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Services | Backbone operation | Technologies | R&D | Networks | Qualification | Events |
 | Saci On the 21st of September, the board of directors at ABRANET (Brazilian Association of Internet Servers) set up a special meeting to present SACI – the Solidarity, Support, Communication and Information Network, founded in August 1999. Partners in this endeavor are the University of São Paulo, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, The National Research Network of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the NGO Amankay Institute of Studies and Research, specialized in projects for the Disabled. The Telephone Foundation, the Vitae Foundation and the State Agency are currently sponsoring the SACI Network as well. The goal of the SACI Network is to interact on a national scale as both an induction tool and as a communications facilitator, contributing to the exchange of information and the spread of knowledge. It is focused on enhancing communication between those with any type of impairment, their families, government institutions, legislators and formulators of public policy, business people, organizations and social movement groups, study and research centers and technical and specialized personnel in this field of activity. To achieve this goal, SACI will be using the Internet, improving access for the disabled and devising ways of making information from various databases available on their site, which will be accessible until the end of October. Furthermore, the SACI Network will evaluate and stimulate the use and development of software and hardware specifically designed to facilitate access to the Internet to those impaired in any way. At the meeting with ABRANET directors, the issue of establishing partnerships between the SACI Network and Private Internet Servers was broached in an attempt to help promote access for Network users. To achieve this, private servers must seek to endow their systems with tools that permit the disabled to have access to the Internet. There is already much available recourse such as specialized help desks (ideally set up with specific lines), promotional subscriptions and the updating of sites to meet international recommendations. This would make it easier for the disabled to navigate, as would the inclusion of the Network accessibility kit to the Internet in CD-Rom, to be distributed by servers to subscribers. In addition, it was proposed that the SACI Seal be granted to Internet Servers who respect international norms of accessibility. The forerunners of the project pointed out the various aspects that could motivate a partnership of this sort, such as the specific market niche, still in incipient stage, formed by those involved with the issue of impairment. Furthermore, the social awareness of the company in developing navigational tools with greater accessibility could lead to a breakthrough in a number of new possibilities regarding the use of this same technology. It was also brought out that SACI Network is the result of the interaction between Universities, Government, Companies and Private Organizations, forming a paradigm in social cohesion and living diversity. The development and/or adaptation of technology will reflect the bond between the demand generated by the user, academic ingenuity, market potential and investments from the government sector. According to sources from the WHO (World Health Organization), there are an estimated 15 to 18 million Brazilians with some sort of disability. Aside from the impaired, their family members get involved as well, which potentially brings the estimate to 1/3 of the population benefiting directly or indirectly from this opportunity. |