Programs in
Assistive Technology Education
for End-Users in Europe

Name of the organisation
    DISABLED PEOPLE OF CLARE
    Voluntary Sector
Address
    Rozton, Corofin
    Co-Clare
    IRELAND
    Telephone: +353 65 37370
    Fax: 353 65 37297
Key Person of the organisation
    Dermot Hayes, programme manager

This is the voluntary sector of the same organisation of people with disabilities, and is mainly involved in information/advice and research, while its educational activities are addressed to persons with disabilities and personal assistants. These activities (begun less than 5 years ago) also 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:

  • non-residential training course, addressed exclusively to a target of persons with disabilities and personal assistants;
  • seminars (no further information given);
  • information activities, classified as conferences, but no further information given;
  • activities addressed to the individual, mainly in the form of peer counselling, self-help and information services,; once again, no further information was given.

AT plays a very important role in training courses, and the sole considered area is learning.

TRAINING COURSES AND SEMINARS
Title of the initiative
Typology
Year
Duration

(in hrs.)
Number partic.
Target
Number teachers
Independent living mon. sem.
1996
8
200
large public

Selection

The initiative was publicised through mass media advertisements on radio and TV, and since it was open to a wide public no criteria were adopted for choosing participants. There was a preference for teachers with disabilities, who were selected on the basis of their level of expertise.

Organisation

The seminar was organised in a place found especially for the occasion, chosen on the basis of general comfort. Personal assistance when needed was offered, as well as lunch and coffee-breaks. Only one teacher was involved, so no co-ordination process was activated.

Implementation

The method used was group work based on the use of numerous educational aids such as overhead projection, slides, video and handouts; this approach is also reflected in the choice of good presentation as the suitable pedagogical key-word,; no practice sessions were considered.

No information on participants was gathered, while feedback comprised the collection of personal impressions. Finally, follow-up was carried out by direct contact.