Description
Τhe project aims to support the integration of children and youth with disabilities into the education system and by extension into the community. The project will create two Centers for Accessibility for children and youth with Disabilities (CAD) in Volos (Thessaly) and Attica. The purpose of the accessibility centers is to achieve equal access of children and youth with disabilities and specific learning difficulties into the learning process. This will be achieved via the use of Assistive Technologies. After registering the special needs of each child, CAD will propose a personalized technological solution and provide the technical support for its creation and the facilitation of the purchase of the necessary equipment. The project is expected to contribute to the promotion of social inclusion and equal participation of students with special needs in the school community, combating social exclusion and social inequalities.
Summary of project results
One barrier that children with disabilities face is the accessibility to education. It is estimated that only 15 % of children with disabilities attend school, although education in Greece is mandatory up to 15 years old. The aim of this project was the integration and the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities to the education system. For this reason two Accessibility Centers were created, in Athens and Volos, where children and young people could attend “Assistive technologies" seminars. The seminars were structured to meet the needs of people with vision problems, speech problems, hearing and kinetic problems. For more practice, a CD with educational training material was created and distributed to children and young people. For those who didn't have the opportunity to attend the seminars a web-portal was created that hosts a database that is a useful tool for those who want to easily and quickly download free assistive technology software using filters, depending on their disability. A total of 68 persons participated in the educational seminars in Athens and 50 in Volos. This project had not only direct but also indirect beneficiaries since some teachers of children who had attended the seminars use the training material in their lessons.
Summary of bilateral results