Assistive Technology Helps Open Doors for Web Entrepreneur

In 1986, Kazuhiro Seino was an active 11th grade student when he suffered a severe injury in an accident that rendered all four limbs unusable and impaired his visual perception and speech. He was initially confined to bed—unable to move so much as a finger, nor to speak a word. It was six months before he could even begin rehabilitation, and more than ten years before he could think about living independently. By then, he had discovered a powerful ally: computers plus assistive technology.

Early in his rehabilitation, Seino assumed a personal computer (PC) would be too expensive and difficult to use. So, he chose instead, "Taking Aid," a popular assistive technology used by people with disabilities in Japan. For Seino, Talking Aid replaced paper and pen.

"I can speak, but cannot use my hands", Seino says, "Neither can I see to read or write. Because of this, it was very helpful for me to use Talking Aid because when I enter words by keyboard, I can hear the words with its text-to-speech system. "But also there were a few problems. For example, early versions of this device had less memory capacity and could not store many text files. That limitation, however, opened new doors for Seino because his therapist recommended he reconsider using a PC.

Seino purchased his first PC in 1994 but knew little about how to use it. He would type each letter using one finger. He was able to distinguish the different keys by posting color-coded seals on them to compensate for his low vision. Frustratingly, Seino was unable to read the inputted words. At the time, neither Seino, nor his occupational therapist, (who had recommended he use the PC), considered a screen reader—an essential tool nowadays for individuals who cannot see a computer screen.

But then, Seino happened to hear about the well-developed skills of a completely blind PC user. Seino's interest was piqued and he set out to meet this individual and to find out how he was able to use the PC. Seino came away from his meeting excited and encouraged, "I can do that!" he exclaimed.

Initially, however, he was met with more frustration when he discovered that the software necessary for him to fully utilize the PC was incomplete. "I could not get information from the Internet. I could not read the manual. I could not find any classes or volunteers that could teach people with disabilities how to use a PC. My only available option was to go to the home of the blind PC user to learn how to use a PC—no matter how hard it was (just getting there was more than an hour's drive).

"When I overcame the various difficulties after installation and reached an adequate level of usability, the PC brought about extensive benefits for me. It then became obvious that the complications and hassles I encountered at the beginning were well worth it.

"I often accessed a bulletin board for people with disabilities and support people, and my local library collected freeware for people with disabilities. With information such as that, I was able to improve my PC skills dramatically and use the PC productively," explains Seino.

Moreover, Seino appreciated the privacy and security he found in electronic mail. When he exchanged conventional letters, he needed his family's help for printing letters and putting them in envelopes and reading received letters and mail—all unnecessary with electronic mail.

Ease and privacy were not all he gained by using electronic mail. Seino's wife, Kayoko explains, "Visually impaired people usually make some typographical errors in letters, however I could not identify any such errors in his letters. He wrote proper sentences, so that carried his heart to me very well." As a matter of fact, Seino met Kayoko via the Internet, exchanged email, and found his life partner.

Next Step Entrepreneur

In the last few years of the 20th century, the information environment for visually impaired people in Japan improved dramatically. Screen readers and voice activated browsers for the Microsoft Windows operating system were released. During this time, the information that people with disabilities could get, as compared with well-sighted people, increased exponentially. In addition, in order to accelerate IT use by people with disabilities, a government-supported system that subsidizes purchase of assistive technology, including software, was established.

Seino not only learned about the PC from others via the Internet, but he also improved his skills as he distributed information and taught PC skills to others.

Although Seino was rapidly integrating PC use and improved PC skills in his daily life he realized that many people with disabilities could not use PCs because it was too difficult for them to set up and configure them. He reasoned, "The IT environment for people with disabilities has been improved dramatically—so it would be a great waste not to fully utilize the resources and benefits IT can provide." It was then that he decided to start a business providing assistive technology and services for people with disabilities.

"Let's Communishop" Founded to Bring Power of IT to People with Disabilities

On October 10, 2000 Seino established, "Let's Communishop," a Web shop that sells services designed to assist people with disabilities. "For the beginner, many questions arise around issues of user support," Seino explains. "Some inquiries from beginners can be solved by just reading manuals. However, for people with visual impairments, it is difficult for them to locate information in text manuals, and even if located, there is no guarantee that the manuals themselves will be understandable to the average user. I try to address inquiries using everyday language that is understandable to the non-technical person," Seino says.

Currently Seino uses a PC equipped with Windows XP Home Edition, Internet Explorer 6, and Office 2000. In addition, he uses the "PC Talker" screen reader, "My Mail," (mailing software), HomePage Reader, and Sakusaku Builder (home page creator) for people with visual impairments.

The Purpose of His Business

Seino's personal experiences have forged an ongoing interest in finding and providing support solutions for people with disabilities to make full use of IT products. He understands the difficulties that arise when it comes to the implementation of IT, but he also understands the abundant benefits that the use of IT can provide. For this reason he is committed to making IT easily accessible to all people with disabilities.