Programs in
Assistive Technology Education
for End-Users in Europe

Name of the organisation
    THE DANISH SOCIETY OF POLIO AND ACCIDENT VICTIMS
Address
    Tuborgvej 5
    DK 2900 Hellerup
    DENMARK
    Telephone: +45 39 629000
    Fax: +45 39 625439
Key Person of the organisation
    K. Ole Frickmann, managing director

An organisation of persons with disabilities that is mainly involved in rehabilitation and public awareness raising. Educational activities began more than 10 years ago and also encompass the importance of training for independent living and coping better with disability; these activities are exclusively addressed to persons with disabilities.

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

  • 6 training courses, both residential and non-residential, mainly addressed to persons with disabilities and families;
  • 6 seminars, in the form of monographic seminars, exclusively addressed to persons with disabilities;
  • 8 information activities, in the form of exhibitions, also addressed to rehabilitation professionals;
  • activities addressed to the individual, which are on-going, represented by advice, information services, advocacy and self-help, addressed to the above-mentioned target.

In all these initiatives AT plays an important role, while the areas related to AT are household activities, self-care, employment and mobility.

TRAINING COURSES AND SEMINARS

No specific titles of the training activities were given, nor other information such as the specific target, the duration, typology, and so on. However, a general description is given concerning the organisation and implementation aspects.

Selection

The initiatives were publicised through leaflets sent out to the organisation's address database and advertisements in specialised journals. Participants were selected on the basis of their disability and personal interest, while teachers (no preference for those with disabilities) were selected according to level of expertise.

Organisation

The initiative took place in different locations, which were selected each time for the purpose considering overall accessibility and accessibility of bathrooms; organisation was comprehensive and included personal assistance when needed, coffee and lunch breaks, recreational activities, and welcome and farewell sessions. Co-ordination between teachers was ensured both by a co-ordinator and through preparatory meetings. Only a token enrolment fee was charged for participation.

Implementation

Contents were transmitted via lectures, as well as group discussions and group work supported by overhead projection, slides, video and handouts; the hands-on sessions were based on presentation, demonstration and individual use of products. Questioning and discussion were the preferred pedagogical key-words, consequently a strong accent was put on participation.

Information on participants was collected through an introductory questionnaire, and then used to readjust contents and methods on the basis of the real target. A final questionnaire was also distributed to collect participants' final impressions, and this information used to improve subsequent editions of the same initiative. No follow-up was done.