assistive technologies and inclusive solutions for all...status final dissemination level public...

Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All

Executive annual summary of ATIS4all

Project Acronym ATIS4all

Grant Agreement Number CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988

Project Title Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All

Project type Thematic Network

Deliverable No.

Work package No. WP2

Work package Title

Authors Igone (Tecnalia) and Alejandra Salmerón

(Technosite)

Status Final

Dissemination Level Public

Delivery Date

Number of Pages 11

European Thematic Network on Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All European Commission, CIP-ICT-PSP-2010-4 Project 270988 www.atis4all.eu

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Version History

Table 1

Revision Date Author Organisation Description

1 17/2/2012 Alejandra Salmeron Igone Idigoras

Technosite Tecnalia

First draft

2 27/2/2012 Igone Idigoras Tecnalia Final version


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PUBLISHABLE SUMMARY

ATIS4ALL thematic network is a three years research project funding by the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) of the European Commission (EC) working to establish an open, collaborative portal offering reliable information on ICT-based ATs, inclusive solutions and R&D initiatives in this field and fostering online discussion, exchange of knowledge and expertise, and sharing of information among their different portal user members.

The project is carried out by a Consortium led by Technosite, and composed by a set of partners selected on the basis of excellence criteria, and proven track record in the assistive technology field in national and European research area.

ATIS4all is working in collaboration with ETNA Thematic Network to set up a reference online portal, EASTIN 2.0, that will give everyone registered by mean of a user profile not only the option to get information from an specific ICT-based AT product through a search engine, but also the possibility of expressing and receiving their opinion and experience on ICT-based ATs products and services through a "community". ATIS4ALL network works on the design and set up of this "community" area of the EASTIN 2.0 portal in which three main sections has been considered: a market place, an R&D community and a key actors section (see Figure 1).


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Figure 1 set of futures of the future EASTIN 2.0 portal including the search engine, the community and the ATIS4all and ETNA websites

(source: self produced)

The Market place and R&D communities will provide online meeting points for portal users and key actors interested in interacting, providing and accessing to relevant information in the field of ICT ATs, inclusive solutions and related services and R&D and cutting edge technologies applied to them. In this sense, an initial list of top quality sources of information for each type of content selected for both communities will be selected.

Key actors section will be provided by a key actors search application a tool to find organisations relevant in the field of ICT AT, inclusive solutions and related services, and R&D and cutting edge technologies applied to them.

Moreover, inside the community, the user will not only find a simple content enumeration. The goal is to add value to this information, resulting in a more enriching user experience. Collaborative tools called web 2.0 applications/ tools and also personalized user profiling utilities will be used to add value to the information provided by the portal. Some of those tools have already been identified in the first


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stage of the project as the application for user’s ratings and comments identified as useful for AT products.

The following Figure 2 summarizes the composition of elements inside the global community.

Figure 2 conceptual map of the community model (source: self produced)

The Project started in April 2011 and when finish is expected will be leading to a collaborative portal that permits between others:

Making reliable information available on ICT-based ATs, inclusive solutions and related services more transparent, accessible and easily available to all the key actors in general.

Overcoming fragmentation in AT and accessibility markets thus helping to benefit from huge market potential, facilitating the development and the release to the market of ATs based on open software and other cutting-edge trends.

Augmenting the mutual knowledge of the key actors in the chain value of ATs and accessibility products (from research centres to the end-users), which will improve the outcomes of the R&D initiatives and the final products.

Facilitating the establishment of professional relationships among organisations along the whole chain value of AT ICTs, inclusive solutions and related services.


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At the moment ATIS4all have just completed the activities of Work Package one (WP1) and work package two (WP2) in this first year of ATIS4all progress from a total of three more packages to complete in the next two years.

At the very beginning of ATIS4all many tasks were launched. The first priority was to activate the ePractice portal in order to release the thematic network among the community related to Assistive Technologies. In parallel, the project website and the knowledge management system were developed in order to ensure the dissemination of project activities and to establish an efficient tool to share information among partners. The collaborative tools are the website private area, the wiki tool and certain mailing list. This task encompassed the common visual identity of ATIS4all and ETNA thematic networks, which included website, templates and leaflet design. Figure 3 depicts the ATIS4all website.

