Access For All

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)

Sessions 1 & 2

• SESSION 1 (9.00-10.00)
  The right for training in the use of ICT/AT for people with disabilities
  Chair: Jean-Marie Vanhove, Inclusief Consulting, Belgium
  9.00 – 9.20: Training in international and European context (UN Convention – European Policies): TBC
  9.20 – 9.40: Training in Flemish context: Helga Stevens: member of Flemish Parliament
  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 (Werkgroep Vorming & Aktie)
  10.20 – 10.40: Witness accounts of pilot participants: Steve Boussemaere, Andy Vermeulen, Peter Anckaert
  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
  11.30 – 11.50: The need for training in the use of ICT/AT and experiences in vocational training: VDAB
  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)
  12.30 – 12.45: Discussion and questions

Lunch (12.45 – 13.45)

Session 4

• SESSION 4 (13.45 – 15.30)
  The VIPI, ATLEC, SGSCC and eMentoring projects – outcomes
  Chair: Karel Van Isacker, project coordinator, PhoenixKM, Belgium
  VIPI and eMentoring: Presentation curriculum: by Prof. David Brown (NTU) and Karel Van Isacker (PhoenixKM)
  ATLEC: Presentation curriculum: by Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf (AIAS)
  SGSCC: Presentation curriculum: by Mariya Goranova (PhoenixKM)
  ViPi and ATLEC platform and mobile applications: Panagiotis Tsoris (Steficon) & Maria Saridaki (University of Athens)
  Current practices ICT Skills at European level: by Jacqui Lewis (GHI)

Break and exhibition (15.30 – 16.00)

Wrap up session (16.00 – 17.00)

• Moderator: Jean-Marie Vanhove, Inclusief consulting, Belgium
  Topics: 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 (WVA)

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.

Which course?

Training of trainers to provide basic ICT skills’ education to people with disabilities, taking on board their specific needs.

Is it good for me?

Target audience:

• Teachers (Pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational, adult, special needs)
• Teacher trainers
• Careers officers, educational guides and counsellors
• Inspectors
• Headteachers/principals/managers of schools/organisations offering adult education
• Other (Paid or voluntary) management staff in the institution/organisation
• Non-teaching administrative staff
• Members of students/teachers councils in adult education
• Representative organizations of persons with disabilities

Hmm…what is it about?

The objectives of the training course are:

• To offer an inclusive approach to teaching, learning and assessment of (accessible) basic ICT skills, aiming at inclusive education (people with disabilities within regular education) and have this inclusive approach also embedded in daily teaching practices;
• To help trainees understand the basic ICT challenges but also competences related to disabilities;
• To help trainees understand and implement the teaching of basic ICT skills to people with disabilities and how to accommodate for them;
• To help trainees understand the cultural and social differences linked to people with disabilities coming from different backgrounds (e.g. migrants, refugees, ethnic communities, people from outside Europe or intra-EU mobility);
• To help trainees experience, through visits to local VET centres, how local organizations for people with disabilities, as well as disabled individuals themselves, address the issues of acquiring basic ICT skills and how this can consequently improve their employability potential;
• To help trainees acquire hands-on experience by role-playing in implementing accessible teaching practices.

What language?

English will be the main teaching language, however, supportive material will be available in Dutch, English, Greek and Lithuanian!

Where?

Four options!

• 1st SESSION: Larnaca, Cyprus, on 11-15 March 2013. Register by 25/02/2013!
• 2nd SESSION: Ypres region, Belgium, on 20-24 May 2013. Register by 16/05/2013!
• 3rd SESSION: Vilnius, Lithuania, on 01-05 July 2013. Register by 17/06/2013!
• 4th SESSION: Nottingham, UK, on 14-18 October 2013. Register by 30/09/2013!

Further information?

You may find all details about the course at the address http://ec.europa.eu/education/trainingdatabase/index.cfm?fuseaction=DisplayCourse&cid=34259 , including the full programme, organizers, fees and sessions’ details.

Do I get any certificate for participation?

Yes, you will receive an attendance certificate based on the Europass Mobility certificate template.

Interesting! How can I register?

1. Please, first book your place and receive a written pre-registration confirmation as soon as possible, by sending a message to the addresses given below. Applicants from outside the session’s host country are treated favourably (due to Grundtvig regulations only 1/3 of the participants can be from the hosting country).

PRE-REGISTRATIONS FOR UPCOMING SESSIONS:

• 1st SESSION in Cyprus: trainings@eurocyinnovations.com
• 2nd SESSION in Belgium: info@phoenixkm.eu
• 3rd SESSION in Lithuania: vilma@imotec.lt
• 4th SESSION in UK: david.brown@ntu.ac.uk

2. Apply for a grant! Only if you are not from the hosting country, you may apply for funding to cover your travelling, accommodation and meals, as well as, participation fees. Find your National Agency at http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/national_en.htm and follow the procedure to apply for a Grundtvig In-service Training grant! This option is now open for the 1st SESSION. You may check regularly for new calls for applications that will cover the next three sessions. Depending on your eligibility and application evaluation, you can get as much as € 2500 that will cover almost all your participation expenses.

