Shania Shayal Prasad 
[File Photo]
As Fiji’s digital landscape expands rapidly, advocates are calling for a shift in how technology is designed.
They’re pushing for systems that include, rather than exclude, people with disabilities.
Tetra Tech’s Director of Inclusion, Justice, and Transformation, Georgina Naigulevu says digital systems must be accessible to all, despite Fiji ranking 107 out of 176 countries for ICT infrastructure.
Naigulevu believes that emerging technologies like AI are beginning to bridge some of these gaps, but they also raise new concerns about digital safety and exploitation.
“However, with the emergence of AI, that has changed the game because a bot can take an image and actually do that for a person with disability. It’s very key that we continue to look at safe measures because safety online means that you don’t want that person with disability to be disadvantaged. A bot could be answering that for them and logging into their internet banking, but you don’t want that to happen.”
Naigulevu stresses the need for consultative, community-led approaches when developing systems.
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