Programs
in
Assistive Technology Education
for End-Users in Europe
A cultural association for interdisciplinary study and information on technical and social aspects of autonomy for persons with disabilities. It is mainly involved in education/training and public awareness raising. Educational activities began more than ten years ago and are addressed to persons with disabilities and personal assistants. Areas covered include the issue of AT as a means for autonomy.
The educational activities carried out over the past five years can be classified as follows:
AT plays a very important role in the training courses, and is relevant in the information activities. The main AT-related areas covered are: household activities, self-care, legislation, standardisation, service delivery systems, general accessibility issues, communication, mobility, reading/writing.
Centro Studi PRISMA organises numerous courses and seminars, some
of which are described below. The information is drawn both from
the returned questionnaire and the attached documentation. The
main initiative described here is a course held in three consecutive
stages, comprising what may be considered an entire personal pathway
towards autonomy covering different levels of complexity.
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| Disabilità e Vita Quotidiana: educazione all'autonomia (1° livello)
(Disability and Daily Life: Education for Autonomy - 1st level) | res. train. course | pers. with disab., elderly, pers. ass. | ||||
| Disabilità e Società: promozione dell'autonomia (2° livello)
(Disability and Society: Promotion of Autonomy - 2nd level) | res. train. course | pers. with disab., elderly, pers. ass. | ||||
| HORIZON-IRIDE
Formazione di educatori polivalenti disabili (Independent Living Residential Courses for the Integration of Disabled People in Europe) | res. train. course | pers. with disab., pers. ass. | ||||
| Educazione all'Autonomia
(Education for Autonomy. A course for Persons with Disabilities) (Marina di Massa) | res. train. course | pers. with disab., pers. ass., elderly | ||||
| I giovani e la cultura: per un corretto approccio all'integrazione delle persone disabili
(Young People and Culture: Towards a Correct Approach to Integration for Persons with Disabilities) | top. work. | students | ||||
| Disabilità e Vita Quotidiana: educazione all'autonomia (1° livello - assistenti)
(Disability and Daily Life: Education to Autonomy - 1st level personal assistants) | res. train. course | pers. ass. | ||||
| Disabilità e Società: Promozione dell'autonomia (2° livello - assistenti)
(Disability and Society: Promotion of Autonomy - 2nd level personal assistants) | res. train. course | pers. ass. | ||||
| HORIZON-IRIDE
Formazione di educatori polivalenti disabili (Training of Disabled Educational Professionals) | res. train. course | pers. ass. | ||||
| Disturbi sfinterici: la funzione sessuale nella disabilità motoria
(Sphincteral Disturbances and Disability: Sexual Function in Motor Impairment) | mon. sem. | pers. with disab., rehab. prof. | ||||
| Percorsi di introduzione all'autonomia
(Paths for Introducing Autonomy) (Arezzo) | series of sem. | pers. ass. |
The design of a course concerning education to autonomy arises from the idea that the person with disability is the author of his/her own rehabilitation and social integration. Some of the topics in the programme are: in-depth analysis of the practical and the social aspects of research for autonomy, getting to know existing technical aids, the best way to choose and use those aids, the criteria to follow to organise one's own accessible house or workplace, getting a clear idea of current laws. By exploring these topics, the participants will become able to deal more effectively with their own problems of autonomy, and also to use their own experience to advise and guide other persons with disability.
Selection
The thirteenth edition of the initiative held in 1997 was widely publicised using leaflets, all forms of media, and by contacting participants to past editions. Leaflets were sent out to the organisation's address database, but also to user and voluntary organisations and rehabilitation centres, as well as being handed out at congresses and exhibitions. Information was also spread by word of mouth.
Participation was restricted to persons with motor impairment, who were subsequently selected on the basis of age (only adults and the elderly), sex (to ensure an even mix), type of motor impairment, territoriality and personal interests, but not according to education level. After applying to join the course, participants had to take part in a guided phone interview to verify that: they had read the programme carefully; were willing to share the room with other persons; could guarantee their own autonomy during the course; their main difficulty lay in autonomy and not psychological problems; were aware of the kind of medical assistance available during the course period; had all the medication they required for the whole week.
Those participants who needed special help had to be accompanied by their own personal assistants, since the organisation was not able to provide this service. A maximum of 30 participants was fixed. A special part of the programme was dedicated to personal assistants.
Teachers came from the organisation's own staff, and were selected
according to their expertise. A preference for teachers with disabilities
was expressed; these mostly belonged to the organisation's staff
but at the same time considering their level of expertise. Those
seeking to become trainers and co-ordinators of the practical
sessions and group work had to have done both the first and the
second level of the Centro Studi PRISMA courses.
Organisation
The courses were held off the organisation's premises, in a place chosen specifically for this activity (the same venue is used each year). All possible environmental aspects were considered: general comfort, overall accessibility and accessibility of bathrooms, aesthetics, seating arrangements, but also the fact that the place is fresh and healthy. As this was a residential course, great attention was also paid to accommodation aspects (distribution of rooms, time necessary to get ready in the morning, etc.). The event also included lunch breaks, recreational activities, and welcome and farewell sessions, while accommodation was offered as part of the course itself.
