An Accessibility / Assistance / Accompaniment Service Provider (ASP) is a business of providing assistive services to people with disabilities; the assistive services may be extended over a network (through either standard or proprietary IP-based Chat-like protocols); or in-person (e.g. a Sign-Interpreter accompanying a Deaf client, personally on-location).
The role of ASPs has evolved from the need of people with disabilities (e.g. people with severe Hearing Loss) for simultaneous helping to communicate with 3rd parties, or achieve accessibility to services provided by 3rd parties.
The Rights for affordable accessibility (for people with disabilities) are considered basic Social and even Constitutional Rights in most countries worldwide.
The actual provision of the ASPs, however, still involves costly logistics; and countries worldwide have adopted a variety of methods to guaranty those social rights.
Provider types
editThere are several forms of ASP business. These are:
- A Remote ASP extends the assistive services through Chat-like technologies (usually over a standard or proprietary IP-based protocol or App);
- An In-Person ASP that accompanies the individual(s) with disabilities, personally on-location;
- An Automated / Hybrid ASP that uses Automation technologies (with variable levels of automation) to deliver the needed accessibility services;
The ASP's provision model
editIn case of In-Person ASP, the servicing personnel is hired through the common Regulations and Norms of the respective country or state.
In case of Remote ASP, the individual(s) with disability usually use a suitable application software (App) that is compatible with that ASP's App.
The ASPed session usually involves additional background transactions (made manually or automatically) to assert the eligibility of the individual(s) with disabilities for the such accessibility services; in most cases, Audit and Performance reporting are also forwarded to the ASP's company or organization.