3. As soon as you have secured funding by your Lifelong Learning National Agency or you have made your final decision to participate on your own expenses, please, get back to the hosting organization (same contact details as given above for pre-registrations) and confirm your registration! Make sure to complete the whole procedure before the relevant deadline for each session, given above.

We will be happy to help you at any step of the above procedure. Please, do not hesitate to contact us asking for clarification and help at the contact details given above.

Looking forward to welcoming you to one of our sessions!

The BG Crossword Puzzle program provides the blind or partially sighted solver with the same kind of information as the sighted puzzler gleans from the grid as the puzzle unfolds. Once a crossword is loaded, the solver uses keyboard enries to select and control the flow of information. The program speaks to the solver reading out selected crossword clues using the SAPI voice on the solver’s computer. The solver types in their solutions. The ‘voice’ lets the solver know where they are in the puzzle and can give cues as to what to do next.
You can download the setup file for Blind-gamers Crossword Puzzle 1.0 by using the following link.
The Help is supplied as a separate HTML file in the Help subfolder. It can also be displayed by hitting the F 1 function key once you are running the game.
There is also a set of tutorials especially written by Eric Westbrook which provides a good grounding on how to use the program and also gives the novice an introduction to cryptic crosswords. These tutorials can be accessed by hitting Shift F 1 once you are running the game.
This is the fifteenth program in the Blind Gamers series which includes other word games such as BG Boggle, and BG Word Target, card games such as BG Hearts, BG Uno, and BG Free Cell Solitaire, logic games such as BG 15 Puzzle and BG LAP, and many more.
Visit the Spoonbill Software website to browse the complete collection.

PhoenixKM (Belgium) coordinates the ViPi project that aims to provide a “one-stop-shop” interactive portal & learning environment, targeted towards trainers and trainees, with particular attention towards people with disabilities. The project partnership brings together organizations and companies from Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, UK and Lithuania.
BELGIUM, BRUSSELS – 26 January 2011 – An estimated 45 million people in Europe have a long-standing health problem or disability (LSHPD), being 16% of men and women aged 16-64 in the EU as a whole (2002 EU Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the 2004 EU Statistics on Incomes and Living Conditions).
33% of the people with LSHPD are not restricted in the kind or amount of work they could do or their mobility to and from work. Figures vary largely across EU members (10-50%).
This difference is directly linked to the level of prosperity and the assistance available. Of those that are considerably restricted in their ability to work, 28% were in employment, while for those that are not restricted in their ability to work, this is estimated at 68%.
Today the fast development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provides alternative and creative solutions for the employment of people with disabilities. Recent studies conducted by various projects such as ACCESSIBLE and AEGIS have highlighted that people with disabilities (PwD) can benefit enormously from digital competences which are core life and employability skills (see Lisbon Objectives). However, same and other studies revealed also that the main barrier is the lack of specific training support or material. In addition to that, a number of other skills such as literacy and numeracy skills equally form a potential barrier towards employment of PwD.
ViPi project envisages fulfilling the gap of accessible and flexible training, designed to meet the specific needs of people with disabilities, as well as the trainers themselves.
ViPi project will develop an interactive online platform where people with disabilities can access a wide variety of ICT training courses and serious games for acquiring ICT skills, while trainers will be able to upload and download specific learning objects, using a semantically enriched environment to improve the searchability, thus increasing the relevance of the results obtained.
ViPi platform will comprise a virtual collaborative learning environment for people with disabilities and their trainers to interact, providing a vast repository of learning objects (LOs) that focus on basic ICT literacy. This will allow people with disabilities to grasp these core skills and become able to enter or sustain their employment in the regular labour market. The platform will be enriched with intuitive and accessible mobile and Internet/PC based educational/serious games. Additionally, also a mobile Android based social application linked with ViPi platform will be deployed.
Furthermore, ViPi will also develop a customized and localized curriculum on ICT skills and training, with various additional training materials (different formats), and a trainer handbook. All project outcomes will initially be available in Dutch, English, Greek and Lithuanian languages.
The Project partnership consists of Steficon (Greece), Hypertech (Greece), Hiteco (Lithuania), Nottingham Trent University (the UK), and EuroCy Innovations Ltd. (Cyprus), while the Project Coordinator is PhoenixKM (Belgium). More information can be found on www.ViPi-project.eu and twitter.com/ViPi_project.
The ViPi KA3 LLL project has been partially funded under the Lifelong Learning program, subprogramme KA3 ICT.

The e-Access II project aims to provide users with disabilities, especially users with visual impairments and motor disabilities, with learning opportunities to explore accessible training content and e-training courses. The e-Access II project invites users with low vision, color blindness, and motor disabilities, as well as professionals in vocational education and training fields to register in its web portal. Once they register, they will be able to learn new skills and concepts by downloading accessible training content and e-training courses. e-Access II is a project supported by the Lifelong Learning Programme, Leonardo da Vinci Sectoral Programme of the European Commission.

To register, follow this link.

The GOET (Game On Extra Time) Project has been funded with support from the European Commission and will support people with learning disabilities in getting and keeping a job. It aims to help people learn, via games-based learning, to live more independently and to help them in their working day.
The project also wants to improve how subjects are taught by making them more interesting and enjoyable. It also supports an accessible approach to vocational skills training, and will be adapting and developing a range of games for computers and mobile telephones that are interactive, engaging and fun.
More information can be found on the project website.