Participants were charged a fee of Lit. 450,000.
A co-ordinator was in charge of the whole activity and teachers' meetings were also held to ensure coherence. The role of the co-ordinator is very important, since he/she has the responsibility of: planning the program; co-ordinating all the teachers' meetings; participating in all the lessons; preparing the educational material and handouts for the participants; preparing the material for the group work.
A phone interview is conducted with prospective participants well
before the course commences; the information obtained is used
both for selection purposes and to inform the teachers so that
they can plan their lessons on the basis of the public they will
be addressing.
Implementation
Contents were mainly delivered through lectures and group discussions; three group- work sessions were also held. The work groups were guided by co-ordinators, who were chosen for their lengthy experience, competence and reliability, as well as having participated in previous editions of the course. The main educational aids used were overhead projection, slides, film and handouts; a special exhibition of aids was annexed to the course and commercial catalogues of technical aids were distributed. Participants were invited to share their personal experience with others (home arrangements, aids, inventions, tips for autonomy, etc.) and illustrate it with slides, photos, etc.
Products were also presented and demonstrated. The theoretical and practical sides of the course were reflected in the key-words chosen to describe the preferred learning styles, namely interactivity, discussion, learning by doing and good presentation.
Participants filled in a presentation form but also did self-presentation on the opening day. The information gathered was then used to update the organisation's statistics, readjust course contents to the real target, and to readjust the organisation's contents and methods. Teachers' progress meetings were held during the course.
At the end of the course, those who took part were given a participation certificate that also authorises them to participate in the higher levels of the course.
Feedback was collected through both a final questionnaire and
personal impressions, and this information is used not only to
reflect on the effectiveness of the specific course but also in
evaluating the organisation's general educational activity. Follow-up
is done through direct contact.
Contents of the Course
The program of the last edition of the course was as follows:
Selection
This course is the continuation of the first one, so the initiative was publicised and information disseminated to participants of previous editions of the 1st level, whose addresses are maintained in the organisation's database. Participants were selected on the basis of impairment (motor), disability, territoriality, and attendance of the first level of the course. Teachers were selected from the organisation's staff, according to their level of expertise. A preference for teachers with disabilities was expressed, and these usually belonged to the organisation itself, but were also chosen according to their expertise. Those seeking to qualify as trainers and co-ordinators of the practical sessions and group work need to have done both the first and second levels of the Centro Studi PRISMA courses.
Organisation
The courses were held off the organisation's premises in a place chosen especially for this activity - the same venue used for the first edition. All possible environmental aspects were considered: general comfort, overall accessibility and accessibility of bathrooms, aesthetics, seating arrangements, as well as the kind and quality of room accommodation, preparation time needed, etc. The event also included lunch breaks, recreational activities, welcome and farewell sessions, and meals and accommodation were provided as part of the course itself.
Participants were charged a fee of Lire 350,000. A co-ordinator supervised the whole activity but teachers' meeting were also arranged in this phase to assure coherence.
Implementation
Contents were mainly delivered through lectures and group discussions; group work were also organised. All possible educational aids were used (overhead projection, slides, video, software for content presentation and handouts for the participants).
The choice of interactivity and discussion as the key words to describe the teaching styles adopted reflects the emphasis placed on strong involvement of the participants.
As the participants had already taken part in the 1st level of the same course, no special effort was needed to collect information on them. In any case, the course contents and methods are adjusted on the basis of the real target of participants, and the organisation's database is regularly updated. A co-ordinator was in charge of the entire process and teachers' progress meetings were held during the week-long course.
Feedback was collected through personal impressions and this information is used to reflect not only on the effectiveness of the particular course but also on the organisation's overall educational activity. Follow-up was also done through direct contact.
Contents of the course
The contents of the course are organised as follows:
This course addressed to adults with a motor impairment was organised within the European Horizon programme. It sprang out of the Centro Studi PRISMA's ideas on disability and autonomy, according to which persons with disabilities aren't mere recipients of assistance or of health, social, technical and administrative services, but are experts in their own lives, and this know-how comes from their daily experience with disability. They must take control of their lives, becoming the protagonists of their rehabilitation and social and professional integration, assuming the roles of counsellor and trainer for other persons with disabilities.
The objectives of the course were to train participants to become: promoters of autonomous living for other persons with disabilities; promoters of knowledge for social and professional integration in society; counsellors for other persons with disabilities.
As part of Centro Studi PRISMA's global activity, this course is considered as the third and highest level of a wide-scale activity on the same topic.
Selection
Information on the course was spread through a public call for participation, and 30 applicants were accepted. One of the prerequisites for eligibility was participation in the previous two levels of the course and therefore those accepted had basic knowledge of methodologies for personal autonomy, together with knowledge of the technical and social aspects of integration. Having met the entry requirements, participants were then chosen on the basis of their age, sex, type of impairment (only motor), disability and territoriality.
