ATLEC

This report presents the results and conclusions from a study on assessing and promoting e-accessibility. The main aims of the study were to take stock of the extent of e-accessibility across the EU27 countries and some third countries, as well as the policy efforts that have emerged in this area. The focus was on e-accessibility in three key domains – web, telecoms and TV.

The core objective was to benchmark the current situation in relation to e-accessibility, using an appropriate set of indicators. In addition to providing evidence that can help to inform about EU policy in this field, the results may be useful for other relevant stakeholders (at pan-European and Member State levels) in their efforts to promote progress in e-accessibility across Europe. The conceptual approach and results of the study can also contribute to the ongoing efforts to develop effective monitoring systems in the e-accessibility field in Europe.

Some common conclusions were made in relation to the accessibility situation for each of the three domains (web, telecoms, TV). For each area of accessibility:

• Some progress in recent years can be detected, but there remains much room for improvement across the European Union as a whole
• There is considerable variation across Member States in terms of the extent of accessibility that has been achieved, as well as in the specific aspects that are being addressed
• Better results seem generally to be achieved where there are specific obligations imposed in legislation and/or by regulators; in the absence of such obligations, there seems to be a lot less likelihood that the relevant market players will have implemented accessibility measures
• The variations across Member States suggest that, in each of the three fields, initiatives to ensure that key aspects of accessibility are consistently addressed (to a good standard of quality) might be warranted.

In the telecoms and television fields, there are existing EU Directives that address accessibility issues and these seem to have provided a stimulus for accessibility efforts in a number of the Member States. However, given the continued existence of wide variations across countries in the approaches adopted and in the levels of accessibility that are being achieved, benchlearning and other initiatives may be needed in order to support the Member States and their regulatory bodies in their efforts to ensure that the objectives of the Directives are achieved.

In the web field, the continuing variation across Member States in terms of progress towards public website accessibility suggests that EU‐level initiative in this field (possibly addressing obligations and monitoring) is warranted. Given that there are variations across Member States in terms of the likely web accessibility experiences of different user groups, a common EU‐wide approach to ensure that key aspects of web accessibility are consistently addressed in all countries in a harmonized way is needed.

Download the study on assessing and promoting e-accessibility.

PhoenixKM presented “Developing a curriculum and mobile application to deliver training and information relating to Assistive Technology” in the context of ATLEC at ITAG2013 in Nottingham, UK on 17 October 2013.

Screenshot Mobile app

In the context of the ATLEC project, we have also created an own mobile application, which after initial user testing, is also available in an English version. We will update this application in the weeks to come.

You can download it here (.rar file, unzip first with e.g. Easy Unrar Lite and then install the .apk fule). Just ensure your smartphone runs Android 4.x and that you allow that also non Google Play sourced applications can be installed. At a later stage we will also launch the application on Google Play.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Nederlands.

A group of persons with disabilities with interest in assistive technology and included in the ATLEC competence development programme delivered by AT team of AIAS Bologna in Italy, will visit together with that team the upcoming Reatech fair in Milano, the main AT event in Italy.

“This is the first time that we organise such a combined study trip”, says Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf of the AT team in Bologna. “Normally the AT experts would go for their own professional development, but ATLEC has stimulated us to share our knowledge with the end users of our advice centre on a more equal foot.” The trip has been carefully designed with the participants being invited to explicit their areas of interest and learning needs and AT expert Massimiliano Malavasi travelling to Milano the day before to explore the information offer. The learning needs and wishes, together with the outcomes of the visit to the fair, will be the basis for the further learning of each of the participants.

“The ATLEC curriculum provides us the possibility to design individual learning plans related to a wider framework of coherent learning outcomes at different levels”, declares Hoogerwerf, “and this is exactly what makes the project so exciting”.

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On 17 October, the ATLEC paper “Developing a curriculum and mobile application to deliver training and information relating to Assistive Technology” (Karel Van Isacker, Jacqui Lewis and Stavroula Papavasiliou) will be presented at ITAG 2013 at 10.00 AM GMT. There will be social media support throughout via https://www.facebook.com/iTAG.conf which will disseminate the presentations, pictures and video.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Eλληνικά, Italiano and Nederlands.

