Photo of Tempere University building

Photo of the Tampere University building

 

NewWorkTech Kickoff

Tampere University

Location: Kanslerinrinne 1, 33100 Tampere, Finland
Building: Pinni B, Auditorium B1097

Date: 24.1.2025 10.00–14.30 (UTC+2)

Register for the event

Language: English

Websites: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101177176

Entrance fee: Free of charge

 

Our member IBOS – The Danish Institute for Visual Impairment – is proudly inviting other organizations and professionals to follow the online Kickoff Conference from the project NewWorkTech.

This project aims to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities and critically examine assistive technologies. Coordinated by Tampere University, the NewWorkTech project aims to improve accessibility and inclusion in the world of work and promote the human rights of people with disabilities.

A significant number of people experience functional disabilities and restrictions at some point in their lives.  An estimated one-fifth of the global population lives with a long-term impairment or disability. This EU-project has received €3 million in funding to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities and critically examine assistive technologies.

NewWorkTech will focus on knowledge work and the service sector. The project will generate new insights into the world of work, such as workplace practices and interactions, and discover new competences in the people currently experiencing functional restrictions. NewWorkTech partners will leverage access technologies to break down employment barriers and to define innovative practices of technology use for all.

The project is keen on working together with different stakeholder groups in the context of the three-year project and invite anyone interested to participate in the kickoff event onsite or online! The kickoff event is aimed at stakeholders and the general public to learn about our upcoming research and practical innovations.

The registration is open via this link.

The event consists of the following topics, and the preliminary program is below:

  • NewWorkTech in a nutshell
  • Project partner introductions
  • Coffee break
  • Plenaries from stakeholder group representatives

Program 

PART 1, 10-11.30 o’clock 

  1. From the margins to the masses: Standard practices and innovative uses of technology in augmenting different abilities of people in the world of work – introducing the project NewWorkTech  – Maija Hirvonen, professor, scientific coordinator
  1. NewWorkTech visions – the project partners presenting the impact of NewWorkTech Tampere University – University of Oulu, University of Copenhagen, National Research Council of Italy, Italian Association of People with Down Syndrome, The Danish Institute for Visual Impairment, Autism Foundation Finland, Be My Eyes Aps, University of Warwick, European Platform for Rehabilitation

COFFEE BREAK, 11.30-12.30 o’clock

PART 2, 12.30-14.30 o’clock

  1. NewWorkTech discussions – stakeholders presenting their visions related to the project 

Confirmed speakers are:

  • Marko Jääskeläinen, Accessia Consulting:How to build a diverse workplace and draw on the different competences”
  • Heta Pukki, Autistic Spectrum Finland: Future of neurodiversity in employment and workplaces”
  • Elina Tapio and Jarkko Keränen from Raami training & development services: “New tech competence: Deaf coaches leading the general workforce to improve the quality of video-mediated interaction”
  • Art-Jaan Riekhoff, researcher at the Finnish Centre for Pensions, Tampere University and the SustAgeable project: “NewWorkTech’s impact from the perspective of the (Finnish) labour market and pension system”
  • Roberta Lulli, Project Officer at European Disability Forum: European Research on Digital Skills, Accommodation and Technological Assistance for Employment (DATA)
  • Monika Chaba, Policy Officer at European Commission, Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion: “The EU Disability Employment Package”
  1. NewWorkTech discussions – general discussion – The floor will be open for questions and comments from the audience.
  2. Closing words (Maija Hirvonen)

The venue can be accessed with wheelchair, it has an audio induction loop, and speech-to-text interpreting is provided for the onsite participation.

Organiser

NewWorkTech

Further information

Contact: laura.jaakonaho@tuni.fi

 

2024 Blue Sky Meeting Group Photo

2024 Blue Sky Meeting Group Photo

We had a successful Blue Sky Meeting in Düren (Germany) on 17-18 September.

21 members discussed 10 different new project proposals, preparing our new EU project applications.

Thank to our host, the BFW Düren for their warm welcome!

Tactile Reading alusive image

Registration Now Open for Tactile Reading Conference 2025!

Tactile Reading alusive image

We are thrilled to announce the opening of the registration for the Tactile Reading Conference 2025, taking place in Amsterdam on 2-4 June 2025. This prestigious international event is dedicated to advancing tactile solutions for individuals with visual impairments, showcasing innovations in braille, tactile images, 3D printing, and more.

