Project "E-learning for blind and visually impaired persons"

logo of the Project Project "E-learning for blind and visually impaired persons"

The project is implemented by Widzialni Foundation in cooperation with Imago Foundation and Local Democracy Development Foundation within 1.02.2012 to 29.06.2014.

The project is co-financed by the European Union within the scope of ESF OPHC, Priority VII. Social Integration Promotion, Action 7.2 Combating exclusion and strengthening social economy sector, Subaction 7.2.1. Professional and social activation endangered to social exclusion.

Total cost of the project: 1 455 949.00 PLN including the applied co-financing: 1 455949.00

Within the scope of the project the following stages of creating the e-learning platform model are designed:

1. Stage of diagnosing and developing initial version of the final product together with the product implementation strategy

Within the scope of this stage, studies will be performed (questionnaires and focused interviews) in order to show the needs and expectations of three areas:

receivers (blind and visually impaired persons),
employers,
users (Social Aid Centers, Professional Activation Companies).

Key questions analysed during the research process will concern the website features from the point of view of accessibility for the receivers group, methods of specifying key competences of blind and visually impaired persons, methods of selecting economy areas, where the receivers may be employed as well as impact of mutual stereotypes employer - disabled person.

Model of the e-learning platform will be a tool using which the blind and visually impaired persons will be able to obtain new skills. The model will include, inter alia, training scenarios building the competences searched for on the labour market.

The e-learning platform operation will be adapted to the character of blind and visually impaired persons.

Model elements:

6 general e-learning courses based on the training scenarios (2 basic, 4 specialist),
catalogue of competences searched for by employers,
technical recommendations concerning websites accessibility,
recommendations concerning accessibility of training applications for receivers groups.

2. Stage of testing the model of e-learning platform functioning

In the first stage of the tests, a group of receivers and users will be selected, who will consult and verify e-learning platform functionality.

In the second stage of the tests, after developing training scenarios and starting up the platform, participants will improve their competences using remote trainings, in two blocks:

basic (entering the labour market - creating CVs, recruitment talk, etc.),
specialist (training resulting from the performed research).

On this stage of the project, efficiency of the website will be tests related to increasing the employment in the receivers group, technical options and limitations of the site and how the model affects the efficiency of the social integration institution offer in activating its clients.

3. Stage of analysing actual effects of the tested product and developing the final version of the product

The stage will consist in gathering all data from the testing phase and separating key areas of product analysis, defining targets and areas of evaluation, performing external and internal evaluation of the tested product. Final recommendations concerning the product implementation to a great scale and its implementation to the main political stream will be developed.

4. International cooperation

The SUBJECT of the cooperation is adaptation of Matese solutions within the scope of application and ICT technology increasing the access of disabled persons (DP) to employment and education. All actions planned with the foreign partner are oriented at effective implementation of the method in Poland. Methods and solutions can be implemented in Poland because of the group of NGO personnel specialised in ICT, supporting professional activation of DP.

The key element of the method is the package of foreign partner solutions The Foundation for Technology Accessibility (FITA), such as developing TTS (text-to-speech) devices, training programs in the scope of operating supporting devices, creating accessible websites, methodology of accessibility audits for application. The method is especially dedicated to persons with higher degree of disability - severe and moderate.

International cooperation within the scope of the component assumes common preparation of:

Workshop of the method multipliers will be prepared, a then performed by the foreign partner team (2 persons). As a result, a group of multipliers (8 persons) will be comprehensively prepared to work in the adapted method,
Working visit will be prepared on Malta, which will be joined by multipliers, experts and representatives of the partnership team (8 persons),
Results of multipliers and international partnership team work will be gathered and summarized together with improvement of method impact assessment on qualitative changes in lives of the participants. In effect, publication will be prepared containing functional and conceptual description of the method implementation in Poland together with a description of impact and results, for specialists of DP activation on the labour market, schools, NGOs, training institutions.

5. Stage of diffusing the model and mainstreaming

In the last stage of the project, the product will be presented to wider spectrum of receivers and users, by organizing seminars and conferences, distribution of catalogue, meetings with social integration institution representatives and decision making persons. Inclusion of the recommendation to apply the product in the main stream of the politics will be of special importance - recommendations for websites accessibility for blind and visually impaired persons or recommendations concerning application of e-learning trainings in creating competences of blind and visually impaired persons. Recommendations will be presented in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Marshal Office of Lower Silesian Province as well as directly in Social Aid Centers during seminars and personal meetings.

The Final Product of the project will be the model of remote trainings functioning on the e-learning platform, supporting activation of blind and visually impaired persons and social aid institutions within the scope of cooperation with them. Using the tool developed during the project, clients (blind and visually impaired persons) will be able to gain new skills. The model will include, inter alia, training scenarios building the competences searched for on the labour market. Two types of training scenarion are prepared, concerning the labour market entering (basic block) and preparing to fulfilling specific duties in a given job (specialist block). These scenarios represent tools set - ready to use methods of transferring knowledge, supporting other activation forms, applied by Social Aid Centers.

The e-learning platform operation is adapted to the needs of blind and visually impaired persons, considering lack of information tools adapted to work with them.

Model elements:

6 general e-learning courses based on the training scenarios,
catalogue of competences searched for by employers,
technical recommendations concerning websites accessibility,
recommendations concerning accessibility of training applications for receivers groups.

Moreover, in the field of diffusing and implementing solutions developed in the project, recommendations for legal changes will be implemented to common practice and policy, i.e.:

recommendations for technical functionalities necessary for websites accessibility for blind and visually impaired persons,
recommendations for e-learning trainings application in the development of blind and visually impaired persons competences.

The product may be the basis for accessibility assumptions of other websites, not only in the labour market sector, but also in adapting the work methods to the character and needs of receiver groups.