With our project we wanted to make a difference on different levels. On one hand we set up the project activities in such a way that we seriously enhanced awareness in all project’s participants and participating schools and families. But with our dissemination events and through close cooperation with our towns/cities and target group organisations we equally enhanced awareness in people we brought into contact with our project and its results in all countries. On the other hand the project tried to use its STE(A)M skills to develop technological solutions for certain hindrances. We put these skills to work in favour of a society that wants to keep everyone on board. In order to reach this goal the project required and stimulated critical thinking and creativity in students and teachers alike, linking science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. And this lead to technological “quick wins” or full scale technological solutions that try to soften daily needs experienced by wheelchair users or people who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, weakened by old age or even suffer from dementia. Apart from the above we hoped that our working method would prove to be an inspiring example of STEAM teaching didactics.
Our project started from the observation that in this fast evolving 21st century certain people are at risk of being left behind. And we especially thought of people with special needs and elderly people who might experience mobility problems, lack of social interaction and inability to fully participate in everything our quickly evolving society has to offer. We focussed on the level to which our society is accessible in all its forms, not just in how far city planning takes these needs into account, but also in how far people’s daily life might be affected by their special needs. Is your local grocery shop accessible for your wheelchair and can you easily get into a pub, pay your bill at the bar and go to the toilet? Can you easily use public transport? Do you get equal leisure time opportunities if you are visually or hearing impaired? Is your visit to a museum as fulfilling as it is to a person without your needs? Can you fully enjoy a tourist walk through the historical and cultural heritage of a town or city? Do you get easy access to activities organised by leisure time organisations, like sports clubs or theatres?