Programs
in
Assistive Technology Education
for End-Users in Europe
This is a public organisation mainly devoted to information/advice activities, but to a certain extent also to training and education. Educational activities are mainly addressed to professional and personal assistants, and take into account the issues of independent living and obviously AT.
Educational activities began 5-10 years ago and those carried out over the past 5 years can be classified as follows:
The role played by AT in these initiatives is always very important, and almost all the areas related to AT are covered, including mobility, communication, hearing, vision, learning, reading/writing, general accessibility issues, self-care, employment, household activities, etc.
The courses and seminars listed in the table below were held in
different places: while the first two took place on the organisation's
premises in Melilla (a Spanish town in North Africa), the last
one was organised at Cartagena de Indias (Colombia).
| ||||||
| AT for independent living and accessibility | n/r train. c. | rehab. prof., educ. prof., soc. work., technol., adm. off. | ||||
| Horizon ASTRA | top. work. | rehab. prof., educ. prof., soc. work. | ||||
| Accessibility, technology and disability | n/r train. c. | other |
Selection
The training course was mainly publicised through leaflets, postcards and stickers, together with advertisements in other journals, this last form proving the most effective. Information was generally spread to user organisations, other organisations in the field and rehabilitation centres.
No special criteria were adopted for choosing participants, while teachers were chosen in terms of membership of the same organisation and their expertise and popularity; no preference for teachers with disability is expressed.
Organisation
The initiative took place at the Melilla Congress and Exhibition Centre, chosen (among other reasons) on the basis of environmental aspects such as comfort, overall accessibility and bathroom accessibility. Personal assistance when needed and on-site coffee-breaks were included in the organisation. Each teacher planned his/her lessons individually.
Implementation
The methods used for delivering contents were traditional lectures supported by slides and followed by group discussions. No hands-on session was organised, but an exhibition where products were presented and demonstrated was annexed to the conference room. Information on the participants was collected during group discussion, and this information has been used to readjust contents on the basis of the real target. Feedback from participants was collected by asking for personal impressions, and this information was then used to readjust the initiative's contents and methods.
No follow-up has been done, but abstracts and conclusions of the initiatives have been published in journals.
Selection
This topical workshop was publicised through personal letters sent out to a special database of persons. Participants were selected on the basis of their professional experience and in relation to employment issues. Teachers were chosen for their expertise; no preference for teachers with disability was expressed.
Organisation
The workshop took place on the organisation's premises, in a space set up especially for that purpose which featured comfort, overall accessibility and accessibility of bathrooms. Lunch was offered free of charge to the participants. A co-ordinator was appointed for the whole process to give specific instructions to the teachers.
Implementation
The sole method used to deliver contents was group discussion, supported by all possible educational aids; hands-on sessions dealt exclusively with case studies and solutions. Learning by doing and discussion were the preferred key-words to describe the pedagogical approach.
Information on the participants was collected via the presentation form, and this information has been used to readjust contents on the basis of the real target. Feedback from participants was collected through a final questionnaire and a discussion, and this information has been used to readjust the initiative's contents and methods.
A follow-up has been done by direct contact.
Selection
This training course was organised on the basis of a personal invitation addressed to two persons per each Ibero-American country; the only additional criterion was the professional experience of the invited persons.
Teachers were chosen on the basis of membership of the organisation itself, for their expertise and for the quality of their relationship to the organisation.
Organisation
The initiative took place at the House of Spain in Cartagena. Personal assistance when needed, coffee and lunch breaks on site, welcome and farewell sessions were included in the organisation. Each teacher planned his/her lessons individually, but a co-ordinator was appointed for the whole process.
Implementation
The method used to deliver contents was traditional lectures supported by slides and followed by group discussions. Group work was also organised, concerning assistive technology for accessibility, communication, etc. No hands-on session was done. Information on the participants was collected through self-presentation on the opening day, and this information has been used to readjust contents on the basis of the real target. Feedback from participants was collected through a final questionnaire, and this information was used to readjust the initiative's contents and methods.