UN chief calls for access to latest technology for disabled

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon has called for efforts to ensure that the technology of the 21 century is accessible to persons with disability so that critical information can reach them.

The secretary-general made the appeal Wednesday in his message to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed annually Dec 3, Xinhua reported.

Ban said that persons with disabilities face limitations and hardships largely due to the lack of services available to them.

"Through adaptive, assistive and inclusive technology, persons with disabilities can make the most of their potential in their communities and in the workplace," he said. "Let us spare no effort to ensure that policies, programmes, guidelines and 21st century technologies are accessible to persons with disabilities."

He also emphasised how employers can harness technology to create environments for persons with disabilities to find productive work and fully use their skills and capacities. " Technology can also help persons with disabilities caught up in natural disasters by making sure that critical information reaches them," Ban said.

Over one billion people, approximately 15 percent of the world's population, live with some form of disability and have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities.