Good practices from EPR members
During the Annual conference 2020, EPR members have shared and presented good practices and projects in which they are involved or as a result of their research.
F.ONCE
Por Talento Digital[1] is a permanent training program in digital skills and technological professions of the ONCE Foundation aimed at improving the employability and competitiveness of persons with disabilities in the increasingly digitalized labor market. Its training actions provide digital literacy to persons with disabilities, upskilling training aimed at increasing labour opportunities in non-tech jobs that require certain digital skills to be performed, advanced training for specific jobs in the digital or technological field.
Goals:
- Providing and improving digital literacy;
- Training for the most demanded technological jobs;
- Meeting specific demands of employers [Ad Hoc training];
- Adapting professional profiles of persons with disabilities to the digital requirements of the labour market.
Link to the presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/EPR1/epr-annual-conference-2020-workshop-4-sabina-lobato-238799077
INTRAS
WorkingAge - Smart Working environment for all Ages[2]: is a European project that use innovative HCI methods (augmented reality, virtual reality, gesture/voice recognition and eye tracking) to measure the user emotional/cognitive/health state and create communication paths. At the same time with the use of IoT sensors is able to detect environmental conditions. The purpose is to promote healthy habits of users in their working environment and daily living activities in order to improve their working and living conditions. The project targets people of 45 years and older to help them enjoy higher levels of well-being and safety at work. The focus is on three workplace types: manufacturing, office and teleworking. The system will consider user activities and give personalised advice. The worker will have a series of tools available by using a mobile application. All data will be collected in the working-age tool, where the user will be guided through advice, quick exercises and other recommendations. The main areas of action that the tool addresses are the workers’ health, ergonomics and physical environment, cognitive and emotional factors, lifestyle – health habits and social behaviours. The system collects the information, and it is used for the system's decision-making and assessment of the effects of stress, physical and psychological strain. Focus is on three types of strain: physical, mental and emotional strain. Different sensors within the working-age system will measure different types of strain, and depending upon the measure of strain, the responding intervention from the system is suggested.
Gradior multisensorial: is a virtual reality device used when indicated to support neuro-psychological intervention by using a virtual headset, leap motion device and haptic gloves.
Goals and target group:
- Cognitive impaired older adults presenting disruptive behaviour or behavioural symptoms, emotional disorders, anxiety states.
- Need to improve concentration and keeping the focus
- Supporting neuro-psychological intervention, promoting espontaneous and free interaction of the user with inmersive, playful and engaging multi-sensory VR environments.
- Useful at helping to reduce anxiety states and behavioural symptoms
- Favouring self-control, concentration and creativeness
- Improving sensory and psycho-affective capacities of the person and quality of life
Link to the presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/EPR1/epr-annual-conference-2020-workshop-3-raquel-losada
To discover the project: https://vimeo.com/462946135
ASTANGU
Estonia's reputation as a digital country is known to many foreigners, and people living in Estonia feel the convenience of using e-government services on a daily basis. To continue to be at the forefront of innovative and progressive countries, we need to keep up with the times. One way to constantly modernize their digital state and bring fresh air to classic public-private partnerships is through hacking.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications launched a series of digital state hackaton events at the end of 2018[3]. The digital state cage is intended for the public and private sectors. The purpose is to create added value at an early stage of the process and lead to fast, innovative and workable solutions. As part of the event, they wanted to find suitable ICT solutions for public sector problems and create a “clickable prototype” of ideas and a solution that actually works, or why not a finished product. The aim was to get fresh ideas and initial solutions to be taken into account when creating new solutions in the country.
There are several tech solutions to hack the pandemic crisis:
- Map to follow spread of COVID-19 in Estonia https://koroonakaart.ee
- Chat robot SUVE to provide trustworthy information about the crisis https://eebot.ee/
- Checklist to assess risk of catching the virus https://coronatest.ee
- Plaform for connecting ppl with medical background https://vaab.ee
The Global Hack[4] is a global initiative which unites the Hack the Crisis movement and the 40+ hackathons organized in the frames of this movement. This is truly a global effort and movement involving communities and organizers from all over the world. The Global Hack happened 9-12 April and was created battle the problems we are facing globally in the midst of the crisis as well as creating solutions for the post-crisis world.
Global Hack-the-Crisis Community[5] helps to spark hackathons across the world to emerge from the Covid19 crisis.
Through this initiative it is possible to:
- Join an ongoing hackathon from your home
- Organize an online event in your country/community
- Accelerate events by sharing hackathons, working results and support the initiative
For Organizers:
- Guidelines on how to set up an online hack
- Joining the global organizers Slack for full support
There are 68 hackathons confirmed and growing. On 13-15 March, Garage48, AccelerateEstonia and the whole startup community in Estonia took action and put together an online hackathon to offer solutions on how to use tech for crisis response and deal with the post-crisis era. Now events ran by local communities all over the world are popping up to help solve issues for their communities.
DON CARLO GNOCCHI FOUNDATION
The World Health Organisation’s GATE initiative which calls for quality and affordable Assistive Technology (AT) for all and the link between the initiative and SIVA (assistive technology information and assessment service).
SIVA is a reliable and accessible consultancy, research and intervention network on Assistive Technologies for the autonomy of persons with disability:
- Network of specialised centres (SIVA centres) taking advantage of technical & methodological support of SIVALab;
- The Italian Web Portal provides information and guidance on assistive technologies for independence, quality of life and participation of persons with disabilities. A systematic, comprehensive and up-to-date review of assistive technology products available in Italy and in Europe. A portal devoted to anybody interested in this subject, whether user of assistive technologies, professional or researcher. (https://portale.siva.it);
- The Global Assistive Technology Information Network: is a worldwide search engine on Assistive Technology (http://www.eastin.eu/en/searches/Products/Index).
SIVALab activities:
- Technical-methodological support to SIVA centres in multi-professional AT assessments
- Scouting and multidisciplinary analisys for acquisition and introduction of assistive technology within FDG socio-sanitary services
Link to the presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/EPR1/epr-annual-conference-2020-workshop-3-claudia-salatino
REHAB GROUP
David R. Pollard (Innovation Manager at Rehab Group) made a presentation about the Rehab Group diverse initiatives in Ireland, David discussed investing in people, engaging communities, changing perspectives. He shared with the audience his experience with hackathons. He emphasized that hackathons are social events that help connect people to put ideas together and create solutions. He then gave examples of collaboration and initiatives born through hackathons such as the OSV (Open Source Ventilator). He also emphasized that hackathons imply diversity. For hackathons to be successful, it is essential to be inclusive and bring in people from different communities and perspectives. The use of social media and platforms such as Twitter can help in the organizing stages of hackathons. He referred to the spirit of entrepreneurship and engagement and respect, as elements that play a role in hackathons. He drew attention to an entrepreneurship initiative dedicated to people with disabilities called StarAbility. He referred to the Dublin startup week 2019 that comprised 30 basecamps – 64 community events - 163 speakers & coaches and about 5000 attendees. He appointed the concept of "Ecosystem engagement" and used the term "Empower". He mentioned that when thinking of a hackathon, it was relevant to raise questions such as "What does it mean to create the solution to your challenge?" and "How can you help?".
[2] https://itcl.es/en/simulation-and-virtual-reality-projects/smart-working-environments-for-all-ages/