The achievement will be a tested and well-functioning training programme (curriculum) and carefully implemented pilot training for peer support persons. A feedback loop solution have been elaborated and is functional, where shortcomings of digital services development is gathered. https://digitalforall.eu The aim of the project is to make participating communities stronger by having trained individuals who can act as a digital support person for their peers. This is in particular important that the trainees are coming from different disability groups (in our case all the major disability groups are present among the pilot training participants) as in many cases, special skills and knowledge of assistive technology is needed when helping another person in a similar situation of disability. One of the important aspects of the project is to highlight, that digital development has to be backed up by educating people who use those tools - as each change that is made to the digital environment poses a challenge for users - be it visually impaired, people with autism etc. During 2nd part of the project, policy recommendations will be drafted and presented at venues, where decision makers and people with disabilities gather.
The aim of the project is to design and pilot-test a training programme for peer support for digital skills improvement. The reason has been increased need for people with disabilities to navigate digital services, as more and more solutions are offered in digital mode. Training and assisting people has not been focused on, and many more skilled persons in the disability movement have been asked for assistance. In order to professionally assist another person, the project has elaborated a curriculum - what skills are needed, what conditions have to be in place for a training situation. In the design, all partners and several types of disabilities contributed. The curriculum is currently tested by a 4 - module pilot training, of which 2 modules already are implemented, 2 more will follow suit in 2025. An important aspect in the design of the curriculum and implementation of the pilot training is to encourage the digital support persons (the ones that offer help to their peers) not only assist, but also educate the ones who ask for assistance. By each session of support, the individual who do not know how to deal with a particular digital task shall be assisted to learn doing it by its own.