The Other Side of Technology - Theotokos Foundation

The initiative “The Other Side of Technology” addresses the growing vulnerability of persons with intellectual disabilities and autism in the digital world. While digital skills are essential for communication, education, employment, and participation, they also increase exposure to risks such as cyberbullying, grooming, sextortion, fraud, and manipulation. The paradox is evident: the more digital skills a person acquires, the greater the potential risks — making prevention and education indispensable.

In response, Theotokos Foundation, in close collaboration with the Cyber Crime Division of the Hellenic Police, developed a comprehensive package of accessible handbooks and training seminars for three target groups:

Service users: An easy-to-read handbook in plain language with visual supports. It presents the most common online dangers and gives clear, step-by-step instructions on what to do when faced with risks such as suspicious messages, bullying, or requests for personal data. The focus is on simple, practical guidance accessible to all.
Parents and caregivers: A practical guide explaining online threats and offering strategies for everyday monitoring and support. It empowers families to talk openly with their children, recognize early signs of risky behavior, and manage incidents effectively.
Professionals: A detailed manual including analysis of online risks, a structured questionnaire for service users to identify unsafe digital behaviors, training strategies to develop critical thinking, and intervention guidelines. It also incorporates real-life case studies of incidents experienced by service users and managed collaboratively by the Foundation and the Police.

The methodology follows a co-production approach. Service users participated in pilot workshops, shared fears and experiences, and shaped the materials. Some contributed to real-life examples and acted as peer trainers. Families and professionals offered feedback during testing, while Police experts ensured technical accuracy and relevance.

The initiative promotes Independent Living by enabling persons with disabilities to participate safely in the digital society. Digital safety is not an isolated skill but a foundation for autonomy, communication, access to education, employment, and social interaction.

Early results are strong:

35 service users trained during pilot sessions,
20 directly trained by Cyber Crime experts in interactive seminars,
over 50 professionals trained in September 2024.

Building on this, additional training cycles are already planned across Greece, addressing service users, employees with disabilities supported by the Foundation, parents, and professionals from various sectors. This ensures sustainability, national reach, and wider impact.

The handbooks are designed for easy translation and replication, making the initiative scalable and transferable. With demand already expressed by organisations abroad, it holds strong potential as a European model for inclusive digital safety and empowerment.

Responsible Department

Vocational Training Workshops and the Diagnostic & Therapeutic Services of Theotokos Foundation.

Target group

Adolescents and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders (including intellectual disabilities and autism).
Families and caregivers.
Professionals in vocational training, rehabilitation, and education.

Methodologies and approaches

The initiative was developed through a co-production approach that actively involved persons with intellectual disabilities, families, professionals, and law enforcement experts. This ensured that the content was both accessible and technically accurate, while directly reflecting the needs and experiences of the target groups.

Design process

Service users participated in pilot workshops where they shared concerns, tested draft materials, and influenced final content. Their feedback shaped both the language and the examples used. Some contributed to the real-life case studies and acted as peer trainers during seminars, increasing authenticity and engagement.
Families and caregivers were consulted to provide insights into daily challenges and to ensure that the materials addressed common difficulties at home.
Professionals contributed expertise in pedagogy and disability support, while the Cyber Crime Division of the Hellenic Police ensured technical accuracy, up-to-date knowledge of cybercrime trends, and provided real-life case material.

Educational tools

The service users’ handbook presents dangers and clear step-by-step instructions in easy-to-read format with visual supports*.
The parents’ handbook explains risks in accessible language and offers strategies for monitoring and communication.
The professionals’ handbook includes detailed risk analysis, a structured questionnaire for detecting unsafe behaviors, training strategies to build digital resilience, and real case studies.

Training delivery

Training seminars combined experiential learning methods such as role play, group discussions, and case analysis. This interactive approach helped service users practice safe responses, empowered parents to monitor and support, and equipped professionals with concrete intervention strategies.

Planned expansion

Following the pilot phase, additional training cycles are planned nationwide for service users, employees with disabilities supported by the Foundation, parents, and professionals. This ensures sustainability and broad reach, embedding digital safety into everyday support systems.

By integrating co-production, universal design, and expert collaboration, the methodology ensures that digital safety education is not only effective but also inclusive, empowering, and transferable.

Innovation and creativity

This initiative introduces several innovative and creative elements that distinguish it both nationally and internationally.

First-of-its-kind collaboration

It is the first initiative in Greece where a disability organisation and the Cyber Crime Division of the Hellenic Police co-created educational resources specifically adapted for persons with intellectual disabilities and autism. This unusual partnership bridges two fields — disability services and law enforcement — and creates an innovative model for safeguarding vulnerable citizens.

Adapted educational materials

The three handbooks represent a novel, comprehensive approach:

The service users’ handbook is in easy-to-read format with visual supports, enabling direct accessibility for persons with cognitive impairments. It is practical, concise, and action-oriented, showing exactly what to do when facing online risks.
The parents’ handbook translates complex digital threats into clear and practical strategies that empower families to play an active protective role.
The professionals’ handbook combines advanced content such as risk analysis, a structured questionnaire, and real-life case studies, ensuring relevance and credibility.

