Assessment of the main initiatives aimed at improving the mobility of disabled students in Europe Dr. Jose Angel Martínez Usero Director of International Projects and Relations at Technosite Jesús Hernandez Director of Universal Accessibility at ONCE Foundation
Assessment of the main initiatives aimed at improving the mobility of disabled students in Europe
Nov 22, 2014
The research consists of a holistic assessment of existing European initiatives that contribute to improving the mobility of disabled students in the context of higher education and Lifelong Learning in Europe. It looks at the opportunities offered by the European Commission’s education and training initiatives, especially the Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci and Marie Curie programmes, and how they can improve disabled students’ mobility. It describes Fundación ONCE’s participation in a Marie Curie RTN with a disabled researcher in the field of Accessible Technology in the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The current legislative and normative framework is analysed, with especial attention being paid to the European Mandate 420 guidelines on accessibility requirements for procurement in the built environment. This section analyses the innovation introduced by the Spanish Law 4/2007 on Universities regarding accessibility to facilities and information, with Fundación ONCE’s “Info-accessibility Plans for Universities”. Finally, it stresses the importance of electronic accessibility and accessible eLearning initiatives in mainstreaming disabled people in the European Higher Education Area and overcoming the existing barriers that limit disabled students’ mobility. This section presents the good practice case of the Online Master in Accessible Technologies, sponsored by Fundación ONCE, and which in the past two years has trained over 100 disabled students over an accessible eLearning platform, enhancing their opportunities for finding work in Spain’s technology sector.
Finally, it highlights the variety of existing initiatives aimed at improving disabled students’ mobility in Europe, pointing out that for such initiatives to have an optimum impact it is still necessary to improve the co-ordination between the Commission’s initiatives and the Member States, guaranteeing access to the physical space through European and national legislation, and boosting electronic accessibility to ensure full integration of disabled students in the knowledge society.
The current legislative and normative framework is analysed, with especial attention being paid to the European Mandate 420 guidelines on accessibility requirements for procurement in the built environment. This section analyses the innovation introduced by the Spanish Law 4/2007 on Universities regarding accessibility to facilities and information, with Fundación ONCE’s “Info-accessibility Plans for Universities”. Finally, it stresses the importance of electronic accessibility and accessible eLearning initiatives in mainstreaming disabled people in the European Higher Education Area and overcoming the existing barriers that limit disabled students’ mobility. This section presents the good practice case of the Online Master in Accessible Technologies, sponsored by Fundación ONCE, and which in the past two years has trained over 100 disabled students over an accessible eLearning platform, enhancing their opportunities for finding work in Spain’s technology sector.
Finally, it highlights the variety of existing initiatives aimed at improving disabled students’ mobility in Europe, pointing out that for such initiatives to have an optimum impact it is still necessary to improve the co-ordination between the Commission’s initiatives and the Member States, guaranteeing access to the physical space through European and national legislation, and boosting electronic accessibility to ensure full integration of disabled students in the knowledge society.
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Assessment of the main initiatives aimed at
improving the mobility of disabled students in
Europe
Dr. Jose Angel Martínez Usero
Director of International Projects and Relations at Technosite
Jesús Hernandez
Director of Universal Accessibility at ONCE Foundation
ONCE is a non-profit corporate organisation that focuses its activities on the improvement of the quality of life of people with blindness or severe visual impairment from all over Spain.
The social responsibility of ONCE is materialised via the activities carried out by the ONCE Foundation, which receives secured financial support of 3% of the Organisation’s gross sales of lottery products.
The ONCE Foundation mission: that rights of people with disabilities would not just be wishful thinking but would become a reality.
Two pillars: training and employment
Technosite is the ICT company of Fudosa Group, belonging to ONCE Foundation
Organisational background
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
European programmes of student mobility
European initiatives in legislation and standarisation of built environment
European initiatives in accessible transport
Accessible technology solutions: good practice cases
A holistic approach
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Erasmus
Leonardo da Vinci
Marie Curie
Action: Technosite as partner of a Marie Curie RTN on accessibility policy, fostering the mobility of disabled researchers in the field of Accessible Technology
European programmes of student mobility
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
European Mandate 420 on accessibility requirements for procurement in the built environment.
Coordination with Member States initiatives
Example: Spanish Law 4/2007 on Universities, regarding accessibility to facilities and information.
Action: ONCE Foundation is fostering and co-financing “Info-accessibility Plans for Universities”.
