Assistive Technology
Training
Handbook
Edited by
Dušan ŠIMŠÍK, Alena GALAJDOVÁ
Access Centre, Technical University of Košice, SLOVAKIA
Giuliana ARA
Fondazione don Carlo Gnocchi, Onlus, Milan, ITALY
Andrea MICANGELI
CIRPS, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, ITALY
Angus ANNAN
Thames Valley University, London, UNITED KINGDOM
101255-CP-1-2002-1-SK-GRUDTVIG-G1
SOCRATES GRUNDTVIG - ATTRAIN
Assistive Technology Consultant/ Advisor
Training Development and Delivery
Technical University of Košice, SLOVAKIA
2004
ATTRAIN
Assistive Technology Training - Handbook
Editors:
Dušan Šimšík, Alena Galajdová, Giuliana Ara, Andrea Micangeli,
Angus Annan
English correction:
Book design and type-setting:
Textbook and CD cover design:
CD version design:
Sandy Anderson
Ján Buša, Jaroslav Majerník
Adam Simonides
Peter Želinský
It is important to understand Assistive technology possibilities reflecting
needs of people with disabilities and elderly in their life. The handbook
based on modular structure is devoted to different groups of
professionals working for/with people with disabilities and elderly in
social area, health care, education, and regional administration offices.
The handbook is originally written for the life-long study courses of
teachers, medical staff, social workers and related local administrative
staff. The handbook is also devoted to parents or friends of persons with
disabilities, their personal assistants and to technical advisors or any
assistive technology intermediary.
Financed by the grant:
SOCRATES GRUNDTVIG 101255-CP-1-2002-1-SK-GRUDTVIG-G1
ATTRAIN - Assistive Technology Consultant/ Advisor Training Development and
Delivery
Acknowledgements:
Evaluators of the pilot trainings and training materials:
Giampiero Griffo, DPI Europe President, Italy
PaedDr. Miroslav Chudý, Ministry of Education, Slovakia
Amanda Mc Loughlin, Hibernia Learning Partnership, Dublin, Ireland
Doctoral students assisting during writing of the handbook:
Jaroslav Majerník, Peter Želinský, Zlatica Dolná, Daniela Onofrejová
Neither the Commission of the European Communities or any person acting on
behalf of the Commission of the European Communities is responsible for the use
which might be made of the information contained in this publication.
ISBN 80–8073–230-2
EAN 9788080732301
© Consortium of the Socrates Grundtvig Project ATTRAIN 101255-CP-1-2002-1-SKGRUDTVIG-G1, Coordinator: Technical University of Košice, Slovakia
Printed: VIENALA, Košice, Slovakia, 2004
Limited quasi-binary world of persons with disabilities
may change by the sophisticated assistive technology in
an integrated autonomous independent life,
Adam Simonides, quadriplegic,
author of graphics of this book cover
FOREWORD
This publication is the main output of the Socrates Grundtvig Project
ATTRAIN1 - Assistive Technology Consultant/ Advisor Training Development and
Delivery financed by the European Commission grant.
Equal opportunities and Disability awareness policy requires to widespread
some common base of knowledge to all people involved at any level in disability
issues, first of all to those people who are engaged in training activities leading to
those goals. Assistive technology and special pedagogical methods are fundamental
topics that should be adequately known by those people, as they play very important
role in the daily life of persons with disabilities, and especially in their education.
The aim was to develop the training programme in lifelong study for professionals
working with people with disabilities in different areas of the life – education, health care,
social area, services, local administrative institutions. There is still a lack of knowledge in
Assistive technology and special needs awareness in community dealing with disabled
people and elderly needs. This is important to improve, especially in such areas where
professionals should provide advisory and consultancy for people with disabilities in
proper technical support. There is a need to disseminate common rules for an integrated
education system at the primary, secondary schools and university staff, who provide
teaching for disabled students. The project aims to ensure that Primary, Secondary
schools and Universities in participating countries are in a position to offer integrated
education for disabled young people and to work towards the development of an inclusive
learning environment that offers equality of opportunity for students with disabilities.
The training programme is to be offered for different groups of professionals starting
from teachers through health care staff to staff at the regional administrative offices
dealing with education and social matters in connection to people with special needs and
disabilities, administration at city councils, voluntary workers at Unions, and Associations
of people with disabilities.
