Programs in
Assistive Technology Education
for End-Users in Europe

Name of the organisation
    GIHP - GROUPEMENT POUR L'INSERTION DES
    PERSONNES HANDICAPÉES PHYSIQUES
Address
    138, rue Duguesclin
    69006 Lyon
    FRANCE
    Telephone: +33 4 78242732
    Fax: +33 4 72759734
Key Person of the organisation
    Jeannot Michel

An organisation of persons with disabilities, devoted to information/advice, research and production/sale of products. Educational activities began 5-10 years ago and also address the issues of independent living and coping better with disability, as well as to the role of AT; these activities mainly involve personal assistants and rehabilitation professionals.

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

  • training courses, in non-residential form, for which no additional information has been given;
  • 60 seminars, mainly involving the organisation's training of helpers, consequently addressed exclusively to this special target;
  • information activities (1 per year) in the form of conferences addressed to technologists and administrative officers;
  • activities addressed to the individual, in the form of advice, yet to be organised.

The role played by AT within the information activities is important; the AT-related areas listed are mobility, communication, household activities and self-care.

TRAINING COURSES AND SEMINARS

From the training viewpoint, this organisation is mainly involved in holding special lessons within training courses organised by others, and these activities are described in detail.
Title of the initiative
Typology
Year
Duration

(in hrs.)
Number partic.
Target
Number teachers
Formation auprès des aidants

(Lessons within the training of personal assistants)

n/r train. c.
1990-1997
3
15
pers. assistants
1
Formation des techniciens pour l'accessibilité

(Lessons within accessibility training for technicians)

topical workshop
1997
3
10
technologists
1-2
Formation de conducteurs accompagnateurs

(Lessons within training for accompanying persons)

monogr. seminar
1996-1997
3
15
other
1

Selection

Since this organisation did not have direct responsibility for the training course, not all the issues have been considered. Teachers were selected on the basis of their level of expertise, but a preference was also expressed for teachers and tutors with disabilities, who were chosen on the basis of the same criterion.

Organisation

Obviously, lessons were carried out in different places, which were all generally accessible. A teachers' secretariat was set up, and preparatory meetings between teachers were also held.

Implementation

Lessons were mainly based on simulation and discussion, but demonstration and presentation of products was also proposed. Participants presented themselves on the opening day, and this information was important in deciding how to present contents to the public. Feedback was collected through the participants' personal impressions.

Further remarks

Further activities of this kind are foreseen in the future.