help the helpers

The following is an excerpt from Meetup with Audrey & Glen where Audry Tang talked about the concept of "help the helpers," and a commentary on it.

reference

(Audrey Tang) “We should always help the helpers. So like if it’s about a physical condition—if they cannot speak literally, they can only do sign language—then there’s also an infrastructure project that provides sign language translation to the people who cannot speak or hear. Or if it is a mental condition, then maybe we need to empower them to communicate in the modality that they are most likely to do. For example, many people find asynchronous typing is easier than a face-to-face conversation. ... There are many assistive technologies now that want to bridge this kind of condition. We have a collaborator who prefers asynchronous communication, so, yeah, we operate in many modalities.”

(approximate translation) "It should always be "Helping those who help themselves (help the helpers). For example, if a person who is physically unable to speak can only sign, there should be infrastructure in place to provide sign language interpretation for that person. Or, if real-time conversation is difficult for mental reasons, empower the person to use whatever means of communication he or she is comfortable with (e.g., asynchronous typing). Nowadays, there are various assistive technologies that connect these situations, and some people are more comfortable communicating asynchronously. So we have a variety of forms (modality) available."

Explanation (main points)

• What is "help the helpers"?
  • The idea is that the government and service providers cannot help "everyone" directly, but by "further supporting helpers (family members, teachers, etc.)" who can support them around them, many parties can be helped as a result.
  • For example, if a system is in place to support family members who live with the elderly, the elderly themselves can be smoothly involved in digital participation as a result.
• Diverse support according to disabilities and situations
  • Different people need different skills and supports," such as sign language interpretation and subtitles for those with hearing and speech impairments, and asynchronous text communication for those who have difficulty with face-to-face interaction.
  • Therefore, we will flexibly introduce "individualized assistive technology" and provide an environment in which everyone can participate.
• Objective: Reduce hurdles to social participation
  • Implement the "help the helpers" philosophy so that all people can participate in public debate and digital democracy, valuing not just technology but also collaboration with human support (e.g., family, teachers).

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