I'm preparing for an "inclusive society"...UK to actively address digital divide for disabled people

[Anchor]
Digital technology, which is continuing to develop, is becoming an essential part of our lives.

However, for people with disabilities who have difficulty accessing new technologies, the digital gap is not just an inconvenience, but also a barrier to social participation.

Various efforts are being made in the UK to increase digital accessibility for people with disabilities,

The government police reporter is here to tell you.

[Reporter]
Students with color blindness or color weakness can easily adjust the color of the screen with a click.

The voice assistance function that reads the entered characters is very helpful for visually impaired students to learn.

[Matt Pateman / UCL Digital Accessibility Support Center Manager: You can type on the keyboard and have them read one letter at a time. And if you let me read it again, it goes like this (Hello Wythen!)

University College London, one of the major universities in the United Kingdom, UCL.

UCL has already operated a digital accessibility support center with a variety of digital learning aids for disabled students since 15 years ago.

[Matt Pateman / UCL Digital Access Support Center Manager] We help students with disabilities. This space here allows students to study without pressure. The students who come here have many disabilities. ADHD, dyslexia, vocal impairment, mental problems, physical disabilities, etc. There are also students in wheelchairs. You can think of it as assisting in almost all categories of disability in this space.

The British government announced the world's first 'digital inclusion strategy' in 2014.

It was a measure to urge active participation of the public and private sectors to strengthen the digital capabilities of the vulnerable, including the disabled.

The UK government is focusing its capabilities more on strengthening digital access for people with disabilities, especially with the challenges of people with disabilities losing access to key information during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Will Awad / CEO of Digital Accessibility Services] British law requires that websites or applications be made accessible to all disabled people. In the past, public websites were mainly used, but this trend is also shifting to private companies recently. Now we live in an inclusive and diverse society.]

The UK Government's efforts to strengthen digital access are a reminder that closing the digital gap is a critical social responsibility beyond just technical issues.

It is time for active participation of governments and related companies to build a global digital inclusive society.

YTN World Government Constable in London, United Kingdom.