“For most people, being able to use Facebook is a given. Now, people suffering from deafblindness as well as visually impaired can communicate on equal terms,” says Anna Boström, head of the department of participative IT and telephony at PTS.

The Facebook service that HiQ has developed is a responsive solution that works just as well on a computer as in a smartphone or tablet. With a clean and slimmed-down interface, the information is accessible with tools such as screen readers, braille displays and magnification software.

“The consultants in this project say that it’s the most joyful assignment they’ve worked with. If only one person can use social media and have a social exchange online, in a way that hasn’t been possible before, then we have created something valuable. This is IT that truly makes a difference, says Magnus Gudéhn, Managing director at HiQ Stockholm.

The service has been developed in close collaboration with the target group. Deaf-blind people have been involved throughout the project, continuously testing and evaluating the Facebook service. Possible users are the 2,500 individuals who suffer from deafblindness in Sweden, as well as the country’s approximately 100,000 visually impaired.

”I can’t imagine a more evident example of simplifying people’s lives by using IT. This project touches right in the heart; it’s a project where we use technology and innovative power to make it easier for a vulnerable group to communicate with their surrounding world. I’m proud of the confidence from PTS and of the solution we have created together," says Lars Stugemo, President and CEO of HiQ.

The "Fejjan för alla" logo - an F in blind script

"Fejjan för alla" on mobile phone