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Easy Reading Awarded by the UN’s International Telecommunication Union

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Women and men on the screen in a video conference of the ICT, the background is blue. © ITU
Dr. Susanne Dirks (bottom right) showcased the Easy Reading system and its possible uses at the ICT4all conference of the International Telecommunication Union.
Easy Reading, the software developed by a research team from the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at TU Dortmund University and eight international partners to make websites accessible, has won the 2021 regional competition for innovative digital solutions for an accessible Europe run by the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations.

Digital content on the internet is often not accessible for people with cognitive impairments and learning difficulties. In an effort to change this, an international team, which includes researchers from the Chairs of Rehabilitation Technology, and Physical and Motor Development in Rehabilitation and Education at TU Dortmund University, developed the Easy Reading software framework. The project was launched in 2018 and was awarded a grant of two million euros as part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 program. After two and a half years of development, the tool was made available to the public for free last year.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has now named the Easy Reading software framework the best solution for people with cognitive impairments in its 2021 competition for innovative digital solutions for an accessible Europe. With almost 100 solutions entered into this European contest, the project was able to set itself apart from its competition.

Prof. Christian Bühler and Dr. Susanne Dirks from the Chair of Rehabilitation Technology at TU Dortmund University were delighted to see their project receive this accolade. “Receiving this kind of recognition for our efforts only motivates us to push on with further research projects in this field and thus give even more people a chance to use digital content independently,” says Prof. Bühler.

Customizing the presentation of websites to suit individual needs

One aspect of Easy Reading that particularly impressed the international panel of judges was its innovative and inclusive approach of keeping the user at the digital original. Dr. Susanne Dirks explains what this means: “With our application, any adjustments necessary for accessibility can be made directly on the original website.” This gives users the opportunity to personalize the presentation of any website in real time according to their needs. The support functions make it possible to change the layout and structure of websites, for example. There is also the option to use symbols, videos and images to explain web content or to have the text simplified. These functions are implemented using state-of-the-art human-computer interaction technologies such as pop-ups, embedded functions and eye tracking.

As a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, the ITU has set itself the goal of enabling as many people as possible around the world to use the internet as a source of information. So, as part of the award, the ITU and its partner organizations will provide intellectual support to the Easy Reading project as the tool is further developed and distributed.

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