Programs in
Assistive Technology Education
for End-Users in Europe

Name of the organisation
    GIL ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
Address
    Stampgatan 15
    41664 Goteborg
    SWEDEN
    Telephone: +46 31 150490
    Fax: 46 31 151808
Key Person of the organisation
    Rolf Bergfors, manager

An organisation of persons with disabilities that is involved in training/education, information/advice, pressure group activities and public awareness raising. Educational activities addressed to a wider target of users began 5-10 years ago, and embrace the issues of independent living, coping better with disability and AT.

The educational activities carried out over the past 5 years can be classified as follows:

  • information activities, represented mainly by exhibitions and exchange of experiences, addressed to a target of users;
  • activities addressed to the individual, mainly in the form of information services and self-help, addressed to the same target.

AT plays an important role in these activities, focusing primarily on legislation and standardisation issues.

TRAINING COURSES AND SEMINARS

No specific details are available about these activities, apart from the fact that the target of these activities are users in general.

Selection

The initiatives were publicised by means of leaflets and various forms of advertisements; information was also passed on to rehabilitation centres and was handed out at congresses and exhibitions. No special criteria were adopted for participant selection, so a wide public was expected. Teachers belong to the organisation itself but were chosen according to the level of expertise.

Organisation

The organisation set up a special space on its premises to develop these activities, but some were also held off its premises; when choosing venues, special attention was paid to general comfort, overall accessibility and accessibility of bathrooms. Events included personal assistance when needed, assistance with travel reservation and accommodation, welcome sessions, and coffee and lunch breaks.

A co-ordinator was appointed for the initiative, but each teacher planned his/her lesson individually.

Implementation

Various methods were used including lectures, group discussions, brainstorming and group work, with equal importance given to participation and good presentation, the pedagogical key-words chosen. Overhead projection, video and handouts for the participants were the most commonly adopted educational aids. Information on participants was collected through an introductory questionnaire and self-presentation on the opening day, and this was subsequently used to readjust contents and methods on the basis of the real target. Feedback was collected through personal impressions and a final questionnaire, and the information used to readjust the contents and methods of the next edition of the same course. Finally, follow-up was carried out through direct contact.