Educational Empowerment and Social Inclusion of students with disabilities through Digital Solutions and Assistive Technologies

<< Background >>The project was initially conceptualized based on the needs identified within the Social Welfare of University of Patras. The COVID pandemic stretched the need of working / being trained remotely, hence working online. This need highlighted the importance of trainers and trainees (SwD) having the basic skills and capabilities to work online. Given specific disabilities, the use of assistive technologies and useful online tools could be a critical asset in facilitating a more effective and inclusive training process in HE for SwD. This priority aimed in supporting SwD to build their capacity and acquire employment-related skills during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with the Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education horizontal priority, this project aimed and achieved to promote social inclusion and improving the outreach to students in higher education with fewer opportunities, addressing mainly students with disabilities (SwD). << Objectives >>The initial objectives were to:• Raise awareness on technologies and tools that may assist Students with Disabilities.• Conduct a study on the reality of the services provided and the level of support for SwD and a community accountability mechanism for the services provided • Develop digital training competences of educators and teachers – enabling them to high quality inclusive digital education customized on the special needs of SwD. • Equip educators and teachers with the necessary tools and competences to familiarize with creative and innovative solutions for enhancing the skilling up of SwD.• Extend existing networks associations, private and public authorities, academic institutions, participant SMEs beyond national limits and identify new challenges to the disciplinary and regulatory diversity of education through online means.• Develop a web platform for supporting the exchange experiences and success stories among partners • Build an Open Source Learning Repository with digital content, tools and innovative practices, to facilitate easier learning for SwD • Utilize online tools and applications to reach a large audience and support the wider effectiveness of learning activities. << Implementation >>Implemented Activities:-A Needs Analysis Report. All partners prepared 1 national report per country summarizing desk research. Based on an architecture provided by UoP. All reports were merged into a single Report for all partner countries. -Best Practices. All partners prepared 1 report of 3 best practices per country summarizing. Based on an architecture provided by UoP. All reports were merged into a single Report for all partner countries.- Surveys’ findings for the preparation of international general report of the educational gaps to be filled and set concrete, explicit goals to follow to prepare curriculum and informative handbook for trainers. The findings were analysed and presented in a presentation report.-An Impact Analysis Report. The Impact Analysis was structured to include Performance Indexes to assess the impact of the outcomes of the project on participating users (SwD, authorities, SMEs, Institutes, etc. The actual analysis will be performed at later stages. The Framework for the design of a learning unit and assessment was shifted before any other deliverable within PR2. It was considered to be fundamental for starting and guiding the rest of the sub activities and finally delivered on time after being reviewed by all partners. The ICT guide once completed it was then under review by all partners, finalised and translated. The template of the learning modules was developed, based on which all partners developed their Training Modules. These Training Modules once finalised they were peer-reviewed by peer members of the team, before being uploaded online. All training material of various formats, texts, videos, presentations, assessments were included and reviewed.Next step was to design and adopt online the certificates of accomplishment per Training module for our trainees. Last activity of this PR2 was the development of the videos which were translated and uploaded online for easy access. These videos were also linked in the training material. All above deliverables were reviewed by all partners before being published. The training material included a broad ranges of topics relevant to the main topic and specific precautions were taken to be digitally accessible by most users. PR3.1: Analysis of the structure and technical specifications of the digital tool-kit. The first steps of work package three was to prepare an analysis of the basic structure and the technical specifications of the training platform and the general digital kit with all associated tools. This step was essential to be placed right at the beginning of the whole process so as to ensure that the right specifications were considered during the design and development of the digital tools. PR3.2 Development of the digital tool-kit . The toolkit was composed mainly of the training platform which was integrated with the web website of the project for greater sustainability and direct access and view to the training material. A complimentary digital repository of Open Access was also developed and integrated on the generic platform website to host and accommodate a big set of open and free accessible resources, useful to the end beneficiaries. This repository was populated with a broad list of free and accessible training material, digital tools online services, and assistive technologies.The website and the interactive web platform has been developed (https://eesidigi.com/). In fact, it was merged with the website and public on air under the eesidigi.com domain. The development of the mobile applications has also been completed and published also online on the official Google play and iTunes stores.PR3.3 Integration of digital tools, links to materials. Only tools wherein the credit on the basic platform where all material and resources are accessible.PR3.4 Creative Videos Along with the training material a set of creative videos was developed to raise comprehension of the training material but mainly engagement through fun and interactive videos which were developed in an animated format. In fact there were five videos created based on the on the relevant training modules sorting duration but easy to access and attend this videos where uploaded online and included into the training material.PR3.5 Testing and Revision on e-learning. All developed material was tested and revised by all partners to ensure the content and the final delivery delivery was as described by the framework and the initial settings. Additional tests on the accessibility of the material were implemented to ensure that the material is successful especially for students and people with disabilities.PR3.6 Technical Manuals. A technical manual in the form of text was also created and uploaded, for assistance of the users and the trainees mainly the trainees who logged into the platform and access the training material and the assessment. PR3.7 Implementation – piloting. The main part of project result 3 was the actual training of end beneficiaries (SwD) and users that was supported by all partners through the training platform. There were different sessions for each partner some synchronous and asynchronous based on their own schedule and the capacity of their learners that were organised in all five countries in some cases there were group sessions in other cases credentials were sent to trainees to access the training material on their own time, or students were asked to register themselves. Most learners went through all the training modules and completed the assessment as expected. PR3.8Evaluation and Fine-tuning. This activity was actually implemented before the piloting stage included some sort of implementation enough to test any bugs or possible problems and provided the basic feedback to adopt any changes and fine tune all the deliverables.PR4 activities officially start after the 13th month of the project, however several activities related with dissemination have already been implemented as described in paragraph 9.2 Dissemination and Use of Project Results, in all partner languages.Lists of collaborators for sustainability purposes have started being populated. Dissemination activities are updated monthly, including regular posts and newsletters.PR4.1: Dissemination & Exploitation Plan. General public awareness. An initial dissemination experimentation plan was developed by the leader of PR4 IERFOP that aimed to provide the basic guidelines of the basic dissemination activities that needed to implemented in order to raise awareness of the general public. This plan included several activities with targets and indications of how to better disseminate and exploit the results of the projectPR4.2: Sustainability Analysis. This sustainability analysis was developed by Vilnius college University aiming to elaborate further on the dissemination and exploitation plan with more details on how to better sustain the results of the project. An overview of all the activities of the project were reported with details of how each one could be further sustained. PR4.3: Partnerships Strategy Elaboration. Sustainability network. The last deliverable of project result for was to focus on the actual partnerships that the consortium needs to build in order to upscale the results of the EESI-Digi project. Analysing all the implemented activities several suggestions on different strategic levels were introduced and explained with examples and numbers aiming to build and sustain a strong network.<< Results >>The main implemented activities were: Project Results 1: Needs analysis: PR1.1 Guidelines for needs analysis PR1.2 Documentation of results of national needs analyses PR1.3 General report and handbook preparation for trainers PR1.4 Virtual co-creation workshop for curriculum development (with trainers) PR1.5 Impact Analysis Project Results 2: Learning units: Curriculum of the e-learning tool and training courses both for trainers and trainees, Framework for the design of a training unit and assessment. PR2.1 Curriculum of training courses on-line and/or in presence Learning units. Curriculum of the e-learning tool and training courses both for trainers and trainees, Creative Workshops PR2.2 Framework for the design of a learning unit PR2.3 Guides on ICT realization and Entrepreneurship Framework for the design of a learning unit and assessment, PR2.4 Certificate for learning unitsPR2.5 Peer reviews of learning units PR2.6 Instructional videos Project Results 3: Digital Tools Development: PR3.1: Analysis of the structure and technical specifications of the digital tool-kit PR3.2 Development of the digital tool-kit PR3.3 Integration of digital tools, links to materials PR3.4 Creative Videos PR3.5 Testing and Revision on e-learning PR3.6 Technical Manuals PR3.7 Implementation – piloting PR3.8 Evaluation and Fine-tuning Project Results 4: Dissemination and Sustainability PR4.1: Dissemination & Exploitation Plan. General public awareness PR4.2: Sustainability Analysis PR4.3: Partnerships Strategy Elaboration. Sustainability network.These outputs were supported through active dissemination activities, formal and informal workshops and training events, 3 LTTs, MEs.