F123 – Soluções de grande escala – Botelho & Paula Consultoria

The F123 Group, which includes Botelho & Paula Consultoria Empresarial Ltda., F123 Consulting, and F123 Software*, designs and manages projects in the areas of poverty reduction, technology, and disability. The group provides NGOs, educational institutions, foundations, government agencies, individuals, and international organizations with project management and technical development services, as well as professional low-cost software and training for blind and visually impaired persons.

In 2010 the F123 Software was selected from more than one hundred submissions from countries throughout the Americas to received the “A World of Solutions” Award from the Inter-American Development Bank. The award recognizes technological innovation with a high social impact potential among persons with disabilities.

In 2009 the F123 Group started the Educação Livre Project in partnership with Mais Diferenças. Educação Livre assists NGOs with technology and training so that they may enhance the educational and professional prospects of their blind and visually impaired clients.

A 2011 sampling of graduates of the Educação Livre courses showed that: 55% were employed, 6% were involved in practical training that was expected to lead to full-time employment, 12% were retired or had no visa to work in Brazil, and only 27% were unemployed–remarkable results given the prevailing rates of unemployment among the blind in Brazil and throughout the world.

The remarkable impact that high quality and affordable professional software and related training can have in the lives of blind and visually impaired persons explains the growing interest in free and open source software (FOSS) and in F123 Software specifically in over 20 countries. The following is a partial list with the types of entities using F123 in each country:

Argentina – Government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
Brazil – NGOs, and individuals.
China – Individuals.
Costa Rica – Government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
Ecuador – Government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
El Salvador – Government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
France – Individuals.
India – Government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
Ireland – NGOs.
Kenya – NGOs and individuals.
Mexico – Government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
Pakistan – Individuals.
Peru – Foundations, government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
Sri Lanka – Educational institutions and individuals.
Switzerland – International organizations.
Trinidad and Tobago – NGOs.
Tunisia – International organizations.
Uruguay – Government agencies, NGOs, and individuals.
United Kingdom – Foundations and individuals.
USA – Individuals.
Zambia – Educational institutions, government agencies, and individuals.

* Botelho & Paula Consultoria was founded in 2007 and F123 Consulting and F123 Software were founded in 2010. They are all based in Curitiba, Brazil.