The main spirit of transforming Bangladesh from digital to inclusive country is to ensure the dignity and just participation of every citizen. A state, in a real sense, is considered as a digitally developed country when all its digital services are equally useable for all the people irrespective of their condition. When technology proves unusable or hindrance to a community, then such technology not only increases inequality to a large extent but also make national progress difficult.
Our digital transformation's reality now indicates that from mobile financial services to e-commerce, e-governance, healthtech, edtech, telecom operation, and online services of banking sector are part and parcel of people's daily lives.
People with disabilities (PWDs) comprise of a large number of our population. Technology, which is not suitable for the use of PWDs, not only creates individual disadvantage but also creates grave obstacle to achieving the target of national development, digital services acceptability and social equality.
So, those who are involved in making digital platforms and giving related services should attach priority to digital accessibility issue from not only technological perspective but also from human rights, business stability, risk management and international standard perspectives. Hence, specific commitment, formulation of policy and strategic directive on behalf of all digital content services providing institutions have become imperative.
At the moment, there are 2.20 crore people with different kinds of disabilities in the country. According to information of Statistics Bureau (2022), of them, there are about 25 to 30 lakh people with visual impairment. They are facing challenges in using technology due to different limitations.
A large number of our people are now dependent on smart phone, mobile app, website and online government services. If these platforms are not suitable for the use of PWDs, it creates a barrier to human rights, equality-based services and overall national development.
Under the circumstances, if we want to ensure the participation of all the people in digital platform, we should treat the digital accessibility not only as a technological advantage, rather it should be treated as essential components of citizen rights, social inclusion and development process.
Digital accessibility is not merely a technological matter, rather it is an essential part of nationally and internationally recognized human right, social justice and good governance. Different laws, policies and standards across the globe clearly indicate that it is the obligatory duties of both states and institutions to equally ensure the accessibility of all in information, technology and digital services.
In international arena, United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) asked UN member countries to ensure accessibility to ICT and online services for all. Bangladesh ICT Policy 2018 stressed on the issue of digital inclusion. Besides, SDG-9, SDG-10, and SDG-16 considered the issue of digital accessibility as a basic development index.
WCAG 2.2 is an internationally mostly used directive aimed at making digital platform technologically accessible. It gave a standard for making web contents accessible for all kinds of people.
Though Bangladesh is moving fast regarding its digital transformation, basic accessibility for all the people, including PWDs, has not yet been ensured in most of the apps, websites and online government services. People with visual impairment fail to use many digital platforms due to lack of technical supports such as screen reader support.
There is a deep, multi-dimensional and direct impact on citizen lives due to lack of accessibility in digital services. When PWDs failed to use government services, banking app, mobile app of telecom operator, e-commerce, health services or financial platform, they are basically deprived of fundamental citizen rights. Their participation in economic transaction is reduced and financial inclusion is remarkably hampered. As a result, discrimination is increased in the society, and the speed of digital transformation is slowed down, which put negative effects on national development and innovation.
The effect of this limitation is not only confined to individual lives of users, rather it is bound to create negative impact on economy, business, administrative system and overall digital ecosystem. According to an international report, business institutions lose their subscribers to a large extent due to lack of digital accessibility.
Sources said, at the moment there are about 12 crore mobile phone users in the country. People with disabilities comprise of a large part of them. An institution will face direct financial loss if digital platform is not suitable for their use. Accessible design means not only a technological advantage, it assures greater market, less risk, more subscribers and possibility of high profit.
There are about four crore people who are involved digital transaction and five crore people involved in e-commerce, while over 13 crore accounts are active regarding the use of mobile banking. If the huge number of people fail to use the services due to lack of accessibility, then institutions will directly lose market and revenue.
This information clearly indicates that accessibility is not a charity or social obligation, rather it is a global economic and business related essential matters, which will play a direct role on keeping institutions sustainable, competitive and profitable in the future market.
According to an international research report, the institutions, which have ensured digital accessibility for all, have been able to achieve additional 20% to 25% subscriber base in the market.
In Bangladesh, it is imperative for every digital service providing institution to formally formulate accessibility policy and ensure its proper implementation. When digital platforms, applications and websites are made suitable for equal use of all, it eliminates discrimination regarding the use of technology, ensure the participation of all people in the society and enhance economic and social inclusion.
In a bid to highlight the issue, Visually Impaired People's Society (VIPS) and Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (BASIS) jointly organized a discussion titled 'National Level Stakeholder Workshop to Promote Digital Accessibility in Bangladesh' supported by CBM Global Bangladesh, at BASIS Office at Karwan Bazar in the capital recently.
The rights activists, who are working in the sector, observed that it is time now to take effective steps aimed at making inclusive Bangladesh by ensuring digital accessibility for all the people for the sake of national interest.
The writer is a freelance journalist
