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Disability and the elderly

Some 1 billion people suffer some kind of disability worldwide. A percentage which will only continue to rise in the coming years because of our ageing population. ICTs help them improve their quality of life and perform tasks and activities independently.

Avatar of LSE (Spain)

Avatar in 3D which provides simultaneous translation of sentences and speeches into Spanish sign language (SSL). Thanks to it, people with hearing problems can take part in a videoconference or watch the TV.

The avatar was developed by the Technological Innovation team of Telefónica in Spain, in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and the CNSE (Spanish National Confederation of Deaf People).

In a first phase, the system for translation from voice to SSL has been integrated into the ISABEL videoconference platform, which was developed by the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Sign language platform (Spain)

Video conferencing service with a built-in call centre that allows deaf people to communicate though remote sign language interpreters. In this way, deaf people can carry out any operation with the Public Administration, for example.

The service uses the Teleinterpretation Centre for Deaf People created by Telefónica I+D in its centre in Granada and has the collaboration of the Andalusian Federation of Associations for the Deaf (FAAS), an entity that is a member of the National Confederation of Deaf People (CNSE). In the future, Telefónica and CNSE will join forces to work on a new generation of video interpretation platforms on which Telefónica will offer its capabilities to develop and provide advanced services based on cloud computing models and high speed networks.

Management of chronic patients (Spain, United Kingdom and Brazil)

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Modular service that provides remote specialised care, allowing telemonitoring of the main vital signs and includes tools to support education on prevention and self-care support.

Therefore, for example, patients with heart problems have kits that include a connected tablet and devices that allow health data with the readings to be sent to a server accessed by medical staff and the patient.

These tools allow the trends to be viewed, the patient's schedule to be managed, personalised warnings to be scheduled in case certain thresholds are exceeded and specific messages to be sent, such as recommended doses of medicine in a specific context. The patient can contact the doctor through a voice chat and online.

Therefore, eHealth technologies improve management of chronic illnesses, making the lives of people with reduced mobility and of those who live far away from health centres more convenient, while helping control health expenses.