Teachers and tutors (with an expressed preference for persons with disabilities) were selected from the organisation's staff on the basis of their expertise.
Organisation
The course was held off the organisation's premises in a place chosen for that purpose, and a number of environmental aspects were considered (comfort, overall accessibility, aesthetics, accessibility of bathrooms, seating arrangements for participants). While no personal assistance was offered, lunch breaks, coffee-breaks, recreational initiatives, and welcome and farewell sessions were provided, together with meals and accommodation.
Participation in the entire course was compulsory; travel and accommodation expenses of those taking part (as well as their personal assistants) were reimbursed, and all educational material was provided by the organisation.
A co-ordinator was in charge of the whole educational process, and teachers' preparatory meetings were held.
Implementation
The course was a mixture of lectures supported by a wide variety of educational aids, group work, and group work techniques such as simulation. Hands-on sessions were also held in the form of presentation and demonstration of products. Since the accent of the course was on the social, educational and technical aspects of integration, the final stage involved production of a television commercial promoting the idea of social integration as an advantage for all. The main emphasis, from an educational point of view, was on the role of participants as protagonists, as borne out by the two pedagogical key-words chosen: interactivity and discussion.
Information on participants was collected through a presentation form and self-presentation on the opening day, and this information was used to update the organisation's statistics, but also to readjust the initiative's contents and methods on the basis of the real target. During this phase a co-ordinator was responsible for consistency of the whole initiative, and teachers' progress meetings were organised. A final open discussion and collection of personal impressions were the ways used to collect feedback from participants.
A diploma was presented to the participants who passed the final examination. This certificate testified that the participant had been trained as a multi-skilled educator with disability for social and professional autonomy and integration of persons with disabilities.
Contents of the Course
The I.R.I.D.E. course program was as follows:
CULTURAL TOOLS
Understanding mass media messages and languages
Communication techniques
Analysis of message contents
Integrated information
EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
Promotion of knowledge of disability in schools
Strategies and techniques to adopt in schools
PSYCHOLOGICAL TOOLS
Basic elements of psychological dynamics in families including persons with disabilities and in society
Techniques and elements of peer counselling and animation
Aspects of network-based activity in the territory
TECHNICAL TOOLS
Information tools (information centres, counselling centres)
Techniques for organising social promotion activities in the territory
Techniques for organising information activities
Technologies for personal autonomy
Technologies for social integration
Technologies for work
This course is a special edition of the Centro Studi PRISMA first-level course held off-premises. The venue was the Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi in Marina di Massa, and the event was open to a group of 25 persons with disability who were doing twenty days of intensive rehabilitation at the centre. In this way, they had the opportunity to augment their treatment with participation in this course for autonomy; in any case, the course was organised so that it would fit in smoothly with their rehabilitation activities at the centre. According to the organisers, the course was of an experimental character, in order to test its effectiveness and the possibility of repeating the experience in subsequent years.
The seminar on "sphincteral disturbances" cited in the table above was held at the end at this course, but was also open to rehabilitation professionals. It had a more traditional seminar structure, whereby a number of speakers lectured the public.
Selection
The initiative was publicised via leaflets sent mainly to rehabilitation centres in the area and to those who attend the rehabilitation centre. Participants were selected on the basis of age (adults and the elderly), type of impairment (only motor), disability and territoriality. In-patients were also entitled to enrol in the course. The teachers were chosen from Centro Studi PRISMA's teaching staff, with an expressed preference for teachers with disabilities.
Organisation
The course was held at the rehabilitation centre in Marina di Massa, which features general accessibility, and special attention was paid to seating arrangements for the participants. Personal assistance was provided by the centre's personnel, and lunch breaks, welcome and farewell sessions were organised. Given that the participants were at that moment in-patients at the centre, no enrolment fee was charged. As in the other editions of the course, teachers' preparatory meetings were held.
Implementation
Lectures supported by overhead projection, slides and video was the most important method for transferring contents, together with group discussions and group work. The work groups were guided by co-ordinators chosen on the basis of experience, competence, reliability, and participation in previous editions of the course. Hands-on sessions were also organised in the form of presentation and demonstration of products. Interactivity and discussions were the two pedagogical key-words chosen to describe the activities, suggesting that great importance was attributed to the participants themselves. An introductory questionnaire, together with self-presentation on the opening day, were the two main methods for collecting information on participants, which was used to readjust the course methods and contents on the basis of the real target. During this phase, consistency in the activities was ensured by the efforts of a co-ordinator and by holding progress meetings. The role of the co-ordinator was very important, since this person had the responsibility of planning the program, co-ordinating all the teachers' meetings, participating in all the lessons, preparing the educational material and handouts for participants, as well as preparing the material for the group work. Final feedback was collected through a questionnaire and gathering of personal impressions.
Contents of the Course
The program for the Marina di Massa edition of the course was
as follows: