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e-Inclusion Newsletter - 16/01/2012

16 January 2012

Latest News

NEWS ARTICLE
Calls for projects to support the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing

(3 January 2012) Two European funding programmes opening in the first months of 2012 will support the implementation of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. Firstly, the call under the Health Programme is now open, with a closing date of 9 March 2012. The call will cover three different types of action: (a) seed money for pilot projects on change of care delivery including chronic disease management; (b) support for a partnership approach towards change in care delivery; and (c) supporting older people's health. Another call, under the ICT Policy Support Programme as part of the Competitiveness and Innovation framework Programme (CIP), will open shortly (1 February), with as closing date (tbc) of 15 May 2012. The draft work programme is already available online (http://ec.europa.eu/ict_psp). Within the work programme Theme 3 will cover topics related to most of the priority actions identified as part of the Strategic Implementation Plan of the EIP. A specific information day on Theme 3 will be organised in Brussels on 17 February. A general information will be organised on 3 February, also in Brussels.

See also: Info session of 17 February 2012 in Brussels: CIP ICT PSP Call 6

NEWS ARTICLE
Digital Games for Empowerment & Inclusion: exploratory study

(6 January 2012) The European Commission's Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) is conducting an exploratory study to better understand: what are the industrial, market, social opportunities and limitations of Digital Games for users' empowerment and as a tool for socio-economic inclusion of people at risk of exclusion (such as youth at risk, migrants, elderly, unemployed, low-educated); what are the technological, market, implementation, adoption andpolicy challenges of creating this potential and if and how policy actions could address the challenges identified. The IPTS is looking for examples of successful initiatives from across the world on the use of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion, and for the participation of experts from research and practice in the development of the vision and roadmap. An Experts' Workshop will be held 23-24 January 2012 at the IPTS, in Seville, Spain. The workshop is by invitation, but if you are interested in participating you can contact the Secretariat of the Information Society Unit - jrc-ipts-is-secretariat(at)ec.europa.eu

Contact: Please contact the Scientific Coordinator if you wish to contribute to the future of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion: Gianluca.Misuraca(at)ec.europa.eu
See also: Experts' Workshop of 23-24 January 2012

NEWS ARTICLE
Bridging Research in Ageing and ICT Development (BRAID): Call For Abstracts

(6 January 2012) The final BRAID Conference will present results achieved by the project, encompassing the roadmap and implementation activities. The one-day meeting seeks to discuss socio- economic aspects in ICT and ageing that influence and shape recreational activities across different life settings and mechanisms that empower older people to live independently and fulfilled. The conference will provide space for stakeholders to exchange and discuss the results from practical experiences including best practice projects and failed approaches in the field of ICT and ageing. The final BRAID Conference will take place on May 28th 2012 in Prague, along side the IFA 2012 Conference. The BRAID consortium welcomes abstracts from scientists, researchers, practitioners in the field of ICT and ageing. To present a paper at the BRAID conference, an abstract of the proposed paper must be submitted by January 31, 2012. All abstracts must be submitted electronically via email to the following email address: submission(at)braidproject.org

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
First WAI-ACT Open Meeting

14 February 2012 Brussels

WAI-ACT Project invites web accessibility practitioners, researchers, and users to participate in the WAI-ACT Open Meeting to: •Learn more about the WAI-ACT Project; •Provide input into project developments; •Explore opportunities for collaboration. We encourage you to participate if you are interested in: •Authoritative guidance on the implementation of accessibility in advanced web technologies; •Internationally harmonized methodologies to support evaluation of websites for accessibility; •Common visions and contribution to a coordinated eAccessibility research agenda. We particularly invite participants involved in relevant projects, initiatives, and activities with interest in expanded cooperation in Europe and internationally on the development of accessibility solutions. Registration open until 17 January 2012 or when spaces are full. The WAI-ACT Project - Web Accessibility Initiative - Cooperation Framework for Guidance on Advanced Technologies, Evaluation Methodologies, and Research Agenda Setting to Support eAccessibility - is partially funded under the 7th Framework Research Programme.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
6th European eAccessibility Forum: eAccessibility at the core of information systems

26 March 2012 Paris, France

The numerous political initiatives and the increasing financial involvement of firms attest of the growing attention to e-Accessibility. It was still, a few years ago, a question limited to specialists. Today, however, it is a regular preoccupation in the ICT sector. But this achievement must be nuanced. Nowadays, e-Accessibility is still considered as a supplement to the information system development: features dedicated to the disabled population, facultative feature, economical investment detached from any return on investment, e-Accessibility is often thought as an external problem, peripheral to the development of the Information Society. But it appears more and more clearly that this externalizing perspective is one of the most important reasons of the difficulties of e-Accessibility development. Technically, any underestimate of accessibility at the earliest design stage of a device or a website implies a complex and costly reengineering. Economically, it restricts the target of e-Accessibility to the disabled persons, which prevents decision makers to apprehend the larger benefits for companies and society as a whole. Finally, politically, this limited perspective turns us away from the juridical paradigm stating that society, not the individual, is responsible for any disability and, from this point of view, that accessibility is a primordial need for everyone. For all these reasons, putting e-Accessibility at the core is an urgent technological, economical and socio-political necessity. It is in this context that the Institute of e-Accessibility (IAN) organizes the 6th European Forum on e-Accessibility on the theme: "Putting e-Accessibility at the core of the information systems". Registration is now open.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
1st DECODER Workshop on brain computer interfaces for the detection of consciousness in non-responsive patients

