Access For All

The workshop “Cognitive Support Technology For Older People” is organised jointly by the EU funded projects VitalMind and HERMES.
The older population is growing rapidly throughout the world. Whilst many older people have no substantial health problems, the majority tend to have mild but progressive deterioration in their cognitive abilities. However, a growing body of scientific research indicates that cognitive training and stimulating activities can maintain cognitive function in older people for a longer period of time, helping them remain cognitively healthy.
In this one-day workshop, we will explore the state of the art in cognitive support technology for older people. We will discuss how technology can help the elderly to preserve their quality of life, describing work which several research groups have done and are doing in the area of cognitive training and assisting technologies and outlining some of the challenges that lie ahead. The goal is to share best practice and to generate new conceptual frameworks for how to advance, promote and spread assisting technology research for older people.

The topics that will be covered are:

• Universal access and assistive technology
• Inclusive design for older people
• Benefits of cognitive training systems in older adults
• Drivers and barriers to the adoption of ICT by older people
• Exploitation of cognitive support technology for older people

The workshop exhibition will showcase a range of innovative research and applications using interactive technologies.

When
15th December 2010
From 10 am to 5 pm

Where
Richard Hoggart Building
Lecture Theatre 309
Goldsmiths – University of London
Lewisham Way – SE14 6AF – London, UK

Registration details
The fee is £25 and includes all workshop materials and refreshments.
To register, please contact Andrea Miotto or Arjan Geven.

Download the full announcement.

The Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, and the CONFIDENCE consortium are pleased to announce the CONFIDENCE 2010 International Conference – Open Doors to ICT for Ageing and eInclusion.
The conference aims at disseminating current research and development activities carried out within the CONFIDENCE project as well as other research within the European Union Framework Programmes, but is not limited to these. The conference also encourages the exchange of ideas and initiatives among participants in the fields of ICT and ageing, eInclusion, and AAL.
Attendees will be able to experience first-hand the ability of the CONFIDENCE prototype to discriminate alarming situations, such as falls, from normal behaviours which allow the system to be silent while the user is confident that help will be summoned when it is urgently needed.
Participation in the conference sessions is free for guests. However, registration for the event is needed in order to facilitate the organisation of the conference.

The Ambient Assisted Living Forum (AAL Forum) 2010 will be held at the Odense Congress Centre in Denmark on September 15-17th 2010. The AAL Forum 2010 is the result of collaboration between the City of Odense, the Region of Southern Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the AAL Joint Programme.
This year the AAL Forum focuses on presenting innovative solutions to tackle the challenges inherent to our ageing societies. It aims to provide a platform for all stakeholders – investors, researchers, policy makers, industry providers and end-users – to discuss smart solutions for a improved quality of life in later years.
More information at the event website.

On 13 and 14 September 2010, INCLUSO will organise in Leuven (Arenberg Castle, Heverlee-Belgium) an international conference on eInclusion of Youth at Risk gathering international specialists in the field of social software use and improvement of social inclusion for disadvantaged youngsters. We expect also delegates from decision making groups such as governments and the European Commission.
The main trust is a collection of practical results in this field and the prioritisation of future actions.
INCLUSO is a collaborative project between seven European partners, funded by the European Union in its 7th Framework programme of research.
More information at the INCLUSO project website.

This Consultation meeting will bring together experts from all over Europe. The objective of the 2-day meeting is to provide strategic guidance for future research under the AAL Joint Programme and possible future topics for the ICT Policy Support Programme in the field of ICT & Ageing for 2011 and beyond. The outcome will be used as input for the preparation of future calls for proposals.
More info on the EC website.

The results and major findings of the Exploratory Workshop held on 19 October 2009 are now available.
An initial set of possible common indicators stemming from the ongoing projects and pilots work was analysed; ground-rules for constructing statistically significant impact measurement methodologies in this field were discussed and initial recommendations and guidelines for comparable future impact measurements arose from an interactive brainstorming and discussion amongst the participants.
The results are to be further taken up by a follow-up work in a form of a repository of existing relevant documents to serve as background for further discussions and intensified and structured best practice exchange. The purpose is to develop a common framework for arriving at solid and comparable evidence to facilitate policy decisions and further investment for wide deployment and uptake of solutions.
Read the report of the workshop for the full results.