Adoption of Technological Products and Services in an Ecuadorian University for External Consumers

Abstract

This article describes the experiences, initiatives and advances in disability issues for external consumers at a university in Ecuador, which has promoted collaboration agreements with various institutions. This synergy has allowed technological solutions to be developed in the field of disability. These include software for blind students, an augmentative communication board app for people with hearing disabilities, a telerehabilitation platform using the Kinect sensor for those with physical disabilities, a literacy kit with tangible interfaces and RFID sensors. Also, an inclusive board for people with intellectual disabilities which integrates Braille code, QR codes and augmented reality. These technologies have transcended academic frontiers and today, thanks to projects of connection with society, they support a vulnerable and traditionally forgotten population. In terms of educational inclusion, figures and initiatives that the university carries out through its Academic Department and Research Institute are presented. In the workplace, the institution developed a MOOC platform to raise awareness on the treatment of people with disabilities, through which nearly 800,000 public sector workers have been trained. Thanks to all these technological initiatives, a teleworking proposal was generated, which is still in development to connect people with disabilities and companies in carrying out intellectual tasks through a technological platform. The result of all these initiatives has left gratifying experiences and increasingly higher challenges in favor of educational and labor inclusion, especially of people with disabilities where there are more barriers in society than due to their abilities.