The so called new technologies constitute a means to reduce barriers between citizens in terms of communication and knowledge. The new information technologies are an important means and unique opportunity for people with other difficulties to improve their welfare and social relationship.

Today, INOV - INESC INOVAÇÃO is the only institution at the national level with a team of engineers working for 4 years in the development of products and systems in telecommunications for the elderly and handicapped people. Several products and developed systems are today marketed by such entities as PORTUGAL TELECOM, PAII, Portuguese Red Cross, TAPE, etc.

In the scope of mobile communications, INOV has been involved in consulting activities for several telecommunications operators, namely in the technical design of services for people with special needs.

INOV has already participated (in November 2000) in a Portuguese fair for solutions for people with special needs: it was present with a noble space of 36 m2 for public popularisation of the projects under development in this area, having had the privilege of exclusive visits of several public figures and of social communication representatives.

Of the projects already developed in this area at INOV we point out the following ones:

• ISDN Telealarm Central, for the Portuguese Red Cross
  This ISDN central, now in continuous operation for 3 years, allows the permanent attendance by an operator of emergency calls from elderly people integrated in the program, allowing the identification of critical situations and to send help if necessary. This central communicates with all types of telephones, but it is especially adapted to receive calls from telealarme terminals (special telephones for the elderly).
  

• Telealarme Terminals (special telephones for the elderly), for TAPE, PAII, Portugal Telecom, etc.
  These terminals were especially developed to allow its use in hands free mode by elderly or people with special needs. In particular they allow the automatic generation of calls for a Telealarme Central. They also have accessories for the remote control of the telephone.
  
  

• Text Terminals for the Deaf, for Portugal Telecom
  INOV adapted for Portugal a text terminal for deaf people produced by Ameriphone. This USA company is market leader in fixed network telephone equipments for handicapped people. This equipment is today a reference in Portugal for the deaf community, with support from the State and from Portugal Telecom.
  
  

• Relay Central for the Deaf, for Portugal Telecom
  The "relay" central for the deaf, developed by INOV, and that should be available to the public during the year 2002, is a world premiere that makes use of the most modern technologies to bring a solution of "unified messaging " specifically for the deaf. Thus, through this central a deaf person can communicate, from his/hers text terminal, with any other person via email, fax, SMS, pager and soon by voice. This system will eliminate the present barriers for the deaf people in the several means of telecommunications. The central developed by INOV conforms to the standard V.18 of ITU (universal standard for communications between text equipments for the deaf), and so is prepared for the future.
  

• 112 (emergency number) for the Deaf, for Portugal Telecom
  INOV, together with Portugal Telecom, has installed the necessary equipment so that the national emergency telephone service (112) can receive calls from text terminals for the deaf.
  

• Server of Spoken SMS, for the Portuguese Federation of Associations for the Deaf
  It is now under development a project that aims at the development of a server that will allow to the deaf to send written messages (SMS) from their mobile telephones to any number of the fixed network, being the message delivered by voice. The server of INOV, besides managing the reception of the written messages, synthesising to Portuguese the voice message and to deliver it to the fixed network, still allows the generation of records and statistics for control and billing.
  
  
• Basic education in Telecommunications, with APEDV (Association linked to the Blind)
  INOV began education activities for the blind people in view to increase their knowledge in the area of telecommunications. This activity will allow in the future the professional integration of these persons.
  
  
• Platform for the Access to WAP Services by Voice and DTMF, with APEDV
  The platform presently under development at INOV will allow to the blind, as well as to other people, to access WAP services via fixed or mobile telephone, making use of speech synthesis to transmit the information to the user. The user can "navigate" through the WAP services by means of the telephone keys (DTMF). In a later stage it will also be possible to issue voice commands, making use of speech recognition.