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Irene Vega
The SensibilizaTIC conferences were born with the motivation of publicizing innovative experiences that are being carried out in the field of technology and inclusion. During the different sessions, attendees will be shown the latest technological initiatives aimed at various groups with special needs. Topics such as alternative and augmentative communication systems, how to develop accessible web pages or applications, the customization of applications, accessible video games or virtual reality experiences, among others, will be addressed.
The presentations can be followed remotely and will be conducted by professionals and experts of recognized prestige both from centers that work with people with disabilities (Alenta, Down Madrid, Plena Institución and Fundación Juan XXIII) and by researchers from the universities of Zaragoza, Complutense of Madrid, Granada, U-TAD, Autonomous University of Madrid, University of the Basque Country and King Juan Carlos. "We hope that the sessions will serve as a meeting point and that synergies will arise between these groups that will help advance research into technological developments to more inclusive and integrating environments for people with special needs", emphasizes Estefanía Martín Barroso, coordinator of the conference and researcher of LITE Group (Laboratory of Information Technologies in Education).
The URJC researcher also points out that "associations with disabilities will shed light on how to carry out accessible technological developments that are useful for society, this meeting being of special relevance for any developer of general-purpose computer applications." Likewise, scientists from the different universities will present the latest advances in technology to promote inclusive environments and help with daily tasks. "Thanks to this combination, the general public and families will be able to learn first-hand about the latest advances in the technology sector for inclusion," says Martín Barroso.
The conferences are aimed both at staff from organizations with disabilities and researchers, as well as at families with people with special needs and students interested in engineering or in the development of therapies and classes adapted to people with disabilities. At the moment there are a hundred people registered, although registration is still open and reservations can be made through the URJC event platform.
From multi-contact tables to indoor paging systems
At the URJC different research groups work on the development of new tools with the aim of creating accessible technologies for people with different needs. In these sessions, three educational experiences based on multi-contact tables and digital tablets and carried out with students with cognitive disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will be presented. David Roldán Álvarez, researcher in the area of Telematics Engineering (ETSIT), will present the applications FINGERS, a tool for creating and running educational activities on multiple devices, wink, an online platform that promotes the creation of educational videos and an assessment system based on rubrics to promote learning, and bluethinking, an accessible application that allows people with ASD to learn programming while exercising and strengthening their executive functions.
The presentation by María Teresa García Catalá will focus on presenting different solutions for location and orientation in closed environments to help people with mild and moderate cognitive disabilities to function safely in these spaces and in emergency situations.
Finally, María Jesús Alonso Gordo, coordinator of the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+i) will close the sessions. “The organization of this type of event is of incalculable value, taking into account the group to which it is directed. We all know that today many of the activities that we want to develop implicitly imply the need to have technological knowledge that not all groups can access. For this reason, the work of the researchers who participate in these conferences, in which they will show their research in this regard, is of great interest”, highlights María Jesús Alonso.
This initiative is organized by the Vice President for University Extension, with the support of the UCC+i, dependent on the Vice President for Research, and the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.