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Cape Town - A new Samsung advert has gone viral after being posted on YouTube just over a week ago.
The ad which has been re-posted several times, focuses on a hearing impaired man who is surprised that all of his neighbours and acquaintances are suddenly able to communicate with him in sign language.
The Samsung commercial was filmed in Turkey and advertise Samsung's Duyan Eller Video Conferencing system.
The video illustrates the difficulties faced by people with disabilities in modern society. Despite the inclusive nature of the South African Constitution, many people with disabilities face inadequate access to modern communication tools and technology.
Smartphones have an audio functionality that assists the visually impaired in accessing the device, while texting helps people with hearing difficulties in communication.
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However, voice recognition technology is slow and cumbersome. Often, this technology is expensive and requires an industry professional to install.
And public transport is not always geared to assist people who have physical limitations.
Many Metrorail trains, for instance, do not match the platform height, making it difficult for those with wheelchairs from embarking or disembarking. Buses do not universally have wheelchair access ramps or audio trip reminders to assist physically challenged individuals.
The Gauteng government in 2014 said that it was intent on decreasing the victimisation of people with disabilities. A police help desk has been established to assist in cases on sexual abuse of the blind, though only three police stations in the province have a sign language interpreter.
"As part of our modernisation of human settlements and urban development we would like to renew our commitment that three out of 10 houses that the Gauteng government builds must be accessible for and allocated to people with disabilities," said Gauteng Premier David Makhura to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3.
The Samsung advert concludes with the man overcome that his social circle cares enough to communicate with him.
Watch a version of the Samsung video here:
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