11 April 2012 - 13 April 2012 Boulogne-Billancourt, France

DECODER is a FP7 project that deploys Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCI) for the detection of consciousness in non-responsive patients. The DECODER team develops an assessment battery that supports an exact diagnosis of the state of consciousness by a variety of auditory, visual, tactile and mental stimulation paradigms. The response of the patient to these stimulation methods is evaluated using modern imaging technologies. With the developed hard- and software, the risk of misdiagnosis in non-responsive patients (currently estimated up to 40 %) shall be significantly lowered. In addition, a simple communication device which can be used by patients even in a minimal conscious state is developed. DECODER started in February 2010. At the workshop, the DECODER team is happy to present the first promising results to scientific and non-scientific audience. Registration for the workshop starts in January 2012.

See also: Decoder project

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Bridging research in ageing and ICT development: Final conference

28 May 2012 Prague, Czech Republic

The final BRAID Conference will present results achieved by the project, encompassing the roadmap and implementation activities. The one-day meeting seeks to discuss socio-economic aspects in ICT and ageing that influence and shape recreational activities across different life settings and mechanisms that empower older people to live independently and fulfilled. The conference will provide space for stakeholders to exchange and discuss the results from practical experiences including best practice projects and failed approaches in the field of ICT and ageing. The final BRAID Conference will take place alongside the IFA 2012 Conference.

New in the Library

REPORTS AND STUDIES
Internal market for inclusive and assistive ICT, targeted market analysis and legislative aspects - final report

6 January 2012

The aim of the study was to examine the main barriers and opportunities today in the European Internal Market for assistive ICT and look at what could be gained from addressing these. The study has assessed the different models existing in nine Member States for the provision of assistive ICT to people with a disability, analysed the demand- and supply side of the market and conducted a number of case studies. The study puts forward a number of scenarios, conclusions and recommendations for the achievement of the European Internal Market for assistive ICT that supports the digital inclusion of people with a disability.

POLICY AND LEGISLATION
Making Mobile Phones and Services Accessible for Persons with Disabilities

8 December 2011

Making Mobile Phones and Services Accessible for Persons with Disabilities is a joint report of the International Telecommunication Union and the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies. This report contains references to the new legislative and regulatory framework set by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an important resource for policy makers. It also covers practical elements required for a successful implementation of those programs and policies.

REPORTS AND STUDIES
Publication of the Future BNCI Roadmap

6 January 2012

The roadmap addresses the next five years of Brain/Neuronal Computer Interaction Research. This roadmap reflects two years of development, with contributions from stakeholders around the world. The website (future-bnci.org) also features supplementary materials, such as interviews with major stakeholders, downloadable articles, introductory information about BCIs, and more. Future BNCI was a Coordination and Support Action under the ICT Theme of FP7. Although the project just ended, any feedback is appreciated. Please see the Discussion Forum on the website or contact the former Project Coordinator.

Contact: Project Coordinator
See also: Discussion Forum

AUDIOVISUAL
Interviews with top people in Brain-Computer Interface research

6 January 2012

The Future BNCI project (http://future-bnci.org) interviewed many people at BCI conferences and other events in Utrecht, Barcelona, Graz, and elsewhere. All of the interviewees are well-known figures in BCI research and development, and many of them are top figures in the field.

See also: Roadmap for future BNCI research

AUDIOVISUAL
Video channel of the SOCIABLE project: Motivating platform for elderly networking, mental reinforcement and social interaction

6 January 2012

SOCIABLE is piloting a radically new ICT based approach for integrated support of mental activity, as well as boosting of social interaction for individuals that have been diagnosed to suffer from mild dementia. SOCIABLE integrates human support and care services offered by care centres and specialized /expert operators (e.g., geriatric internist, geriatric psychiatrist, neurologist, neuropsychologist or geropsychologist), with state-of-the-art ICT infrastructures (notably surface computing infrastructures) and independent living technologies. SOCIABLE is partially funded under the ICT Policy Support Programme as part of the Competitiveness and Innovation framework Programme (CIP).

POLICY AND LEGISLATION
Health: driving forward the uptake of e-Health with a new network for European Co-operation

22 December 2011

Brussels, 22 December 2011 – Today the European Commission adopted a Decision establishing an eHealth Network, as foreseen by the Directive (2011/24/EU) on Patients' Rights in Cross-border Healthcare. For the first time, EU legislation includes provisions on eHealth with clear objectives to find modern, innovative solutions for providing better and safer healthcare for all Europeans.

See also: eHealth at the EC

ARTICLE
Ambient technology for older people, designed by older people

Technology that monitors people's health, keeps their homes secure and helps them stay fit and connected with family and friends will benefit older people more than perhaps any other group - but only if they are able and willing to use it. EU-funded researchers are overcoming barriers to the acceptance and usability of ambient assisted living systems through innovative user-centred design. See also: Website of the Soprano project

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