Join us for three days of insightful discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities with over 400 experts and professionals from around the world. The conference, co-hosted by leading Dutch organizations such as Visio, Bartiméus, Dedicon, Christian Blind Library, and the Library Service for Accessible Reading promises to be a cornerstone event in the field of tactile reading. Secure your spot today and be part of shaping the future of tactile literacy.

Are your insights worth centre stage? The call for abstracts for the Tactile Reading Conference 2025 is also open already! Do you have innovative ideas and insights on tactile reading, braille, and accessibility? This is your chance to share them with many international experts. Submit your abstract here and be part of this inspiring conference. Together, we make reading and learning accessible for everyone! The deadline is 18 October 2024.

The first keynote speakers for the Tactile Reading Conference 2025 have also been announced. Prof. Astrid Kappers and Dr. Ans Withagen will discuss how the sense of touch can be subject to illusions, from both a scientific and practical perspective. Don’t miss out—register now for this unique and engaging conference on tactile solutions for people with visual impairments.

https://tactilereading.yellenge.nl/registration/#/tickets

We really hope to see you there!

 

 

SmartAis Logo

Next ENVITER Webinar will be about “SmartAIs – Digital Assistant for Outdoors” and will be on July 25th, starting at 3:00pm (CET – Central European Time), using Zoom.

The presentation by Sascha Preget, from the SmartAIs development team, will be focusing on:

  • Presenting the digital assistant that will support blind and visually impaired people to avoid obstacles outdoors;
  • Discussing the product and approach with people from the community and getting valuable feedback;
  • Making connections with institutions from the blind community in other European countries than Germany.

SmartAIs is developing a digital AI-supported assistant that helps blind and severely visually impaired people move around outdoors and get them from one place to another more safely and quickly. The trick: instead of developing an additional device, SmartAIs is trying to implement the digital assistant as a smartphone app. The first step is to develop an obstacle detection app that provides information about obstacles in the walking route. The information currently reaches the user via bone-sound headphones; later, it will also be possible to transmit information via vibration.

About SmartAIs:

The four-member team has been pursuing its vision for a year now, has its origins at the Technical University in Munich and is in constant exchange with important organizations such as the Bavarian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, PRO RETINA Deutschland e.V. and the Federal Association of Rehabilitation Teachers for the Blind and Visually Impaired e.V. The first prototype tests are currently taking place in Munich and the surrounding area.

If you wish to participate, please use the link below to send us your information.

https://forms.gle/pVEe8C6V5XcidjHM8

On the day before the Webinar, the link to access the Zoom meeting will be send to you by email.

Group photo of participants

Our 2024 annual meeting took place, this in year, from 16 to 18th of April in the fabulous Halle, by the river Saale, in Germany, hosted by our member BFW from the city.

With almost 60 participants from 25 of our members coming from 16 different European countries, this was one of the most attended General Meetings off all timer, for ENVITER.

The usual 3 full days dedicated to following your network goals had a balanced program that included presentations about ideas for future projects, our formal General Meeting and this year Conference on Wednesday subject to the theme Moving and Being Moved Towards Social Inclusion”, during which we had the following presentations:

  1. LOC.id, a Key to the Next Generation of Mobility, by Thomas Krämer (Berlin, Germany)
  2. EMVI app, by Henri De Vroey (Belgium)
  3. Project DIG.I.T.ABLE, by Alexandrina Kostova (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
  4. Objectification of Subjective Visual Stress – New Dynamic Measurement Methods in Optometry, by Anja Müller and Karina Jendrischik (Halle, Germany)
  5. People with Neurological Visual Impairments: An Insufficiently Cared For Group of Visually Impaired People, by André Kunnig (Halle, Germany)
  6. Increasing Knowledge among Caregivers about Providing Support to Persons with Autism and Vision Impairment, by Annie van den Heuvel (Vught, The Netherlands)
  7. Moving Towards Inclusion through European Mobility Projects, by Ramona Ionela Muresan and Elisabeta Pintilie (Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

During these 3 there was also time to experience BFW Halle’s “Sensory World” (a space specially prepared to promote information and awareness regarding visual impairment) and the Halle Planetarium, with its very interesting and innovative work towards making Astronomy accessible to everyone.

