Dec 02 2012

The IDB’s Executive Vice President launches a new initiative to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the financial sector


In the closing session of FOROMIC held in Barbados on October 3, 2012; the Executive Vice President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Julie T. Katzman, launched a new international call for the Competitiveness and Innovation Division’s Innovation Lab.

The call, entitled “Inclusive Finance”, is funded by the Italian Cooperation and is supported by the beyondBanking, a program within the Financial Markets Division, and by the Multilateral Investment Fund. This is an initiative that enhances the IDB’s current efforts to promote the social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean. More information can be found at www.bidinnovacion.org.

“Inclusive Finance” seeks to promote a more inclusive financial sector for people with disabilities – not only as employees, but also as customers. Like the other Innovation Lab projects, “Inclusive Finance” is based on a methodology called “crowdsourcing”, a process whereby the general public responds to a call through the web page and generates the best solutions for inclusion of people with disabilities.  The deadline for submitting proposals is December 31, 2012.

The Innovation Lab (I-LAB) is a one-stop shop where people exchange challenges, ideas and solutions for different problems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through the Innovation Lab’s networks, problems are converted into high impact innovations.

The current calls for the Innovation Lab are:
The call “I-LAB: Inclusion in Firms” is open to firms and public and private entities that can present innovative solutions for the labor inclusion of people with disabilities. Priority will be given to those proposals that have a focus on gender. The public will have the opportunity to vote on the proposals with the highest potential impact. Those proposals receiving the most votes will qualify for the second phase. In the second phase, a panel of experts will select the best proposal that may receive non-refundable financial support of up to $50,000 to jump start the implementation of the proposal. Applicants must register and submit their proposals online through the Innovation Lab’s website (www.bidinnovacion.org/inclusion-in-firms).

The call “I-LAB: Disruptive Ideas” is open to everybody (entities and individuals) and its objective is to identify ideas about how to break barriers that limit the labor inclusion of women and men with disabilities. Everybody can submit ideas and vote for those ideas that are the most innovative and that have the highest potential impact. The participants that submitted the ideas that receive the highest number of votes will be invited by the IDB to present their ideas discuss how to implement them in detail with members of the Innovation Lab. Participants must register and submit their ideas on line through the Innovation Lab’s website (www.bidinnovacion.org/disruptive-ideas).

The call “I-LAB: Inclusive Finance” is open to public or private financial institutions and its objective is to support Latin American and Caribbean financial entities to design and implement innovative solutions for the inclusion of people with disabilities (as customers as well as employees) in the financial sector. The public will have the opportunity to vote on the proposals with the highest potential impact. Those proposals receiving the most votes will qualify for the second phase. In the second phase, a panel of experts will select the best proposal that may receive non-refundable financial support of up to $50,000 to jump start the implementation of the proposal. Applicants must register and submit their proposals online through the Innovation Lab’s website (http://www.bidinnovacion.org/inclusive-finance/).

Proposals for all the calls should be submitted no later than December 31, 2012 (COB 6pm ET USA).


Oct 17 2012

Open-Source Software World Conference – 2012


On October 18 to 19, the third annual Open-Source Software World Conference 2012 (LSWC) will be held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The event, which will take place within the Cidade da Cultura de Galícia, has as its main objective the dissemination of free software as an alternative business, stimulating debate and exchange of information around this topic.

Projects and innovative solutions and proposals applicable to the enterprise industry will also be presented. On Oct. 19, Fernando Botelho, founder of F123, will present on the theme, “The Experience F123 and what we can learn about designing interfaces from aluminum production,” in a time when values of effectiveness and efficiency are particularly sought after, and for which open-source software represents a frame of reference.

Conferences and events are free and open to the public, reaffirming the philosophy of trade and improvement of knowledge that characterizes open-source software.

Support:

- Board of Galicia
- Agency for Technological Modernization of Galicia – AMTEGA
- Spanish National Centre for the Application of Information Technologies and Communications  based in Open Source– CENATIC

http://www.libresoftwareworldconference.com/


Oct 15 2012

Help F123 identify who needs our help!


If you know of an NGO, an individual, a school or any other entity that needs the F123 System, which will help educate and provide opportunities to someone with visual impairment, please visit our website and register.

http://f123.org/cadastro/

You will be taking the first step towards helping a blind individual or an NGO have access to technology.


Oct 11 2012

A story to call our own.


The Generosity Project, which brings together all of the magazines and websites published by Editora Globo to present and highlight actions and examples of individuals and organizations that do good in Brazil, featured the history and development of F123 on its site www.projetogenerosidade.com.br.

Click to learn more about the Generosity Project and the F123 System:
http://goo.gl/Gy87E



Oct 11 2012

Register and Empower!


F123 wants to know how many people with visual impairments there are in Brazil that need to use a computer but cannot, and is relying on your help.

http://f123.org/cadastro/


Oct 11 2012

Register today to provide someone a better tomorrow.


The initiative “Register and Empower” aims to collect the largest possible number of names of individuals with visual impairments and NGOs dedicated to this community. The goal is to identify those who need the F123 software throughout Brazil.

Watch our video on our website to be part of this movement. Help F123 make the world a more democratic place!

http://f123.org/cadastro/

http://goo.gl/HtGmW


Oct 10 2012

F123 volunteers were in Itapeva – SP


On September 29th the Accessibility Caravan was in Itapeva, São Paulo, where F123 volunteers had the opportunity to distribute brochures and to publicize Project F123.

The Inclusion, Accessibility and Citizenship Caravan aims to mobilize and educate the society to the need to consolidate inclusive public policies that address the rights of all persons with disabilities and that will benefit the whole population.

Click here to learn more about Caravan II Inclusion and accessibility and citizenship.
Click here to read the report of the Fourth International Conference on Technology and Innovation for People with Disabilities.


Oct 10 2012

F123 volunteer attended the InovaDay meeting.


The Planning Department of the State of São Paulo conducts monthly the InovaDay meeting, this month the event was held on the 28th and addressed the topic on Startup, where Augusto presented the F123 System for the managers of the state of São Paulo, besides distributing presentation and explanatory brochures about the project.


Oct 10 2012

System F123 is introduced in Meeting.


It was held in the state capital of São Paulo, on September 26th, the Access SP Monitors State Meeting, the largest program of Digital Inclusion in Latin America, present in almost 600 cities in the state.
Hudson Augusto, a F123 volunteer, attended the event, presented the F123 system and highlighted its usability through the Digital Accessibility workshop, highlighting the importance of the software for the democratization of technology.

Hudson Augusto
- Holds a Post-Graduate degree in Technology and EAD by UNICID – Emphasis in Web Accessibility;
- BS in Information Systems;
- Project Developer for Digital Inclusion of People with Disabilities – Methodology “MetaRecycling”;
- 1st place People /Personalities /Institutions category – Web Accessibility National Award;
- F123 Volunteer.


Sep 28 2012

F123 and Project Inspireo.


Watch, like and share the new F123 video made by the French project Inspireo, through an initiative that aims to find social entrepreneurs in Latin America. Project F123 was the only one chosen to represent Brazil.

The movie is available on the F123 channel on YouTube and counts on you to help promote this idea. Don´t forget F123 is a low cost initiative that can change the lives of millions of blind or low vision people worldwide. Do your part!


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