Assistive technology tools for students or employees with disabilities
Assistive technology tools for students or employees with disabilities
Business Model Description
Producing assistive technology tools for students or employees with disabilities
Expected Impact
This IOA will promote access to inclusive education, develop the human resources of the country and increase the value-added from education technology
How is this information gathered?
Investment opportunities with potential to contribute to sustainable development are based on country-level SDG Investor Maps.
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Country & Regions
- Turkey: Aegean Region
- Turkey: Black Sea Region
- Turkey: Central Anatolia Region
- Turkey: Eastern Anatolia Region
Sector Classification
Technology and Communications
Development need
Technology is a cross-cutting sector for many SDGs. In terms of its performance on SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), Turkey faces major challenges. The country performs well-below the global long-term objective in indicators such as Expenditures on Research and Development and the Number of Researchers (per thousand employed people). (1)
Policy priority
The 11th Development Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals Evaluation Report, 2020 Annual Presidential Program and the 2019-2023 Strategy Plan of the Ministry of Industry and Technology all highlight the importance of technology for the achievement of the SDGs and stress the need to digitally transform the country’s economy as a prerequisite for competitive production.
Gender inequalities and marginalization issues
According to the Women in Tech Index, the percentage of female employment in technology is at a mere 9.91% in Turkey. 37.11% of STEM graduates are female. There is a gender pay gap of 8.42% between men and women in the tech industry. This necessitates policies and business models that promote the employment of women in technology with fair wages. (17)
Investment opportunities
The government intends to mobilize investment momentum in this sector. Existing incentives are offered by TUBITAK, KOSGEB, The Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Development and Investment Bank of Turkey. The importance of investing in this sector is increasingly evident with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating remote access to vital services
Key bottlenecks
The ability to compete on prices with imported technological products and services already present in the Turkish market; infant-industry problems. Ambiguity of the regulations in some of the latest areas of development such as IoT. Issues related to cyber security and data privacy.
Technology
Development need
There is a growing need to adopt technology-integrated solutions in the education sector to increase the availability of pedagogical tools to boost learning outcomes, and grant access to remote learning services in light of the pandemic.
Policy priority
The Ministry of Education’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan addresses the need to make digitalization and distance learning more prevalent in the education system.
Gender inequalities and marginalization issues
According to the Women in Tech Index, the percentage of female employment in technology is at a mere 9.91% in Turkey. 37.11% of STEM graduates are female. There is a gender pay gap of 8.42% between men and women in the tech industry. This necessitates policies and business models that promote the employment of women in technology with fair wages. (17)
Investment opportunities
Tübitak offers financial support for SMEs' R&D projects for manufacturing a new product and the development and improvement of an existing product. Other incentives are offered by the Ministry of Industry and Technology and the Development and Investment Bank of Turkey. This area has high policy momentum, and new investment opportunities are supported by the government.
Key bottlenecks
While it is vital to develop new technologies to increase access to education, it is also important to note that some students do not have access to the telecommunications infrastructure in the country to access these products and services. The public sector has to take initiative for service provisions.
Software and IT Services
Pipeline Opportunity
Assistive technology tools for students or employees with disabilities
Producing assistive technology tools for students or employees with disabilities
Business Case
Market Size and Environment
> USD 1 billion
The global assistive technology market will reach 26 billion USD by 2024, nearly doubling from $14 billion in 2015 (7)
Indicative Return
> 25%
The return profile was estimated by the stakeholders interviewed in this field
Investment Timeframe
Short Term (0–5 years)
These investments will generate a cash-flow between the short to medium-term as the necessary regulatory and market frameworks are already established, and as they are not highly capital intensive, depending on the level of the technology involved
Ticket Size
< USD 500,000
Market Risks & Scale Obstacles
Market - High Level of Competition
Impact Case
Sustainable Development Need
The UN Disabilities and Development Report outlines how the inclusion of persons with disabilities is an essential theme among all SDGs. (18)
SDG 4 calls for guaranteeing equal and accessible education by building inclusive learning environments and providing the needed assistance for persons with disabilities
Globally, the share of persons with disabilities under the national/international poverty line is higher, and in some countries double, than that of persons without disabilities. (18)
Gender & Marginalisation
According to the social and economic data on persons with disabilities collected by the General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly People and Turkish Statistical Institutions (TURKSTAT), 41,6 % of disabled individuals registered in the database are illiterate (8)
The Ministry of National Education reports that, in the past 20 years, the number of disabled students in the education system has reached approximately 289 thousand (9)
Half of the children with disabilities aged 6 and above cannot read or write (9)
Expected Development Outcome
Increase the accessibility of special needs education; work towards achieving "inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all" in line with SDG 4
Increase the integration into the labor force of persons with disabilities through customized training programs and education technologies
Gender & Marginalisation
Reducing quality education access gap to special needs population who are often disregarded and marginalized
Primary SDGs addressed
4.a.1 Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.5.1 Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
0.99 GPI (for gender parity). No other index is available (10)
A GPI of 1 indicates parity between the different groups
Secondary SDGs addressed
Directly impacted stakeholders
People
Gender inequality and/or marginalization
Corporates
Public sector
Indirectly impacted stakeholders
People
Corporates
Public sector
Outcome Risks
Although most assistive technologies aim to restore the autonomy of disabled persons, there is also a risk that supposed autonomy could turn into isolation and social indifference. (8)
Impact Risks
Execution Risk: The probability that the activities are not delivered as planned or do not result in the desired outcomes
Impact Classification
What
Important, positive outcome: access to inclusive education.
