Using IT and the Internet in rehabilitation and integration is still a relatively new idea for most Estonian people with disabilities and even rehabilitation professionals. There are objective reasons (mainly economical, as the technology is expensive and not yet locally available), but also lack of proper knowledge plays a role here.
As already mentioned, Internet as an empowerment measure needs a wider foundation in general IT solutions (e.g. to connect home-based people with disabilities to the Internet and launch the positive processes described in [L] Chapter 7, general IT solutions are also needed). Therefore, to promote use of IT and the Internet as rehabilitation and empowerment measures in Estonia, the following steps should be taken.
Wider dissemination of information requires the cooperation of several branches of society - media, educational and medical/rehabilitation facilities, private firms and government. Large fairs and exhibitions are annually held in Estonia to promote a wide variety of goods or services (Kompuuter fair for IT, Motorex for transportation and vehicles etc). Some attempts on introducing special IT and accessible solutions have already been made recently - these activities should become regular. Also people with disabilities themselves and disability organizations have an important role in knowledge dissemination (an example of such an activity is the survey described in [L] Chapter 6, which was largely carried out with the help of different disability organizations and facilities).
Assistive IT as a production article is very special by nature, thus many assistive IT providers work either on non-profit basis (e.g. [L] Arkenstone) or are divisions of large companies (e.g. [L] Apple Disability Connection) which support assistive IT projects. This means that assistive IT solutions are generally not treated as ordinary commercial products, but rather as borderline projects which are expected to cover (at least partially) the expenses but not generate extensive profit.
Analyzing the chances of assistive IT production in Estonia, the following features can be distinguished:
For importing special solutions, two possible ways can be pointed out. First, it can be done in a centralized manner (as a separate project), when the state and/or the other participants of the project choose necessary products, carry out the purchase and delivery to those in need. This way implies the great role of state and central government. The second possibility is to create state-backed incentives for local firms in order to encourage import of assistive technology (financial support, tax discounts/exemptions etc).
There are many questions to be answered in this step. What to get? From where? How expensive is it? Where is the nearest location to get it? Can this solution be provided in Estonia too?
Almost all assistive solutions for people with disabilities currently available in Estonia are not marketed here (nothing is available from IT solutions). Most high-technology assistive solutions should be imported from the U.S., although some of manufactures have European branches and there is a smaller number of European manufacturers (e.g. [L] Siemens). This along with the high USD-EEK (also other main foreign currencies) exchange rate often raises the costs too high to be realistic for Estonians to obtain. Therefore, Estonian government should pay more attention to local production opportunities.
Due to the small size of Estonian market, incentives should be established for companies to promote production and import of assistive technology. The sales should be subsidized by state if necessary, but this should be done on case basis (at first, subsidies are probably needed for most cases).
At the moment, the only way to obtain assistive IT in Estonia is via international projects, as the expenses would generally be too high to cover locally. It can be seen that international support may retain its importance in this matter in the future as well, but the local measures should develop to be much more effective than they currently are.
A network of consultation points should be established throughout the country in order to provide necessary information and counsel concerning assistive technology. These facilities could be integrated with existing educational and/or rehabilitation facilities ([L] University of Tartu, [L] Tallinn Technical University, Narva College etc.) and act as the "first aid" providers in assistive technology matters. When the problem cannot be solved at place, either local or international experts are contacted (especially via the Internet). These points can also act as libraries of know-how on assistive technology.
Along with the national [L] Tiger Leap IT programme, numerous public IT/Internet points have been opened all over Estonia. These points could also be connected into the consultation network, allowing maximum number of people to acquire information.
The development of the Internet has been quite rapid in Estonia. The following data about the recent use of
the Internet in Estonia is available from Baltic Media Facts 1997 survey: 10% from all inhabitants of Estonia,
aged between 15 and 74 and 36% from all users of computer have used the Internet during last 6 months - it's
about 116 thousand persons. Comparing this result with February survey shows that number of the Internet users
have significantly grown - from 6% to 10% of Estonian population - it is growth about 73% (Mölder, 1998; see
also Figure 16).
Figure 16. The number of computers connected to the Internet in Estonia May 1992 - March 1998 (Mölder, 1998)
On the background of the favourable situation described above, the results of the survey (see [L] Chapter 6) regarding the Internet show at least some room for development. The Internet is not affordable for many people yet (the absolute majority of the respondents who used the Internet did not pay for this by themselves while those who did regarded it too expensive). In this situation, more attention should be turned to accessibility of public Internet access.
Until recently, most of the public Internet sites were designed without any accessibility considerations. The recent ones are striving to follow the guidelines, but there is still no assistive technology available for users with disabilities. Also the university computer classrooms have neither access features nor assistive solutions available. This has once again created a situation where disability becomes a serious obstacle in communication (see also Kikkas, 1998).
The solution could be in providing maximum physical access to existing workstations both in educational facilities and public sites and acquiring at least one assistive technology set per facility. Sites opened in the future should already follow the basic accessibility guidelines and be equipped with at least some assistive solutions.
Another possible way to reach people with disabilities in remote locations is to equip existing network of disability organizations with up-to-date IT solutions, thus turning them into complementary Internet points.
Finally, as the absolute majority of respondents in the survey supported the idea of free Internet for people with serious impairments and regarded it to be a high priority, this solution should also be taken into account as a possible option.
All the possible scenarios still seem to depend on economical factors, therefore they are likely to be implemented by larger international projects.
In order to make full use of the Internet as a rehabilitation and empowerment measure, the role of general IT along with special assistive IT solutions shall also be taken into account. The promotion of assistive IT in Estonia takes large-scale international programmes and external aid - currently, these solutions are typically much too expensive to be obtained even by smaller organizations. However, these steps should be taken, as IT and high-end technology have proved themselves as one of the most efficient ways to enable people with disabilities to become independent and participating society members. Possible steps include:
While the importance of the Internet as an empowerment device is understood in most Western countries which generally have developed also otherwise accessible societies - in Estonian current situation with many locations and services being yet inaccessible, the role of general communication measures including the Internet becomes a vital one for people with disabilities. Possible steps include: