The Brazilian solution

CULTURE & SOCIETY

by THE OLBIOS TEAM

According to the International Labor Organization, 99% of women with visual disabilities in developing countries are illiterate. In Brazil, individuals with visual impairments are relatively marginalized. Some 16.5 million people live with some sort of visual handicap under these circumstances. After working in a number of countries, Fernando Botelho who is blind himself realized that the dismal work conditions he faced in Brazil and other places around the world did not have to be the norm. He started to research low-cost technologies that would make superior education attainable to people with disabilities regardless of their socioeconomic class. System F123 is a low-cost technology that enables any personal computer to become totally accessible with the simple installation of an external USB or pen drive. Critical to System F123 is its plethora of uses and the ease with which users can customize the software. Other than common software applications, the System possesses an electronic reader and screen magnifier, educational materials for teachers, and training instructions for users. It costs only 2- 15% of the price of a standard e-reader. Botelho is now designing specialized content to improve the quality of life of visually impaired individuals who already use the system. Open source coding also ensures that the technology remains affordable, versatile, financially self-sufficient, and scalable. He has entered into negotiations to spread the tool throughout Brazil and the world. F123 – Website   Website: http://f123.org/en/

 

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