Risk
Low Risk (Malfunctioning devices or technology errors might pose low-likelihood risks for users.)
Impact Thesis
This IOA will promote access to inclusive education, develop the human resources of the country and increase the value-added from education technology
Enabling Environment
Policy Environment
(11th Development Plan): The 11th Development Plan addresses increasing the accessibility of education by improving the human and physical facilities of schools for those with special needs.
(Ministry of Education’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan): The Ministry of Education’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan addresses the need to make digitalization and distance learning more prevalent in the education system.
(2020 Presidential Program ): The 2020 Presidential Program stresses the need to develop the human resources of the country in a way that produces positive economic and social externalities and the importance of ensuring the accessibility of education and the availability of lifelong education opportunities
Financial Environment
Financial incentives: Tübitak offers financial support for SMEs R&D projects manufacturing a new product or improving an existing product
Other incentives: The Ministry of Industry and Technology and The Development and Investment Bank of Turkey established "The Technology and Innovation Fund" to finance innovative tech. based companies/projects
Regulatory Environment
(Regulation): Article 42 of the Turkish Constitution, on the basis of the principle that no one can be deprived off the right to education and training, requires meeting the needs of those who need special education.
(Regulation): Article 15 of the Disability Law No. 5378 states that the provision of materials such as braille, audio or electronic books; subtitled, audio-descriptive or sign-language films and etc are carried out by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
(Regulation): Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which Turkey is a party, defines the issue of the right to education of people with disabilities in the context of equality of opportunity and calls for necessary action to be taken
Marketplace Participants
Private Sector
The special needs content and providers, commercial banks with R&D credit lines such as İş Bankası; individual and angel investors such as Galata Business Angels, Sabancı Vakfı etc.
Government
The Ministry of Education, TÜBİTAK, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, the General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly People
Multilaterals
UNICEF
Non-Profit
The Inclusive Education Association (“Kapsayıcı Eğitim Derneği”)
Target Locations
Turkey: Aegean Region
Turkey: Black Sea Region
Turkey: Central Anatolia Region
Turkey: Eastern Anatolia Region
References
- (1) SDG Index & Dashboard, 2020, https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/TUR/indicators
- (2) 2020 Annual Presidential Program, http://www.sbb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2020_Yili_Cumhurbaskanligi_Yillik_Programi.pdf
- (3) 11th Development Plan http://www.sbb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/On_BirinciPLan_ingilizce_SonBaski.pdf
- (4) Sustainable Development Goals Evaluation Report from the Directorate of Strategy and Budget, 2019
- (5) Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, http://www.sp.gov.tr/upload/xSPStratejikPlan/files/LBigi+ENERJI_VE_TABII_KAYNAKLAR_BAKANLIGI_2019-2023_STRATEJIK_PLANI.pdf
- (6) 2019-2023 Strategy Plan of the Ministry of Education, http://www.sp.gov.tr/upload/xSPStratejikPlan/files/Anobg+StratejikPlan2019-2023.pdf
- (7) Bureau of Internet Accessibility, 2019, https://www.boia.org/blog/assistive-technology-market-estimates-rapid-growth-ahead
- (8) OHCHR & TOHAD, 2014, https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Disability/DecisionMaking/CSOs_DPOs/CSOs%20-%20TOHAD_Turkey_ENG.docx
- (9) Cumhuriyet Daily, 2018, http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/600-bini-askin-engelli-cocugun-istegi-bu-fark-edilmek-1035188
- (10) SDG Tracker, 2020, https://sdg-tracker.org/ "11) Research Gate, 2018, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322665017_Assistive_technologies_for_people_with_disabilities_-_Part_II_Current_and_emerging_technologies " "12) Angel, Turkey Angel Investors, https://angel.co/turkey/investors " "13) Ekonomist, ""Sosyal Girişimlere Destek Yağmuru"", https://www.ekonomist.com.tr/girisim-kobi/sosyal-girisimcilere-destek-yagmuru.html " "15) Bilim Senligi, ""Tubitaktan Egitime Dijital Destek"", https://www.bilimsenligi.com/tubitaktan-egitime-dijital-destek.html/ " "15) Bilim Senligi, ""Tubitaktan Egitime Dijital Destek"", https://www.bilimsenligi.com/tubitaktan-egitime-dijital-destek.html/ "
- (16) The 2019-2023 Strategy Plan of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, https://www.sanayi.gov.tr/strateji2023/sts-ktp.pdf
- (17) Honeypot, Women in Tech Index, 2018 https://www.honeypot.io/women-in-tech-2018/
- (18) United Nations, Disabilities and Development Report 2018 https://social.un.org/publications/UN-Flagship-Report-Disability-Final.pdf
- (19) Ministry of Family and Social Services, 2020. https://www.ailevecalisma.gov.tr/media/42250/istatistik-bulteni-2020-mart.pdf.