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Acronym and title of the project

ETNA - European Thematic Network on Assistive Information and Communication Technologies

Official start and end dates

01/01/2011 - 31/12/2013

Funding Body

European Commission
CIP (Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme) - ICT Policy Support Programme

Project leader and partners

• Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, Milano, Italy (project leader)

• Institut Der Deutschen Wirtschaft Koeln E.V., Cologne, Germany (partner)

• Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe, Taastrup, Denmark (partner)

• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Tecnologie Didattiche, Genova, Italy (partner)

• Danish Centre for Assistive Technology, Taastrup, Denmark (partner)

• Universitaet Linz, Institut Integriert Studieren, Linz, Austria (partner)

• Ace Centre Advisory Trust, Oxford, UK (partner)

• Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Donostia / San Sebastian, Spain (partner)

• John Gill Technology Ltd, Iver, UK (partner)

• Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales, CEAPAT, Madrid, Spain (partner)

• Associazione Italiana per l'Assistenza agli Spastici Provincia di Bologna, Bologna, Italy (partner)

• Handicaps et Cadre de Vie, Hacavie, Lille, France (partner)

• Technical University Kosice, Access Centre, Kosice, Slovakia (partner)

• Disabled Living Foundation, London, UK (partner)

• Vastra Gotalands Lans Landsting, DART Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden (partner)

• Hogeschool Zuyd, Research Centre Technology in Care , Maastricht, The Netherlands (partner)

• Terveyden ja Hyvinvoinnin Laitos (National Institute for Welfare and Health), Helsinki, Finland (partner)

• EASPD - European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities, Bruxelles, Belgium (partner)

• Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Hellenic Institute for Transport, Atene/Thessaloniki, Greece (partner)

• Disability Now / Anapiria Tora, Thessaloniki, Greece (partner)

• Kehitysvammaliitto Ry (Finnish Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), Helsinki, Finland (partner)

• The Nottingham Trent University, Interactive Systems Research Group, Nottingham, UK (partner)

• Evangelische Stiftung Volmarstein, Forschungsinstitut Technologie und Behinderung, Wetter, Germany (partner)

Brief description of the project

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a powerful driver for inclusion and quality of life. It can have particular benefits for people with disabilities, often removing barriers to participation in everyday life. However, ensuring access to ICT assistive equipment, systems and services is not straightforward as information is patchy, not well distributed or simply absent.

The ETNA Thematic Network, set up in January 2011, will address this issue. ETNA is an EU-wide network involving 23 leading Institutions in 13 Countries. It will work for three years to establish a web portal of ICT-based assistive technology products, accessibility solutions and related services. It will also facilitate access to repositories of freeware, open source software products and tools for developers of assistive solutions (or for mainstream developers who wish to make their products accessible).

The Portal will start from the work of the European Assistive Technology Information Network (www.eastin.eu) and will take advantage of existing repositories and other Internet resources. It will be maintained in the long term through a collaborative effort of partner organisations all of whom are experts in Assistive Technology at national or international level. In collaboration with another Thematic Network (ATIS4All, acronym for “Assistive Technology and Inclusive Solutions for All”, www.atis4all.eu), it will serve as a platform to share expertise, ideas, views, resources and field experience.

The project will last three years. The first official event - a workshop involving all 23 partners, addressing the information needs in the area of ICT assistive technology and e-accessibility solutions - will take place on March 24-25, 2011 in Milano, Italy, at the Don Gnocchi Foundation.

Project websites

• http://www.etna-project.eu

Don Gnocchi Foundation's team involved in the project

• Renzo Andrich, Polo Tecnologico (Research Coordinator)

• Valerio Gower, Polo Tecnologico

• Sabrina Vincenti, Polo Tecnologico

Public documents available