36 research outputs found
Accessibility of Cypriot University websites in Cyprus
Abstract: Access and equity in higher education is a complicated discipline related to social,
economical, technological and political developments in a country. This paper is a work in
progress and it aims to discuss issues of accessibility in Higher education regarding equal
opportunities in the use of technology for students with disabilities. Accessibility to technology
and with technology, especially in the internet era, includes different types of physical and digital
design. These not only refer to specialised interface devices often referred to as assistive
technology, but also to the accessibility of the web itself (Zaphiris & Zacharia, 2001).
Examining access in higher education from the point of view of technology, this paper aims to:
1. briefly present and discuss the provisions of the current Cyprus and European legislation
regarding the use of accessible technology and access to technology (and the use of the
web) in higher education for students with disabilities.
2. investigate the ways universities respond to the needs of their students with disabilities
regarding the use of accessible technology and access to technology
3. analyze the accessibility of the Cyprus universities’ web sites
Data collection involves: (a) analysis of Cyprus and European documentation, (b) interviews
with officers of the student affairs and welfare departments of each university and (c) expert
accessibility evaluation of the websites of all universities in Cyprus.
The educational system in Cyprus is highly centralised and policies of funding, administration
and pedagogy are centrally developed by the government (Symeonidou, 2002). Education is
compulsory until the age of 15, and almost 100% of the students continue their education in the
lyceum or technical school, and the majority continue in further and higher education, in Cyprus
and abroad. With the establishment of 3 public and 4 private universities in the country the
numbers of student continuing in higher education are highly increase in the last 4 years,
including an important number of students with disabilities. Provision for the education of
students with disabilities is traditionally called by the 1999 Education Act for the Education of
Children with Special Needs (MOEC, 1999), which was formally implemented in 2001.
Preliminary data and information from previous studies evidenced that among others, the
legislation is covering general issues of accessibility (cognitive, physical and communication),
which also may imply technology, without though providing any specific guidelines (Mavrou,
2011). In addition, it provides relevant directions for higher education, but mainly poses the
responsibility to the higher educational institutions. Hence, issues of accessibility and
technology do not seem to be officially directed by legislation or regulations and guidelines by
the Cyprus government, at any level of education or other sectors, even if the country have
signed relevant EU conventions and documentation.
Accessibility for information on the Web has been well regulated in the United States (U.S.) and
the European Commission (DRC, 2004; Section508, 2011). The European approach to ensuring
the availability of accessible information on public Web sites is encapsulated in the eEurope
Action Plan 2002 which emphasises that, “Public sector web sites […] must be designed to be
accessible to ensure that citizens with disabilities can access information and take full advantage
of the potential for e-government” (EU Commission, 2000). Unfortunately the Cypriot
legislature is not yet in line with the European action plan on the issue of web accessibility.
There are no specific legislative or regulatory measures regarding eAccessibility for public or
private websites in Cyprus (eInclusion). However, Article 16 of the new EU Structural Funds
regulations is expected to have an impact on eAccessibility and as Cyprus has signed the
Convention, now Article 9 sets forth the obligation of the country to ensure accessibility to the
Internet (but it is not a legislation).
As per eInclusion in Cyprus, it was planned that within 2010, these sites would be further
enhanced based on WCAG 2.0, level AA (EU. 2010). To our knowledge, only one previous
study has analyzed Cypriot web sites with respect to accessibility via automated testing on
WCAG1.0 (Zaphiris & Zacharia, 2001). The results showed that the Cyprus websites, including
academic websites, were ranked very low in terms of accessibility (only 20% of them were
Bobby approved). The present study, aims to investigate the accessibility of new technologies,
especially the web, of universities, 10 years after the first study, as well as after Cyprus joined
the EU where signed relevant conventions and documents
Being part of it: a partnership for developing evidence-based parent education in autism in south-eastern Europe
This presentation reports on a survey of parents in Croatia, Cyprus and the FYR of Macedonia, which was undertaken to inform the development of parent training for parents of children with autism
Changing Perspectives on Disability and Technology: Events, Trends and Personal Choices
In this chapter, eight (past-)presidents of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) reflect on their personal engagement with the technology and disability field. The result is a patchwork of personal contributions, reflecting aspects of the contemporary history of Assistive Technology in its broadest sense, relevant for our collective memory and for those attracted to this field for their professional career.In diesem Kapitel reflektieren acht (ehemalige) Vorsitzende der Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) über ihr persönliches Engagement im Bereich Technologie und Behinderung. Das Ergebnis ist ein Sammelsurium persönlicher Beiträge, die Aspekte der gegenwärtigen Geschichte der Assistiven Technologien im weitesten Sinne widerspiegeln, die für unser kollegiales Gedächtnis und für diejenigen relevant sind, die sich in ihrer beruflichen Laufbahn für diesen Bereich interessieren
Η διαμόρφωση ενός προγράμματος εκπαίδευσης οικογενειών με μέλη με αυτισμό: Ανάγκες και προτεραιότητες των γονέων στην Κύπρο
Presentation regarding the training priorities and needs of parents from Cyprus with regard to parent training in autism. This research was undertaken as part of the ESIPP project into parent training in autism
Helping parents to understand and support their children with autism through parent training in south east Europe: the ‘ESIPP’ project
Autism is a lifelong condition which can have a significant impact not only upon the individual with autism, but also parents, siblings and the wider family. Parent training has been shown to be an important source of social support to families, helping them adjust to the reality of living with autism, and improving outcomes and quality of life for family members. However, such training is not universally available, and nor may existing models of parent education be universally appropriate. This paper discusses the activity undertaken to date (November 2016) in the Equity and Social inclusion through Positive Parenting (ESIPP) project. This is a partnership of academics, professionals and parents, funded by the European Union, working to develop and evaluate the impact of providing such training in Croatia, Cyprus and the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia. The paper reviews the literature regarding parent training, highlighting key benefits and barriers. It then moves on to introduce the ESIPP project, outlining key aspects of the project – the identification of the core curriculum, the parent training courses and the evaluation process – and summarising what we have learned in developing and providing training across cultures
ESIPP – едукација на родители на деца со аутизам
Presentation (in Macedonian) regarding the ESIPP parent education in autism project
Accessing parental perspectives to inform the development of parent training in autism in south-eastern Europe
Parent training has been shown to be an important means of supporting families living with autism – but such services are not universally accessible. A multinational project funded by the European Commission has been developed in order to establish such parent training in three south-eastern European countries. To ensure that the training was relevant and appropriate, a survey was carried out in autumn 2015 to ascertain the attitudes of parents of children with autism in Croatia, Cyprus and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia regarding this issue, and to identify the areas of training that they felt most important. Two hundred and fifty-three surveys were distributed, and 148 were returned, a response rate of 58%. Respondents in the three counties were overwhelmingly positive about parent training, with almost 90% stating that they would like to attend such training. Weekend training sessions were preferred by the majority of respondents. There was wide variation between the three countries with regard to what content was felt important to be included, with parents in the FYR of Macedonia seeking information in the greatest number of areas. Five topics were prioritised by parents across all three countries. These were: • Strategies for enhancing my child’s communication • Strategies on facilitating my child’s interaction with other children • Sensory integration and development • General information on behavioural management strategies • Identifying and/or developing socialisation opportunitie
Computer based collaborative learning of disabled and non-disabled pupils in mainstream classrooms in Cyprus : cases of peer interaction analysis in pairs
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