THE PROJECT
CREATING THE CLASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE is a project co-financed by the Erasmus+ Programme in the year 2019.
AN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM
We offer you the materials necessary to implement a strategy of inclusive digitalization adapted to low vision and albinism.
AN EUROPEAN
NETWORK
An impactful strategic partnership that goes beyond the borders of Europe to achieve the full inclusion of people with albinism in the educational scope.
ACHIEVEMENTS
During the 36 months of lifespan of the project, we are proud to have achieved remarkable goals and results that have facilitated the creation of classrooms without barriers of the future across Europe.
THE PROJECT:
CREATING THE CLASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE
In 2019 the processes of digitalization of the teaching activity were scarce. This lack of a decided use, not only of new technologies, but of pedagogical methodologies to implement them, prevents the students with low vision to achieve their expected academic goals. Day-by-day they face barriers that neither them nor their teachers could tear down.
Moreover, during the latest years and due to the severe COVID-19 pandemic, a much greater effort is being made for the development and implementation of digital devices and distance learning methods. Nonetheless, we still detected that these are thinly coordinated efforts that do not focus directly on achieving inclusive classrooms, so the levels of inclusion in the classroom are not much better than before.
Through the project «CREATING THE CLASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE», five social entities of people with low vision wanted to contribute, from our experience and knowledge, to promoting processes of digitalization able to create inclusive classrooms in which our sons and daughters can finally overcome all their educational and social challenges, to reach a successful future.
For this, we have designed the «CLASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE», the culmination of an innovative and comprehensive process of digitalization of the classroom aimed at the inclusion of people with visual impairment, that connects with the objectives of the Digital Education Action Plan, the Europe 2020 Strategy (mainly on education), the European Strategy on Disability 2010-2020, and the Erasmus+ Programme itself.
THE CLASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE
This is the culmination of an innovative and comprehensive process of classroom digitization aimed at the inclusion of people with visual impairment.
The innovative pedagogical strategy is based on the digitalization of classrooms, but also of learning processes. It is a global educational concept that covers all aspects of the classroom, so that students with albinism and/or visual impairment can be and feel just like any other student, by taking on common educational challenges and effectively fighting against early school leaving and the exclusion of youth with albinism in secondary classrooms.
THE PROJECT’S OUTPUTS
This project has allowed us to create a strategy for the CASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE, the culmination of an innovative and comprehensive process of digitalization of the classroom aimed at the inclusion of people with visual impairment, mainly through two high-quality results:
THE METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE TO TURN YOUR CLASSROOM INTO THE CLASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE
This is a complete manual in English, published in digital format, more than 150 pages long, aimed at teachers interested in promoting the creation of the «CLASSROOM WITHOUT BARRIERS OF THE FUTURE» through an inclusive digitalization process.
This guide has an extensive index, structured in two parts:
1.- CONTENTS GUIDE, which purpose is to expand the knowledge of teachers about albinism, the consequences of this rare disease, and the advantages and risks that digitalization brings them. It also includes the contents and theoretical resources necessary to adapt the guide to the curricula of each participating country.
2.- PEDAGOGICAL GUIDE, which purpose is to establish the methodology that a teacher must implement to benefit from and use digital tools to enhance the inclusion of students with low vision derived from a rare disease.
A PROJECT CO-FUNDED BY THE ERASMUS+ PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
CONNECT TO INCLUSION APP
This is a smartphone app compatible with the tablet devices used by students with low vision derived from rare diseases (such as albinism), downloadable through the project’s website, but also Google Play and Play Store, and free for their more than 2000 million monthly users who accumulated 115 billion downloads of apps during the last twelve months.
THE PARTNERSHIP
The partnership of this project, although comprised by entities of people with albinism and low vision, brings together expert entities in different areas of the project, that complement one another, enabling a useful and effective exchange of experiences:
ALBA
NFFA
ALBINIT
DFFA
Oogverenging Albinisme
COLLABORATING ENTITIES
Many non-profit organizations, schools, and social entities have collaborated with this project, its development, and the work of its partners, to which we owe a great deal of gratitude and appreciation:
Gallery
Testimonials
Professionals in the world of rare diseases, teaching, and visual impairments have contributed with their valued oppinions and perspective about the project and its results:
This guide is of great use to approach teaching actions in classrooms with students with low vision, specifically that caused by albinism.
Elena Asensio
pedagogue expert in sensorial diversity
A great work! it collects the basic principles for accesibility and necessary methodologies for daily life practices in the classroom. The wide variety of resources is truly astonishing.
Pilar Miró
itinerant teacher from ONCE VALENCIA
Range of options and opportunities to be able to guide students with albinism in their educational journey.
Marzio G. Ghezzi
high school teacher in Italy
Multiple varied resources and methodologies that are easy to implement and help to the teaching labor.
Alicia Mellado
psychologist specialized in difficulties
An easy-to-interpret guide, since it helps to understand stances, methodologies, and strategies so that our role as teachers becomes more effective and helpful when having students with low vision in our classroom.
Amparo Bertomeu
highschool and bachelor’s degree teacher
As a teacher and after the experience of having taught students with these characteristics, I believe this is a very useful output that will help in the teaching labor by providing many accurate ideas and advice that put into value the work that is being done.
Noelia Fambuena Montesinos
head of studies