Use of real cases

Including incidents actually experienced by service users — and showing how they were managed by the Foundation and Police — makes the materials unique, credible, and directly applicable.

Accessibility and scalability

The text is in plain language and supported by links to videos for people who prefer to learn through audiovisual means. The design of the materials allows for easy translation and adaptation, making them replicable across different languages and cultural contexts. This ensures potential for both national rollout and international transfer.

Shift in mindset

The project has the potential to shift the perspective of families and professionals, many of whom were previously unaware of the extent of online threats. It raises awareness not only about dangers but also about the right to safe digital participation as part of Independent Living.

Overall, the initiative combines cross-sector collaboration, inclusive design, and real-life evidence to create a pioneering practice that can inspire similar efforts across Europe.

Support to Independent Living

Independent Living in today’s society requires not only physical accessibility and community-based support, but also safe and equal participation in the digital environment.

For persons with intellectual disabilities and autism, the internet has become a gateway to communication, education, employment, and social interaction. Yet it also presents disproportionate risks, which can undermine autonomy and lead to exploitation, isolation, or exclusion.

This initiative directly addresses that challenge. By equipping service users with easy-to-read guidance on what to do when facing online dangers, it gives them the tools to act independently, rather than depending on others to protect them. The handbooks allow users to develop practical digital self-protection skills, which are essential for navigating everyday life in a connected world.
For families, the project builds confidence and capacity to support autonomy rather than restrict it. Parents who previously feared internet use can now encourage safe participation, reduce overprotection and enable individuals to explore digital opportunities more freely.
For professionals, the initiative provides structured methods to detect risky behaviours, intervene effectively, and promote digital literacy. This ensures that digital safety becomes embedded in vocational training and rehabilitation programmes, aligning with broader life skills that support Independent Living.

An added benefit is the collaboration with the Cyber Crime Division which builds trust between persons with disabilities and public authorities, empowering individuals to report incidents and exercise their rights as citizens. This is a crucial step towards inclusion and equality before the law.

In sum, the initiative demonstrates that Independent Living in the 21st century cannot exist without digital safety. It ensures that persons with intellectual disabilities and autism are not left behind in the digital transformation, but instead are empowered to participate fully, safely, and autonomously in community life.

Staff and resources

The initiative brought together an interdisciplinary team combining expertise in disability support and cybercrime prevention.

Cyber Crime Division experts from the Hellenic Police provided technical accuracy, real-life case material, and delivered interactive seminars for service users and professionals.
Special educators and psychologists from Theotokos Foundation contributed pedagogical knowledge and experience in adapting content for persons with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Vocational trainers integrated digital safety into daily training activities, linking it to broader life and work skills.
Graphic designers and communication specialists ensured that the handbooks used accessible visual supports and easy-to-read layouts.

Resources included the development and printing of the three handbooks, digital versions for wider distribution, and the organisation of pilot workshops and training seminars. Facilities of Theotokos Foundation were used for testing and delivery, ensuring accessibility for participants.

This combination of human expertise and material resources ensured that the initiative was both technically accurate and fully accessible to its target groups.

Identifying specific needs

The initiative was shaped through a co-production process that actively involved persons with disabilities, families, and professionals.

Needs identified: During focus groups and daily training activities, service users expressed fear and confusion about online interactions, particularly concerning suspicious messages, bullying, and requests for personal information. Some had already experienced online risks but lacked the knowledge of how to respond. Parents reported limited digital skills, which prevented them from supporting their children effectively. Professionals observed risky behaviours, such as oversharing personal data, without awareness of consequences.
Consultation process: Service users participated in pilot workshops, where draft materials were tested and adapted according to their feedback. They influenced both the language and the examples used. Their testimonies also contributed to the development of real-life case studies included in the professional handbook.
Role of persons with disabilities: Some participants acted as peer trainers during seminars, sharing their experiences with other service users and increasing the authenticity and engagement of the sessions.

Through this participatory approach, the initiative ensured that the handbooks and trainings were relevant, accessible, and empowering, directly addressing the real needs and daily challenges of adolescents and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Other stakeholders and partners

The initiative was implemented through close cooperation with multiple stakeholders, ensuring that it combined expertise, lived experience, and institutional support.

Cyber Crime Division of the Hellenic Police: Provided technical expertise on online risks, contributed real-life case material, and delivered training seminars for service users and professionals. Their involvement gave credibility and ensured that the content reflected current and emerging cybercrime threats.
Families and caregivers: Actively engaged in the design and testing of the parents’ handbook. They provided feedback on the challenges they face in monitoring online behaviour at home, ensuring that the guide responded to real family needs.
Professionals of Theotokos Foundation: Special educators, psychologists, and vocational trainers co-developed the methodology, piloted the materials, and integrated digital safety into daily programmes.
Service users: Participated in pilot workshops, tested the easy-to-read handbook, and contributed to the design of case examples. Some acted as peer trainers, sharing experiences with others and strengthening the co-production process.
External organisations: Interest has already been expressed by other disability and rehabilitation organisations in Greece and abroad. Planned collaborations include training cycles in multiple organisations across the country and presentations at conferences nationally and internationally.

This broad network of stakeholders ensures that the initiative is holistic, sustainable, and transferable, rooted in collaboration between civil society, families, professionals, and public authorities.