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ACCESS-IT 2009 Workshops
1. Workshop on ICT and Aging
2. Workshop on the design and creation of accessible learning materials for all (full details)
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Workshop on ICT and Aging
Download all the presentations of the workshop.
Workshop on ICT and Aging all presentations (.zip file 23.2MB)
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View Workshop Agenda
2009 Workshop ICT and Aging
Workshop on ICT and Aging:
In specific, the aim of the first workshop on ICT (Information Communication Technologies) and Aging was to involve the main key actors/projects in Europe in the area of ICT and Aging and attempted to address the following questions.
- How can we be sure current ICT based initiatives are actually what people want?
- Will humans be replaced by technology?
- Will there be "a care divide" between rich and less well-off regions and citizens in the future? How can technology help to avoid this?
- ICT for ageing involves different areas (health care, socialisation and contact with your peers, independent living, , etc). How these diverse areas merge to offer a holistic approach for seniors?
- Can ICT really make the significant differences, we are hearing about?
- How can we move the research, development and policy agenda forward?
Workshop Rationale:
We are all getting older, and there are more of us than ever before! Therefore, in all over Europe, new products and services based on ICT for ageing well from private and public funds and initiatives are being developed to address efficiently this demographic change. However, "Ageing well" is not just about healthcare, it is a mixture of needs (healthcare, socialisation & communication, entertainment, affordability, living wherever you like, etc) delivered by different actors and often poorly integrated! In this question, important questions that have to be addressed by these initiatives are:
- How can we be sure current ICT based initiatives are actually what people want?
- Will humans be replaced by technology?
- Will there be “a care divide” between rich and less well-off regions and citizens in the future? How can technology help to avoid this?
- ICT for ageing involves different areas (health care, socialisation and contact with your peers, independent living, etc). How these diverse areas merge to offer a holistic approach for seniors?
- Can ICT really make the significant differences, we are hearing about?
- How can we move the research, development and policy agenda forward?
After participating in this workshop, participants were able to better:
- know current ICT based practices, initiatives and polices that address specific needs for better quality of life for elder people
- confirm whether ICT can really make the significant differences we are hearing about in quality of life of seniors in general and bridge any gaps to access related services
- understand the elements for a holistic approach in ICT services for the elder people
- form specific future ICT based living scenarios for elder people that research, development as well as policy agenda should support
Conclusions:
A lot of new ideas were promoted and there were also a discussion on how actually quality of life of elderly people is improved through ICT. As general conclusions, information on current initiatives and on their approach was shared. Various challenges were identified such as the different user needs as well as the luck of harmonised standardisation to ensure the use of just one “remote control” by the end-user for living independently and with quality.