DECIDER – Enhancing life experiences for adults with special learning needs, trainers and parents through supported decision-making Erasmus Project

Project Title

DECIDER – Enhancing life experiences for adults with special learning needs, trainers and parents through supported decision-making

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The DECIDER project aims to cover the lack of IT educational and training resources of staff working in the disability sector, on implementing Supported Decisions Making (SDM) as a support service for people with disabilities that enhances their autonomy and Quality of Life.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter referred as ‘UNCRPD’) and in particular its article 12: Equal recognition before the law on an equal basis with others. It means a real shift towards a human rights approach of legal capacity. SDM has been proven as an efficient mechanism to implement legal capacity but no country has reached a satisfactory level of structural implementation. One barrier to achieve it is represented by the lack of knowledge, mechanisms and professional resources to make feasible the change of paradigm.

The European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 defines objectives and concrete actions for an effective implementation of the UNCRPD across the EU and identifies Education and Training as one of the eight key areas of action.
The DECIDER project partnership is made up of six expert organizations in different areas of knowledge related to the field of disability, such as IT, the provision of support services for people with intellectual disabilities, a self-help organization, and educators and trainers, both people with disabilities and support professionals. The diverse typology of profiles in the partnership allows a comprehensive approach to the main objective of providing a set of innovative, ICT-based and fully accessible educational tools that allow the implementation of decision-making methodologies supported by support systems for persons with disabilities.
The co-productive work methodology, in which people with disabilities are included in the different activities carried out at DECIDER, ensures greater efficacy in products and quick results. Thus, as a first activity, a Qualitative Handbook on SDM (O1) about the state of play of SDM will be elaborated. It will be based on a series of semi-structured interviews aimed at persons with disability, their parents and families, therapists and trainers. The results of this phase are used as input to carry out the other activities. Specifically, an IT tool, called DECIDER App (O2), will be built to facilitate decision-making for people with disabilities and their environment. A Multimedia Package (O3) will also be developed that addresses the main spheres of life where decisions are made, such as health or personal economy.
To contextualize Decision Support, the DECIDER project also produces a Brochure in digital version, easy to read and to understand, which contains the basic information on what is support decision making, its impact on the quality of life of people with disabilities and will include information about decision process, gaining knowledge, taking responsibility, asking for support and a specific section on how DECIDER App (O2) can be used.
With the outputs of the previous activities, an ICT based Methodology (O5) will be designed for the implementation of SDM in organizations and in the environment of people with disabilities. The Methodology will be carried out both in a universal version and in a local version that takes into account the legal, structural and cultural factors of each of the participating countries. The Methodology, prepared in digital format and easily accessible, will be made available to organizations, individuals and families of people with disabilities on the project website. To increase transferability, a Pedagogical manual will be elaborated, which explains the analysis and implementation of the knowledge and IT tools produced. In order to prove and improve the quality of products obtained, a Piloting phase (O6) focusing on the implementation of the ICT based Methodology will be carried out in each of the participating countries, which will obtain the final version of all the outputs produced in DECIDER.
For professionals, the central impact of the DECIDER project involves increased awareness, updated knowledge and implementing SDM Rights-based services directly to persons with disabilities (PWDs). It will be the first opportunity to benefit from a set of learning outcomes designed specifically around Supported Decision Making. As a mid-long term impact the DECIDER project will facilitate the shift of organizations to a supported decision-making approach service.
Main envisaged impact for persons with disabilities is the increase on their level of autonomy and carrying out decisions, involving important benefits for them, such as enlarged self-esteem and increased quality of life.
As a horizontal benefit, policy makers could adopt the DECIDER Project approach as providing an up-to-date and more sustainable social policy agenda, in line with the current needs of the EU Member States.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 288299 Eur

Project Coordinator

Polskie Stowarzyszenie na rzecz Osob z Niepelnosprawnoscia Intelektualna & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Fundació Tutelar de les Comarques Gironines
• ERGASTIRI EIDIKIS AGOGIS MARGARITA
• Fundació Campus Arnau d’Escala
• Lietuvos sutrikusio intelekto zmoniu globos bendrija “Viltis”
• Association for activism, education, culture and art Civil Center AktivUM