¡ã (Ãâó: Hwang Mario)

 

A company that developed a device that can control a smartphone with a mouth for disabled people who have difficulties using their hands is in the limelight. ‘Hwang Mario’, composed of Yonsei University students, developed an app named ‘Mouth Mouse’ which enables disabled people to operate their smartphones practically and directly regardless of time and place. This is to ensure that disabled people have access to online and we do not exclude them from the information society.

“For now, there are several types of mice for the disabled. For instance, there is an eye mouse that can be controlled by the movement of the eyes, and the Integra mouse that can be controlled by the movement of the lips and breathing,” said Hwang. “As the features of these existing products are specialized in manipulating personal computers, it is difficult to implement actions for smartphones operating zoom, pinch, and spread. Besides, the high price of over four million Won makes it difficult for users.”

“In our society, the level of information gap among disabled people is large, and the phenomenon of alienation from information is a serious issue. In particular, we planned the ‘MouthMouse’ program, noticing that the information gap could lead to a learning gap.” Because people deeply sympathize with the need for “Mouth Mouse,” Hwang Mario plans to develop and sell a trial product through crowdfunding. After the funding, the company plans to have a tie-up with the Korea Association for the Disabled and organizations related to welfare.

“We plan to supply the market with reasonable prices and functions to general consumers through the opening of the market for the disabled.“ The goal is to ensure that physical disabilities are no longer a barrier to smartphone use. By ensuring access to information for disabled people and narrowing the information gap, it creates a foundation for social integration where the disabled and non-disabled live together.

“Through ‘MouthMouse’, we will contribute to the overall human rights of disabled people, such as expanding the participation of the disabled on the online platform and the effect of expanding employment of the disabled,” said Hwang.