Figure 3 ATIS4all website (source: http://www.atis4all.eu/)

To determine the work guidelines the Thematic Network handbook was written. The ATIS4all Thematic Network Handbook has two main functions: It acts as a reference source for all Consortium members covering many of the day-to-day activities and providing links to further information where required, and it aims to standardise


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various elements of the project, such as project reports, deliverables and file, naming conventions through the use of agreed procedures and templates where relevant. The Handbook is a living document and will be updated regularly throughout the project.

One of the most relevant activities carried out in WP1 was the definition of a dissemination and exploitation plan for the project. A first communication and dissemination strategy was designed in order to communicate and disseminate the project and its results successfully, to manage stakeholders and to create a positive reputation for the project and Consortium. Dissemination and Exploitation Committee (DEC) is concerned with the daily execution of these action plans, its close monitoring and report of the outcomes. Note that this communication plan should be reviewed periodically.

Since the main objective of WP1 was to establish the foundations of ATIS4ll. With that purpose, an initial analysis of contents of the Market Place and R&D Community was made. A first heading classification proposal was elaborated by the consortium and potential key actors were also identified in this first stages of the project.

Moreover, a technical analysis of the EASTIN portal at that moment was made, encompassing details of its functionality and the way these combined searches are performed.

WP2 has been focused on the identification and selection of relevant type of contents that should be covered by “Market place” and “R&D" community respectively. An initial set of contents for both areas of the community were selected (see Figure 4) and also a first set around two hundred of relevant sources of information based on web resources was identified.

Additionally a prototype for user's ratings and comments was developed during WP2 and integrated inside the existed portal EASTIN provided by ETNA to present the basic functionalities of this application. The main objective of this prototype was to provide a demonstrator of the user’s ratings and comments using the search engine provided by EASTIN in order to evaluate its usability and obtain feedback to improve the final version that will be developed for EASTIN2.0. This first prototype has been tested and evaluated by all the partners in the consortium. All partners gave their personal opinion about possible improvements on the prototype.


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Figure 4 Selection of relevant type of contents that should be covered by “Market place” and “R&D" community

Other important tasks developed during packet WP2 were related to the dissemination and sustainability of the outcomes. In this sense specific dissemination actions related with the main dissemination indicators took place: Involvement of partners and supporters in ePractice.eu by mean of the announcement of the coming third ATIS4all workshop and other publications, Key actors and supporters involvement by mean of meetings or public events, increase of the project website activity by mean of publications (events, news or public deliverables), and dissemination activities themselves.

During the WP1 and WP2 period, the leader set up four conference calls, two in each work package, and two face to face meetings including: two Consortium Executive Board meetings, the Foundations of ATIS4all and the compilation and categorization workshops. Dissemination is indeed one of the key matters to foster during the next months. In February 2012 the website had received more than 7000 visits and we are working to have a higher rotation rate of news and events as well as to enhance the project presence in social networks and other online channels as well as to enhance the project presence in social networks and other online channels.


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Figure 5 Second ATIS4all workshop 8-9th September in Prague (source: self produced)

According to the positive feedback received, the Consortium is evaluating the creation of an external network of interested parties or collaborators in order to establish project synergies.

The future work will be focus in the correct development of the work package three (WP3). While continuing with the information gathering started in previous WP, in WP3 the consortium will identify, plan and design the tools and applications for the self-management of the “Market place” and “R&D community” sections. We will work to identify web 2.0 applications to link with each type of content included in the market place and R&D community. And also the dissemination strategy will be redesigned and reinforced during next year.

Next steps/actions:

Madrid, 12th and 13th march 2012

3rd ATIS4ALL workshop: Planning of tools and applications to the self-management of the portal.

The main theme for discussion will be about identification, information, features and functioning for the web 2.0 applications and tools to the self-management of the portal, which will permit add value to the information provided by the portal in a more enriching user experience. Attendance to the workshops will include representatives of all ATIS4all partners, of the ETNA network and national contact organizations, and other invited guests.

Brussels, 27th and 28th march 2012

1st Annual Review of ATIS4ALL and ETNA networks in Brussels.


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Project Contacts

Project Coordinator: Dr. José Ángel Martínez: [email protected]

Technical Coordinator: Alejandra Salmerón Ntutumu: [email protected]

Financial and Legal Coordinator: Project Management Office: [email protected]

Website: http://www.atis4all.eu/

ATIS4all leader

List of ATIS4all partners:


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