Textbook and enlarged CD have modular structure in hierarchical and vertical
directions. Selection of modules in horizontal level may reflect user’s needs taking
into account professional orientation and personal experience. Modularity in vertical
level is available in CD version. It enables to choose modules from basic level to the
most detailed depending on reader’s level of education, knowledge, and practical
experience. The last level offers different methodical materials, software products,
manuals, products databases, list of distributors, producers for advanced users.
We consider handbook accessibility as a very important function. Therefore
text is done in 2 types of documents – pdf, and html respecting basic accessibility
rules for readers with visual and motoric impairments.
prof. Ing. Dušan Šimšík, PhD., coordinator
1
Web page information about ATTRAIN – http://www.tuke.sk/AC/projects.html
CREDITS
Module
1
2
3
4
5
6
Title
Foreword
Introduction to Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology for People with Visual
Impairments
Assistive technology for people with Hearing
Impairments
Assistive technology for people with physical
disabilities
Assistive Technology for Dyslexia and
Dyspraxia
Daily Life Technologies
7.1
Information and Communication Technologies
7.2
10.3
10.4
Common Structure of the Information
Technology (IT) for Special Needs
ICT as assistive technology in teaching
physically disabled – The NetJob Approach
Equal Opportunities
Economical issues
General rules
Communications and Information
How to use Assistive Technology to teach
students with physical, mental and cognitive
handicap
Foreign Language Teaching
Mathematics for visually impaired
10.5
Graphical Information for Visually Impaired
10.6
Tele-training in education of people with
disabilities
Basic legislation in Italy
7.3
8
9
10.1
10.1.3
10.2
11.1
11.2
Legislation to support persons with disabilities
in Slovakia
Authors
D. Šimšík - TUKE
D. Šimšík - TUKE
M. V. Gualdoni - FDG
G Ara - FDG
A. McLoughlin - HLP
A. Galajdová- TUKE
D. Šimšík - TUKE
D. Šimšík - TUKE
A. Galajdová - TUKE
P. Želinský - TUKE
D. Šimšík - TUKE
A. Annan - TVU
A. Annan - TVU
S. Hargreaves - LMU
A. Micangeli - CIRPS
I. Ruspantini - CIRPS
M. Cundari - CIRPS
C. Adriani - CIRPS
G. Mascolo - CIRPS
D. Šimšík - TUKE
Z. Dolná - TUKE
A. Annan - TVU
H. Foldager Jensen - DC
M. Benedetti - URLS
M. V. Gualdoni - FDG
G. Valle, G. Ara - FDG
A. Annan - TVU
A. Magi - FDG
A. Annan - TVU
J. Buša - TUKE
A. Galajdová - TUKE
D. Šimšík - TUKE
D. Šimšík - TUKE
A. Galajdová - TUKE
J. Majerník - TUKE
R. Redaelli - FDG
G. Ara - FDG
G. Ara - FDG
M. V. Gualdoni - FDG
M. Orgonášová - AOZPO
11.3
Education Training and Management
Consulting System
11.4
Legislation to support persons with disabilities
in United Kingdom
Legislation in Ireland
Assessment of Assistive Technology
11.5
12
13
Consulting for students and graduates with
disability at entrance to labour market,
consulting or employers
M. Naďová- ROK
M. Kleknerová - ROK
L. Bušaničová - HSSC
M. Čabalová - SDP
A. Annan - TVU
A. McLoughlin - HLP
D. De Cosmi - CIRPS
M. Cundari - CIRPS
A. Micangeli - CIRPS
T. S. Jespersen - DC
H. Foldager Jensen - DC
Partners of the ATTRAIN Project:
TUKE – Technical University of Košice, Slovakia
FDG – Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi — Onlus, Milan, Italy
HLP – Hibernia Learning Partnership, Dublin, Ireland
TVU – Thames Valley University, London, United Kingdom
CIRPS – Interuniversity Research Centre on Sustainable Development, University of
Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy
DC - Danish Centre for Technical Aids for Rehabilitation and Special Education,
NetJob, Aarhus, Denmark
URLS – University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy
AOZPO – Alliance of Organisations of Disabled People in Slovakia, Bratislava
ROK – Regional Office Košice, Slovakia
Other Collaborating Partners:
LMU – London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
HSSC – House of Social Services for Children, Strážske, Slovakia
SDP – School for Disabled People, Košice, Slovakia