An overview of the EASTIN Association, its partners and the information services each provides on Assistive Technology, in support of older people and people with disabilities.
THE EASTIN ASSOCIATION
Legal seat:
20121 Milano (Italy), Piazzale Morandi 6
Contact address:
Polo Tecnologico Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus
20148 Milano (Italy), via Capecelatro 66
tel. +39 02 40308305 fax +39 02 4048919
Contact person:
Mr. Renzo Andrich, President, renzo.andrich@siva.it
The Association was founded on December 13, 2006 on the initiative of four Organisations that had been previously partners in the EASTIN project (2004-2005), a market validation initiative partially funded by the European Commission through the eTEN programme.
The four founding members are Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus (Italy), Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln (Germany), Disabled Living Foundation (United Kindgom) and Danish Centre on Assistive Technology (Denmark). Later other partners joined: Hacavie (France) and the Flemish Disability Agency (Belgium). The EASTIN Association also involves one liason partner (Ceapat, Spain) and several Organisations acting as National Contacts in other Countries of the European Union.
The main mission of the EASTIN Association is to maintain, develop and exploit the EASTIN network, composed of the EASTIN website and all partner’s databases on assistive technology.
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FOUNDING PARTNERS
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FONDAZIONE DON CARLO GNOCCHI ONLUS
www.dongnocchi.it
Legal seat:
20121 Milano (Italy), Piazzale Morandi 6
Contact address:
Polo Tecnologico Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus
20148 Milano (Italy), via Capecelatro 66
tel. +39 02 40308305 fax +39 02 4048919 email portale@siva.it
Contact person:
Mr Renzo Andrich, renzo.andrich@siva.it
Founded in 1952, it is the largest private non-profit Organisation in the field of rehabilitation, care and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Italy. Currently it runs 28 centres thoughout Italy providing medical, social and vocational rehabilitation to individuals of all ages with a variety of physical, sensory and mental disabilities. In the field of assistive technology it carries out a range of activities, including research and development (mainly carried out in Milano within the Bioengineering Centre), education (in collaboration with the Catholic University), information (Portale SIVA) and individual assessment (through its network of SIVA centres).
Portale SIVA (www.portale.siva.it) is the national information system on Assistive Technologies, run on behalf of the Italian Ministry of welfare. Its contents include over 8300 assistive devices, 1350 companies, 280 information and research centres, 700 ideas on how to solve daily life problems, 30 case studies, over 210 documents (fact sheets, articles, lectures etc..). It also include a number of interactive services such as a guide to assistive technology, a virtual classroom for on-line lectures, forums and an e-mail or telephone helpline. The database is bilingual (Italian and English).
INSTITUT DER DEUTSCHEN WIRTSCHAFT KÖLN / REHADAT
www.iwkoeln.de
Legal seat:
50668 Köln (Germany), Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 21
Contact address:
50668 Köln (Germany), Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 21
Tel. +49 221 4981-812, Fax +49 221 4981-855, email info@rehadat.de
Contact person:
Ms Petra Winkelmann, winkelmann@rehadat.de
Founded in 1951, it is a private non-profit organization whose membership consists of industrial and employers associations. It has a staff of around 170. The German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs commissioned the Institute in 1988 to create an information system covering matters related to rehabilitation. Today this system, named REHADAT, is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
REHADAT (www.rehadat.de) is the German national information system supporting the vocational integration of people with disabilities. Detailed information about various aspects of vocational rehabilitation is available from eight databases designed for use by people with disabilities as well as by professionals involved in rehabilitation. The topics covered by the databases are: Technical Aids, Case Studies, Literature, Research, Law, Addresses, Workshops, Seminars. More than 100,000 current entries are available from REHADAT on CD or via the Internet. The database is bilingual (German and English)
DANISH CENTRE FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
www.hmi.dk
Legal seat:
2630 Taastrup (Denmark), Gregersensvej port 38
Contact address:
2630 Taastrup (Denmark), Gregersensvej port 38
tel +45 43 99 33 22, email hmi@hmi.dk
Contact person:
Niels-Erik Mathiassen, nem@hmi.dk
Founded in 1980, the Danish Centre for Assistive Technology is a non-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and through its own income. The Danish Centre is a nation-wide coordinating knowledge centre charged with supporting the effort to integrate and ensure the best possible accessibility for people with disabilities in society. The Danish Centre offers information about assistive technology, working methods, educational materials, research and development.
The Danish AT-database has been operational since 1985 and the information from the database has been published on Hjælpemiddelbasen (www.hmi-basen.dk) since 2000. Hjælpemiddelbasen is visited by more than 65.000 visitors each month, who are mainly professionals and users of AT. The database contains information on over 15.000 products (of which approximately 8,000 are currently available on Danish market) and about 420 Danish suppliers of assistive technology. The database language is Danish.
DISABLED LIVING FOUNDATION
www.dlf.org.uk
Legal seat:
London, W9 2HU (United Kingdom), 380-384 Harrow Road
Contact address:
London, W9 2HU (United Kingdom), 380-384 Harrow Road
Tel +44 20 7289 6111, email info@dlf.org.uk
Contact person:
Steve Hawe, steve.hawe@dlf.org.uk
The Disabled Living Foundation (DLF) – founded in 1979 – is the only UK organisation specialising in equipment advice and information on daily living products. It ensures that disabled and older people have access to the most comprehensive information service available to enable them to make informed choices to meet their life-style needs. The DLF is a non-profit organisation that receives a modest grant from the Department of Health, but earns or raises most of its income. It has a team comprising healthcare, IT and other professionals backed up by a clerical staff and a number of volunteers.