Photo of some adapted materials for teaching Math

Photo of some adapted materials for teaching Math

Mathematics is a fundamental part of our daily lives. While maths is abstract, it is also a very visual subject. For people who are blind or visually impaired, numbers, equations, shapes, graphs and tables pose special challenges. With the right teaching methods, and given some extra time, many blind and visually impaired students are capable of doing mathematics at a level comparable to sighted students. A team of ou member Visio – and international experts, worked 3 years on this online document. It was coordinated by Visio International, part of the Knowledge and Expertise development department of Royal Dutch Visio.

The manual aims to provide maths – and other teachers who work with blind and visually impaired students with the skills and knowledge needed to help these learners achieve fluency in maths. It gives guidelines for how to adapt the curriculum and teaching methods for the blind or visually impaired students in the class. The manual focuses on the mathematics taught in secondary schools. It assumes that the students already have a knowledge of primary maths: numbers, arithmetic, clocks, 2- and 3-dimensional shapes, etc. For blind students, it assumes that they have already mastered the basics of braille. The book is based on Unified English Braille. It includes many links, practical examples and pays attention to different materials that can be used to teach mathematics to students with a visual impairment.

The manual can be downloaded using the link https://www.visio.org/visio.org/media/Visio/Afbeeldingen/Visio%20International/Teaching-Mathematics(print).pdf

More information: international@visio.org or petrawijen@visio.org

 

Photo of participants in this visit

Photo of participants in this visitOn 5th of April, our President and the network Coordinator visited our recent member organisation Valteri Center, in Helsinki (Finland).

Although the weather was very cold and frosty, their welcome was absolutely warm.

Thank you for your hospitality and looking forward to our future cooperation!

 

Photo of Halle city Center

Our General Meeting, hosted by our member BFW Halle (Germany), is coming very soon. Only a few more days to have our network gathered for 3 working days, from April 15th to 18th.

As usual, the second day will be Conference Day, and this year the theme is Moving and Being Moved Towards Social Inclusion”

Are you coming?

10th ICEVI european Conference logo

Once in every four years a European Conference in the field of people with visual impairments is organized by the International Council for Education and Rehabilitation of People with Visual Impairment, Europe Region (ICEVI-Europe), in cooperation with a host committee and local partners. 

ICEVI-Europe in cooperation with ENVITER member Robert Hollman Foundation proudly announce the milestone tenth European Conference in 2025. The 10th ICEVI-European Conference will be held from May 15 to May 17, 2025 at the Town Hall and University of Padova in Italy, thanks to the hospitality and collaboration of the Municipality of Padova and the University of Padova.

Join to actively take part in the exchange of knowledge and expertise and sharing of best practices within a network of people and institutions promoting the inclusion of people with visual impairment, as we explore this year’s theme: “Supporting children and young adults with visual impairment: What can we do? What can be done?”

The Conference, which will bring together hundreds of professionals from all over Europe, will focus on how support, using a multidisciplinary approach, can foster a better quality of life for children and young adults with visual impairment.  Presentations will be an opportunity to share experiences on four important areas of interest: individual development and assessment; education and learning; habilitation and rehabilitation; access, participation, engagement in society.  The final goal of the conference is the presentation of a Key Principles document provided to professionals who wish to offer a global approach which will support their work with children and young adults with visual impairment and their families.

For further information, you can access the Save the Date Flyer about this event and please regularly visit the official conference website: https://icevieurope2025-hollman.it/ which is now live and the website of ICEVI-Europe at www.icevi-europe.org
Group photo from this visit

Group photo from this visit

We had a great meeting, visiting our recent member from Ireland, ChildVision.  According to the hosts, they were delighted to receive the ENVITER President and Co-ordinator, Ms Elena Weber and Ms Agnes Somorjai for a two-day visit.

ChildVision joined ENVITER last year and is looking forward to continuing the co-operation with other European partners.

Photo above shows, from left to right:

  • Katharine Howe, Reading Services Manager, ChildVision
  • Elena Weber, ENVITER president
  • Geraldine Neill, Vision Services Development Manager, ChildVision
  • Agnes Somorjai, ENVITER co-ordinator
  • Ilka Stäglin, Director of Education, ChildVision