ATLEC

ATLEC plans to attend AAATE 2013, the 12th European AAATE Conference and present a paper on the ATLEC outcomes. This will take place in Vilamoura (Algarve, Portugal) on 19-22 September 2013.
Throughout the years the AAATE conference has establish itself has a privileged forum for researchers in the transdisciplinary area of Assistive Technology. One of the main objectives of the AAATE2013 Conference is to bring together researchers, professionals, manufacturers, end users and its families, and combine their knowledge, expertise, needs and expectations, contributing in a multidisciplinary way to the success of this meeting.

ATLEC plans to attend the Com@modemdag on 25 January 2013 in Duffel, Belgium. This event brings together all stakeholders of the ATLEC project, and will be an excellent place to disseminate the curriculum and associated mobile application.

ATLEC was present at the European Day of People with Disabilities Policy Event in Brussels on 3-4 December 2012 with a dedicated booth. With over 500 attendees this event is core to reaching out to the project’s stakeholders.

Project booth at European Day of People with Disabilities Policy Event in Brussels on 3-4 December 2012

We will attend the EASPD policy seminar “You cared for me, I care for you: solidarity between generations and abilities” on 5 December 2012 in Brussels. This event will discuss care for seniors with disabilities and look at the conditions that allow family members of different generations to care for each other — thus making intergenerational solidarity possible.
The seminar aspires to identify the main challenges preventing intergenerational solidarity from happening and the policy conditions that need to be in place to support families in their care responsibilities. The event will ensure engagement with policy makers in this discussion and phrase proposals on how to improve on the current situation and realise a society that allows people to care for each other, knowing that the right safety nets are in place.

Interview with Karel Van Isacker on the need for basic ICT and AT training for people with disabilities. This is made possible through the free outcomes of the ViPi (www.vipi-project.eu) and the ATLEC (www.atlec-project.eu) projects.

This video was made by the Web 2LLP project (http://web2llp.eu).

ATLEC participated in HANDImatica 12 (9th National Conference on Disability and information & Communications Technology) with a booth and participation in the afternoon’s seminar on 22/11/2012 with following presentation:

And here is the audio version of the presentation:

The First Open International Forum on mobile technologies for social inclusion will focus on analyzing and raising awareness about the needs and mobile-based solutions for groups under risk of digital exclusion in Latin America (low-income and isolated communities, chronic patients and people with disabilities). Relevant stakeholders from all over the world will participate providing their expertise from technological, social and politic-economical perspectives. The M-Inclusion awards for “Apps4Change” Challenge Program 2012, which recognizes groundbreaking mobile solutions for social inclusion, will take place during the conference. M-Inclusion is a project co-funded by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme. The consortium, led by Telefonica, also includes Futura Networks Colombia, Innovation Engineering, Econet, the Nokia Technology Institute of Brazil, the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, Cayetano Heredia University in Peru and the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain.

Thursday, November 22nd, 2012, h. 11.00-12.30 within Handimatica, Istituto Aldini-Valeriani, Bologna

It is argued that people with disabilities can increase their possibilities of finding appropriate employment by developing their ICT AT skills. But is it as easy as that? What are the lessons learned so far and what are critical issues? How should the training look like in order to be really effective both for the person and for his/her employer? And if people want to make the step from “competent ICT AT user” to “ICT AT trainer”, what competences are involved and how should the training look like? What employment opportunities would there be for ICT AT trainers or peer counsellors.
These issues, and others, will be addressed by stakeholders during a Round Table discussion.

Participants:

1. David Stewart, Director Oakfield School – UK
2. Annalisa Ferrari, Human Resource Manager, Unipol Group, Italy
3. Maurizio Cocchi, President Virtual Coop, Bologna
4. Carlo Venturelli, consultant and ICT AT user, Bologna
5. Marina Vriz, peer counsellor in AT, Fondazione ASPHI, Bologna
6. Anna Sculli, social worder e Fabio Brusa, AT consultant, SAIL- AT advice centre for training and employment, Province of Varese
7. Chiara Bonaldi, Vocational training manager, OPIMM, Bologna

Coordination: Claudio Bitelli, Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf (AIAS Bologna onlus)

ATLEC will participate in the Policy Dialogue “Accessibility – From European challenge to global opportunity” on Tuesday 13 November 2012, at the Scotland House, Rond-Point Schuman 6, 1040 Brussels.

The European Policy Centre, in cooperation with Oracle and the European Disability Forum is organising this event. It will consist of two successive discussions. The first part of the Policy Dialogue will consider the differences and similarities between the EU and the US with regard to accessibility, the on-going transatlantic cooperation in this field, the importance of standardisation in providing accessible products and services for people with disabilities and the elderly, as well as the prospects for developing and harmonising standards in the EU, as well as globally.

The second part of the discussion will look at the definition of accessibility, the scope of the upcoming Accessibility Act and how it could help to meet the needs of people with disabilities and older people, as well as the technical, financial and legal instruments needed to promote greater accessibility in society.

We will attend EUCIS-LLL’s Public Hearing on “Basic Skills for Inclusive Growth: A civil society perspective” on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM (PST) in Brussels, Belgium.