€69,000 in IT help for the disabled

The Government is this year allocating more than €69,000 (Lm29,621) to two organisations to help people with disabilities tap into the potential of information technology.

The IT Ministry yesterday entered into an agreement with the Foundation for IT Accessibility and the National Commission for Persons with Disability, as part of its goal to achieve The Smart Island, a society where everybody has access to IT.

"This agreement renews the Government's commitment that an information society includes persons with disabilities and provides them with the key to lead a full life," IT Minister Austin Gatt said.

The agreement binds the Government to change the legal structure to guarantee access to technology, according to mandatory international standards.

The Government is also committed to promote technologies that help people with disabilities and ensure that the learning centres it set up within the community serve as a showcase for products that assist them.

The agreement also ensures that the Government will introduce fiscal incentives for businesses and organisations to introduce measures, which ensure that technology is accessible to people with disabilities.

It will also provide special training to those with disabilities who wish to pursue a specialised career in technology.