Over the past 150 years, Siemens has developed to be one of the leading electrical engineering, electronics and IT companies in the world. Siemens participates in this project through ACC C-LAB, which is part of the Siemens Business Systems (SBS) division, being a legally independent entity. With 33,500 employees in 88 countries and € 5.8 billion sales Siemens Business Services is one of the world's leading providers of solutions and services in the area of electronic and mobile business. In the field of information and communications, it presents a wide range of market segment know-how with specific industry expertise and technological knowledge The Siemens Accessibility Competence Center (ACC) team has many years of experience in the design of accessible products and the use of assistive devices, as well as in dealing with disabled customers. Our special interests are Linux for persons with disabilities and barrier free internet.

Siemens will contribute to developing applications on PDAs, tablet PCs and other portable computer", by applying a screenreader for the symbian Series 60 mobilephone SX1 to support Services for blind people. We will bring in our experience in supporting existing assistive hard- and software for the SX1 e.g. TTS-systems in various languages, external keypads, a screen reader for Symbian 60, a large print mode etc. We'll give advice on implementing customized applications on the SX1. This gives the opportunity to setup special services and applications for users with different limited abilities on cost efficient mainstream devices. We will further coordinate the evaluations in germany.

Key Personnel:

• Markus Dubielzig studied computer science at the University of Paderborn and received his Diploma 1999. Since 1997 he works at Siemens C-LAB a joint R&D institute of the University of Paderborn and Siemens Business Services as System Engineer e.g. in the project Internet for the Blind / Accessible Linux. Working together with blind an partially sighted people made him a specialist in the area of "Barrier free design", "Assistive Technology" or "Disability Access". Since 2000 he works at the Siemens Accessibility Competence Center as project manager in several projects. Besides the project work he works as consultant for Siemens.
  
  
• Klaus-Peter Wegge studied computer science at the University of Paderborn and received his Diploma 1991. For more than 12 years he worked at C-LAB, a joint R&D institute of the University of Paderborn and Siemens Business Services and a 5 years' experiance in the Siemens Access Initiative, he has deep and profound experience in the areas of "Design for all and Assistive Technology", "Disablity Access" or "Barrier-free Design". Mr Wegge is blind, and therefore knows from his own living and working the problems of the barriers for people with disabilities in the modern (Information and Cummonication) society. He is active in the accessibility related standardization at CEN, ISO and national standardisation bodies.

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