The Disabled Living Foundation system is called DLF Data. It is the primary source of information in the UK for assistive technology. DLF Data is available in hard copy and on the internet – through the DLF’s web site at www.dlf.org.uk - supported by a telephone helpline. The National Health Service and local Social Services departments plus many other individuals, professionals and organisations subscribe to DLF Data. The DLF began developing the website in 1994 and its use has grown from just a few hundred hits a week to around 200,000 unique visitors a year. The DLF has now developed another website – www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk – using four sections of DLF Data. The aim is to deploy all the data to the public over the next two years, supported by investment from industry. DLF has also developed AskSara, a self-assessment, rapid access software tool enabling users to answer questions about their individual needs and obtain a report providing advice and product information. AskSara is now in use by some commercial retailers and local authorities.
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NEW PARTNERS
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HACAVIE - HANDICAPS ET CADRE DE VIE
www.hacavie.com
Legal seat:
59000 Lille (France), 3 rue du docteur Charcot
Contact address:
59000 Lille (France), 3 rue du docteur Charcot
tel. +33 (0)3 20501311 fax +39 (0)3 20 38 68 46 email cicat@hacavie.com
Contact person:
Mr Yann Bertel Venezia, cicat@hacavie.com
Hacavie is a resource, information and advice centre on assistive technology products for people with disabilities and elderly people. Handicat , one of the main Hacavie activities, is a nation-wide database on assistive technologies, freely accessible through the Internet, currently including approximately 9000 assistive technology products, each described with pictures, technical information, price and funding schemes, and about 400 manufacturers/importers.
VAPH - VLAAMS AGENTSCHAP VOOR PERSONEN MET EEN HANDICAP
www.vahp.be
Legal seat:
1210 Brussel (Belgium), Sterrenkundenlaan 30
Contact address:
1210 Brussel (Belgium), Sterrenkundenlaan 30
tel. +32 2 225 86 61 fax +32 2 225 84 05 email marc.wouters@vaph.be
Contact person:
Mr Marc Wouters, marc.wouters@vaph.be
The KOC, Knowledge and Support Centre, assists in choosing the assistive device that best matches the individual needs of a disabled person. Therefore, KOC offers information on assistive devices and supports the advisors in their consultancy. KOC is a part of the Flemish Agency for persons with disabilities. KOC maintains Vlibank, a database of assistive devices, available on the Flemish market. For each product, the scans of the brochure, the address of a Belgian distributor and, if available, the price is stored in the database.
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LIASON PARTNERS
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CEAPAT - CENTRO ESTATAL DE AUTONOMIA PERSONAL Y AYUDAS TÈCNICAS
www.ceapat.org
Legal seat:
28018 Madrid (Spain), Los Extremeños, 1 (Esquina Pablo Neruda)
Contact address:
28018 Madrid (Spain), Los Extremeños, 1 (Esquina Pablo Neruda)
tel +34 91 363 48 00 fax +34 91 778 41 17 email ceapat@imserso.es
Contact person:
Cristina Rodriguez-Porrero, crodriguez@imserso.es
The National Centre for Personal Autonomy and Technical Aids (CEAPAT) is a technical centre within IMSERSO (an agency of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs), established through a Ministerial Order on 7 April 1989. CEAPAT's Mission is to contribute to improve the quality of life of all citizens, with special support to people with disabilities and older people through accessibility, design for all and assistive technology. It is an organisation that operates across the nation.
The CEAPAT data base on assistive technologies is called CATALOGO DE AYUDAS TECNICAS (www.ceapat.org/catalogo) and was developed by the Technical university of Madrid. It has been available online since 1999. It includes information on products, their technical characteristics and their manufacturers/suppliers. The content includes over 3000 assistive devices and 1000 enterprises. A team within CEAPAT takes care of keeping its content updated. The Technical University of Madrid deals with technical maintenance, accessibility, software, innovation, usability and new developments.
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NATIONAL CONTACTS
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TERVEYDEN JA HYVINVOINNIN LAITOS (NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR WELFARE AND HEALTH)
www.thl.fi
Legal seat:
00300 Helsinki (Finland), Mannerheimintie 166
Contact address:
00300 Helsinki (Finland), Mannerheimintie 164a
tel +358 02 610 7107 email tuula.hurnasti@thl.fi
Contact person:
Ms Tuula Hurnasti
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF KOŠICE - ACCESS CENTRE
www.tuke.sk
Legal seat:
04200 Košice (Slovakia), Letná 9/a
Contact address:
04200 Košice (Slovakia), Letná 9/a
tel +421 (0)55 602 2654 email dusan.simsik@tuke.sk
Contact person:
Mr Dusan Simsik
TECHNINĖS PAGALBOS NEĮGALIESIEMS CENTRAS PRIE SOCIALINĖS APSAUGOS IR DARBO MINISTERIJOS
(center OF TECHNICAL AIDS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE UNDER MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOUR
www.tPNC.LT
Legal seat:
01311 Vilnius (Lithuania), Mindaugo g. 42/a
Contact address:
01311 Vilnius (Lithuania), Mindaugo g. 42/a
tel +370 85 272 1106 email d.sabaliauskaite@tpnc.lt
Contact person:
Ms Dovilė Sabaliauskaitė