efforts for this event,” he said.

He advised the workshop’s stakeholders to also get other departments involved in such collaborative efforts.

“I am delighted to see different sectors of Karachi University working together for a social cause and I hope this collaboration will grow further.”

KU Faculty of Education Dean Prof Salman spoke on challenges of disability which included limited accessibility and discriminatory behaviour.

“Pakistan is signatory to the convention of the rights of disabled and so must cater to all requirements of the convention.”

Appreciating the event, he said such programmes were of immense importance as they bridge the gap between technologists and those facing challenges.

He observed that more than being physically handicapped, the real disability was not putting to use the abilities already available to a person.

Among other devices, the participants discussed in detail the idea of a vibrating board stick for the blind, whereas mobile applications based on sign-language were also presented by focus groups.

Speaking on the occasion, STEP President Atif Sheikh called on the academia, especially the faculty and students of computer science and information technology, to design more applications to enable individuals with a different set of abilities to also be able to reap benefits of technology.

ORIC chairperson, Prof Dr Alia Rehman, Dr Nadeem Mahmood of the computer science department also spoke at the event.