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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">Hi Gerry</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><font face="Verdana"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">The figure of 8% (8.3% actually) is taken from the CSO file which I have attached. This information came from the census of 28 April 2002. This is the most up to date information of which I was in possession of but as the organisation responsible for the document you are putting forward was setup in
</span><span lang="EN" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN">November 1993 I will undertake to study it.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">The reason that I would suggest using CSO statistics is because of the weight the name lends to the argument. Most people know of the CSO and their reputation for providing unbiased information.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">To quote a famous line from Homer Simpson<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">
"</i></font></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything. 14% of people know that</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">
<span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">"</font></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">For organisations undertaking their own research the interpretation of information and even the questions posed and the way they're posed can in many cases skew the results unknowingly. This is not to suggest that the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities is wrong but it is not independent.
</font></span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">Of course my argument here is based on what the CSO deems as a disability which may in fact be different to the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana"> </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">As to your statement that 60% of the population would benefit from assistive technologies I am in agreement with you on that and actually believe that everybody benefits from an accessible design, in which the site map is up to date and the navigation is created with users in mind and not just innovative designs.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">If anyone else can shed some light on this discussion I would appreciate it.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 12pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><font face="Verdana">Regards Brendan</font></span></p><br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 27/02/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Gerry Ellis</b> <<a href="mailto:gerry.ellis@feelthebenefit.com">gerry.ellis@feelthebenefit.com</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<div><font size="2">Hi,</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">8% is a very low estimation on the number of people who have a disability.</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">The report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities reckons that it is conservatively 10%. However, half of these are over 60 years old</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">Microsoft commissioned Forrester to do research for them and came up with a figure of 60% of the population who are in some way or other affected in their use of technology if it is inaccessible. See their research at
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<div><font size="2"><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.microsoft.com/enable" target="_blank">www.microsoft.com/enable</a></font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2"></font> </div>
<div><font size="2">Take care,</font></div>
<div><font size="2"></font><br>Gerry Ellis<br>t/a Feel The BenefIT</div>
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<div>Tel (+353-1) 282-7791<br>Mob (085) 716-8665<br>email <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:gerry.ellis@feelthebenefit.com" target="_blank">gerry.ellis@feelthebenefit.com</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>If you don't know where you're going,<br>How will you know when you get there?<br> </div>
<blockquote dir="ltr" style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"><span class="q">
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </div>
<div style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial"><b>From:</b> <a title="brendan@ilikecake.net" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:brendan@ilikecake.net" target="_blank">brendan spillane
</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>To:</b> <a title="irl-dean@list.eeng.dcu.ie" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:irl-dean@list.eeng.dcu.ie" target="_blank">irl-dean@list.eeng.dcu.ie</a> </div>
</span><span class="q">
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Sent:</b> Friday, February 24, 2006 12:34 PM</div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt arial"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Irl-dean] ICT-Expo</div>
<div><br> </div></span>
<div><span class="e" id="q_109aa1258963a699_3">
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I agree with Paul on this epically about getting the message to the passers by in only a few seconds. What may be useful is stating the amount of people in this country that have at least 1 form of disability and inform the passers by that their company maybe ignoring this major percentage of the population (8%)
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></span> </p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Can any business afford to turn 8% of it potential customers away from the door????</span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></span> </p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">It is my belief that accessible design will only really become mainstream once there is an economic reason for companies to implement it whether this is through advantageous access to more customers or heavy fines from the government. And we have seen how long it takes legislation to come along.
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<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></span> </p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></span> </p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Brendan</span></p>
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<div><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.ilikecake.net/" target="_blank">www.ilikecake.net</a><br> </div></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></div><br>