Development of a training program for improving the Quality of Life of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities through the use of ICT solutions Erasmus Project

Project Title

Development of a training program for improving the Quality of Life of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities through the use of ICT solutions

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 2015

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

Project Context. Removing barriers to accessing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by persons with Intellectual Disabilities (IDPs) is crucial. Being excluded from ICTs implies being shut down from the information society, but also from accessing essential public services, as well as from the opportunity of living an independent life. Application of ICTs for IDPs must be evaluated based their contribution to Quality of Life dimensions. To eliminate the digital divide in IDPs it´s needed, a comprehensive training program for all participants in the ICT environment, including IDPs, parents, teachers, ICT support staff, administrators and web technology professionals.
Objectives.
IdICT has the General Objective of increasing the competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes) of IDPs, their families and the professionals that work with them for exploiting ICTs with a Quality of Life approach. Specific Objectives are:
i) To identify competences related to use of ICT by IDP with a Quality of Life approach;
ii) To identify, assess, prioritize, grade and link to Quality of Life dimensions, free of charge existing ICTs following accessibility and usability criteria;
iii) To motivate IDPs, their families and professionals, about using ICTs for improving their quality of life;
iv) To develop a Training Methodology, focused in the transference to accessible and usable guidelines addressed to IDPs, their families and professionals working with them about the appropriated use of ICTs;
v)To develop an accessible and usable online Training Platform, supporting the Training Methodology linking to selected and grouped ICT tools
Number and profiles of the participating organizations.
The consortium includes 5 entities working in the field of supporting persons with Intellectual Disabilities (COPAVA, HURT, CUDV DRAGA, CERGIGUI AND CSS), involving a big collective of persons, families and professionals, and 2 Technological Centres (IBV and IAT) specialized in the development of ICT solutions adapted to collectives with special needs and IDPs
Description of undertaken main activities.
Intellectual Output 3. Training Materials.
– Development of training materials for 14 Apps and software selected. All training materials were developed in English and translated to the other 6 languages of the partners of the Consortium (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Slovenian, Croatian and German).
– Development of Trainers Materials.
– Development of a Train the Trainer Activity.
Intellectual Output 4. E-Training Platform.
The final e-Training Platform has been done using the main accessibility requirements. The E-Training Platform has 4 main sections, Training Contents, Work Space, About the project and Help.
Results and impact achieved. The project has achieved the next results.
– Development of a training methodology and training materials for 14 Apps and Software. The criteria for selecting the 14 Apps have been: free of charge, multilanguage, mainstream and with impact to improve the three Quality of Life Dimensions, i.e. independence and autonomy, social inclusion and participation, and wellbeing.
– Development of 1 e-Training Platform, based in Universal Design criteria (accessibility and usability) including an App Searcher, awareness for each App, access to training contents differentiating IDPs and Supports. In addition, a work space or collaborative area, to provide and facilitate trainees online training has been designed and implemented.
– Creation of 5 idICT Units in the 5 Associations belonging to the Consortium, in order to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the project after the project lifetime.
– Development of the Dissemination Plan. including the creation of a Website, Facebook profile and a YouTube Channel.
The project has achieved the next impact.
idICT project has benefited a number of persons during the project lifetime:
– 169 IDPs, families and the professionals, have been trained through validation actions of Training Materials and e-Training Platform.
– Through the development of Dissemination Plan the next persons belonging to the target groups have been reached. i) A project website with more than 11.000 visits, ii) Facebook profile with more than 16.000 views and 368 followers, iii) YouTube Channel with 157 subscriptions 7.500 visualizations.
Benefits in the long term.
After the project lifetime, and through the idICT Units, we estimate to create a multiplier effect achieving the next impact:
– 150 persons including IDPs, families and professionals will be trained yearly during the 5 years after the completion of the project
– 10000 IDPs families and professionals will be aware yearly during the 5 years after the completion of the project, through the dissemination actions.
Nowadays, and thanks to the actions implemented, all partners have been contacted by other organizations on the disability sector in their countries interested in using the IDICT Training Platform.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 216870 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOC COPAVA COORDINADORA DE RECURSOS DE ATENCIÓN A PERSONAS CON DIVERSIDAD FUNCIONAL INTELECTUAL DE LA COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• INSTITUTO DE BIOMECANICA DE VALENCIA
• CERCIGUI
• WESTFALISCHE HOCHSCHULE GELSENKIRCHEN, BOCHOLT, RECKLINGHAUSEN
• CENTER ZA USPOSABLJANJE DELO IN VARSTVO DOLFKE BOSTJANCIC DRAGA
• Consorzio Solidarietà Sociale Forlì-Cesena società cooperativa sociale
• Hrvatska udruga radnih terapeuta