The partners of this project have been interested in promoting social participation of people with disabilities for several years. And have consequently developed teaching and learning materials for the different stakeholders in the field of disability (Leonardo 2012 -2014).
The current project ParticipaTIC is led by the EHESP School of public health (France) with eight other partners from the training or DPO (Disabled people’s organizations) sector: Gravir asbl ; Haute École Libre Brussels ; Haute École Louvain en Hainaut (Belgium) ; Institut de Formation en Pédicurie-Podologie, Ergothérapie, Masso-Kinésithérapie ; Collectif Handicap 35 ; Fédération Handicap International ; Université Catholique de Lille (France) ; SSEO Technical Assistance (Romania) in collaboration with the association ASA Handicap Mental (Switzerland).
What results in brief?
Our project targets people who lead or are representing people with disabilities. Its aim is to develop accessible on-line training materials to strengthen their competencies as a porte-parole to defend the rights of members of DPOs. With this in mind the projected project outcomes were realized through a participatory process which included the target groups (disabled people and DPO leaders). This process also included training in using information and communication technologies applied to education and allowed the emergence of a learning community with heightened awareness of the complexity of digital accessibility.
These outcomes in French and Romanian may be accessed freely via the following link: https://participatic.eu/fr/plateforme-participatic/ :
A training on-line platform incorporating accessibility and participation
This platform focuses on two main types of competencies :
- those that favour the strengthening of compentencies necessary for pleading ones cause when negotiating with elected representatives, decision makers and government officials in commissions or forums and for defending disability rights in relation to the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
- those that favour stronger participation between all the members of an organisation.
The platform ParticipaTIC proposes 4 training modules :
- Module 1: Understanding and explaining the fundamental importance of defending rights, the concepts of disability and social participation
- Module 2: Understanding the role of leaders and porte paroles in service of the common good
- Module 3: Understanding the issues assocated with key articles of the United Nations Convention on and how it may be deployed to defend those rights
- Module 4 Exploring an assessment tool for the quality of access to public or private sector services in order to improve the same services.
Each module is made up of a series of lessons which may be freely accessed and scrolled through by learners.
The Moodle type platform has been designed to match the needs of different people using the platform. All the training materials are accessible for everyone. Specially adapted Easy to read and understand content has been was developped and site navigation has been made as easy as possible. There are options to magnify the size of print font, to modify colour contrasts and to provide voice synthesis.
The French version was launched in June, the Romanian will be launched by the end of 2019. Following the end of European Funding, plans are being currently put into place to allow further evolution of learning materials through the participation of trainees using the platform.
A methodological guide comprising two volumes
The first volume of this guide deals with the necessary steps to follow in order to create an accessible and participatory on-line training platform. The second volume offers advice on how to improve digital accessibility. The aim is to facilitate the design of similar accessible platforms.
Futher steps to come
English language versions are planned for the future to favour dissemination of results.
The multiplier events held in June 2019 to launch ParticipaTIC brought together a wide range of representatives from interested associations. Test carried out during and following the development of the launch of the platform have largely confirmed that the platform ParticipaTIC offers real possibilities to strengthen the competencies of leaders fighting for greater inclusion for people with disabilities and for the defense of their rights.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the platform the different partners are engaged to pursue their collaboration through the signing of a partnership agreement from 2020-2023.
This project has been labelized as “Good Practice” by the Erasmus+ Agency.