European initiatives in legislation and standarisation in the built environment
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Your passenger rights
The EU has committed itself to placing users at the heartof transport policy.
Action: Technosite’s preliminary assessment on web accessibility
Website: “Your passenger rights at hand”.Date: July 5, 2010URL: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passenger-rights Target accessibility level: WCAG 1.0 and 2.0 AA.
Results: important accessibility barriers
European initiative in accessible transport
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Key aspect for ensuring massive participation of disabled students in the European Higher Education Area
Accessible elearning platforms can contribute to overcome the existing barriers that limit disabled students’ mobility.
Risks: social exclusion, lack of F2F interaction, non-accessible social networking applications and web 2.0 tools.
Action: The good practice case of the UOC-Technosite Online Master in Accessible Technologies, sponsored by Fundación ONCE.
More info at: http://www.epractice.eu/en/cases/masteruoctechnosite
Electronic accessibility and accessible eLearning
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Higher Education vs. Employment: our vision
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
FSC Inserta: a business model
FSC Inserta is the RRHH company of ONCE Foundation
FSC Inserta offers services for people with disabilities, companies and enterpreneurs.
FSC Inserta has developed http://www.portalento.es/The employment portal for people with disability
Higher Education vs. Employment: our vision
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
ALTERA. Study for the analysis of augmented skills - 2009
Objective: To analyse how the adaptive skills of people with disabilities are able to be really useful for work performance in certain jobs, opening new market options.
Companies: Technosite (ES), Tragsatec (ES), Grundfos (Denmark), BT Group (UK)
Outcomes:
People with disability develop augmented skills for high qualified jobs Cutting-edge technology help to overcome limitations and make career advancements A better use of talent of people with disabilities is possible
Higher Education vs. Employment: our vision
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
ONCE – Microsoft Report on New Skills for New Jobs: Challenges for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the job market
Skills, employment, and accessible technology are key to making greater progress towards broad digital inclusion.
This invitation-only workshop jointly organised by Microsoft and ONCE on the 14th June 2010 was an opportunity to facilitate a high level, multi-stakeholder dialogue.
The dialogue was focused on how to promote greater employment opportunities for people with disabilities with a focus on practical technical and policy solutions.
Available at: www.epractice.eu/community/eaccessibility
Higher Education vs. Employment: our results
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
ONCE Foundation activity since 1988
TOTAL AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT 1.352,5 million €
TOTAL JOBS 71.269
TRAINING COURSES CARRIED OUT 6.292
TRAINING COURSE BENEFICIARIES 54.198
European Study on Monitoring eAccessibility in Europe
European Study on Costs and Benefits of eAccessibility
European Pilot on Accessible and Personalised Self-Service Terminals
European Thematic Network on ATs and Inclusive Solutions + European portal
Our efforts to foster eaccessibility in Europe
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Monitoring eAccessibility in Europe 2009-2011
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Project co-ordinator: Jose Angel Martínez Usero
Leader: Technosite
Partners: NOVA, CNIPA
http://www.eaccessibility-monitoring.eu
Study on costs and benefits of eAccessibility
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Project co-ordinator: Jose Angel Martínez Usero
Leader: Technosite
Partners: Tech4i2, Abilitynet
http://www.eaccessibility-impacts.eu
Budget: circa 10 M€
Project co-ordinator: Jose Angel Martínez Usero
Leader: Technosite
Partners: Barclays, la Caixa, Hoelf&Wessel…
European Pilot on Accessible and Personalised SST
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Budget: circa 500.000 €
Project co-ordinator: Jose Angel Martínez Usero
Leader: Technosite
Partners: (EDF, AGE, EPR, RIM, Microsoft, Mozilla, CERT/ITI, AbilityNet, Braillenet, EFD, Politecnico di Milano, CURE, …. Up to 20)
European Thematic Network on ATs
7th International Conference on Higher Education and Disability. July 20-23, 2010. Innsbruck, Austria
Thank you for your attention
Keep in touch!Dr. Jose Angel Martínez Usero
Director of International Projects and Relations at Technosite
INREDIS project http://www.inredis.es
Monitoring eAccessibility in Europe http://www.eaccessibility-monitoring.eu
Study on Economic Assessment for Improving e-Accessibility Services and Products http://www.eaccessibility-impacts.eu
eAcessibility community in ePractice http://www.epractice.eu/community/eaccessibility
Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/martinezusero
Contact me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/martinezusero
Skype: martinezusero
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