Yes, I can! ICT and ICT-AT skills development for all: Final SYMPOSIUM of the ViPi & ATLEC projects

With the support of:

Date: 4 December 2013

Venue: VLEVA (Vlaams-Europees verbindingsagentschap vzw), Kortenberglaan 71, 1000 Brussels, Belgium (Google maps) – Closest metro station: Schuman

Participants: 100-120

Duration: 9:00 hours – 18:00 hours

Event language: English

Target audience: People with disabilities, teachers, trainers, tutors, carers, policy makers, academics, ICT and AT experts and their organisations.

Program

8:30h-9:00h: Registration and welcome

• Welcome – Jan Buysse (General Director, vleva)
• Opening – Karel Van Isacker (CEO, PhoenixKM) – pdf

Sessions 1 & 2

• SESSION 1 (9.00-10.00)Increased independence for people with disabilities

  Chair: Jean-Marie Vanhove, Inclusief Consulting, Belgium – pdf

  9.00 – 9.20: EU Disability Policy: EC (presented by Karel Van Isacker) – pdf

  9.20 – 9.40: More independence for people with a disability – Flemish context: Helga Stevens: member of Flemish Parliament – pdf

  9.40 – 10.00: Discussion – questions

• SESSION 2 (10.00 – 11.00)Need for training in the use of ICT AT: Point of view of the users

  Chair: Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf, AIAS Bologna, Italy

  10.00 – 10.20: The need for qualified training in the use of ICT/AT for people with disabilities: Wim Moeyaert (end-user expert) – pdf

  10.20 – 10.40: Witness accounts of pilot participants: Steve Boussemaere (including ViPi video) – pdf

  10.40- 11.00: Discussion and questions

Break + exhibition (11.00 – 11.30)

Session 3

• SESSION 3: (11.30- 12.45)Training on ICT and ICT AT in service provision and the labour market

  Chair: Jacqui Lewis, Greenhat Interactive, UK, with short introduction to current practices ICT Skills at European level – pdf

  11.30 – 11.50: The need for training in the use of ICT/AT and experiences in vocational training: VDAB – pdf

  11.50 – 12.10: Need for training in the use of ICT/AT and experiences in the labour market: VDAB

  12.10 – 12.30: Need for training in the use of ICT AT and experiences in care: Luk Zelderloo (Secretary General EASPD) – pdf

  12.30 – 12.45: Discussion and questions

Lunch (12.45 – 13.45)

Session 4

• SESSION 4 (13.45 – 15.30)The VIPI, ATLEC, SGSCC, DICE and eMentoring projects – outcomes

  Chair: Karel Van Isacker, project coordinator, PhoenixKM, Belgium

  VIPI, eMentoring and DICE: Presentation curriculum: by Prof. David Brown (NTU) and Karel Van Isacker (PhoenixKM) – pdf

  ATLEC: Presentation curriculum: by Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf (AIAS) – pdf

  SGSCC: Presentation curriculum: by Mariya Goranova (PhoenixKM) – pdf

  ViPi and ATLEC platform and mobile applications: Panagiotis Tsoris (Steficon) & Prof. Constantinos Mourlas (University of Athens) – pdf1 – pdf2

Break and exhibition (15.30 – 16.00)

Wrap up session (16.00 – 17.00)

• Moderator: Jean-Marie Vanhove, Inclusief consulting, BelgiumTopics: What did we learn from the former presentations and what can we do about it?

  Panel with representatives of ViPi, ATLEC, SGSCC, AAATE (Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf), EASPD (Luc Zelderloo), Jos Sterckx (Knowledge Center Social Europe), Wim Moeyaert (end-user expert)

Demo sessions and closure (walking dinner) (17:15-18:00)

• Curriculums of different projects
• ViPi and ATLEC learning objects and integrated platform
• Training platforms
• Mobile and desktop games
• Mobile applications
• Posters of other projects/experiences

Registration is still possible via http://tinyurl.com/ViPi-ATLEC.

Note that participation is only confirmed after receiving a formal confirmation email from us.

This event is organised with the support of the Liaison agency Flanders-Europe (vleva) and Knowledge Center Social Europe.

The projects ViPi and ATLEC have been partially funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Nederlands.