Seniorengerechte Kommunikation von Geoinformationen in Nationalparks am Beispiel senTOUR

In den österreichischen Nationalparkgesetzen ist als einer der wichtigsten Grundsätze die Erlebbarkeit und Zugänglichkeit von Nationalparken mit Möglichkeiten bzgl. Bildung und Erholung festgelegt. Die Zugänglichkeit soll zudem für alle Menschen möglich sein, was aufgrund der teilweise schwierigen natürlichen Gegebenheiten dieser Gebiete und der fehlenden Barrierefreiheit ihrer naturräumlichen und baulichen Infrastrukturen eine große Herausforderung darstellt, vor allem für ältere Menschen. Eine durchgehend barrierefreie Mobilitätskette ist jedoch vor allem für Menschen mit Beeinträchtigungen notwendig, weil diese Nationalparke sonst gar nicht erst besuchen können. Das Projekt senTOUR versucht mit der seniorengerechten Kommunikation von Geoinformationen Hilfestellungen zu bieten und gleichzeitig auch für andere Personengruppen Services zu bieten und somit die Forschung im Bereich der Barrierefreiheit weiter voranzutreiben

How to Improve Accessibility of Natural Areas: About the Relevance of Providing Information on Accessible Services and Facilities in Natural Areas

Accessibility is a topic of increasing importance concerning all fields of life. This is underlined by current legislation as well as social meaning and economic benefits related to accessibility. Due to recent demographic changes in society characterised by steadily growing numbers of the elderly (with age-related physical deficits), enabling people with disabilities to manage their everyday independently gets even more important. However, in order to fully participate in life self-determined, the disabled demand for barrier free infrastructure in many ways. This is particularly true in terms of tourist and recreational activities in natural areas. At that, positive effects of being in nature (e.g. on people’s physical health and mental well-being as well as integration and family solidarity) are even more relevant for disabled people than for others. While many efforts exist on offering and improving barrier free services and facilities on-site, it seems that there is a lack of off-site material informing persons with disabilities of accessible services and facilities available in natural areas. That is surprising, since today, rapid advances in information and communication technologies offer many ways to provide digital, i.e. web-based solution suitable to impart all kinds of information and to meet the needs of disabled people. Concerning the spatial reference of nature-based recreation, i.e. in order to communicate location and spatial relationship of services and facilities, web-based maps are a central means of communication. But, which information regarding tourist and recreational visits of natural areas is required by disabled visitors? How to present this information to the target group in an accessible and useful way? How to design and integrate web-based maps as powerful tool to impart spatial information? Based on research conducted within the project “senTOUR”, this paper aims to offer suggestions for proving accessible digital information in order to support recreational and tourist activities in natural areas for disabled visitors, i.e. for the elderly who often suffer from age-related physical deficits

WAY-KEY – smarter Mobilitätsassistent für Menschen mit Demenzerkrankung

In Österreich sind etwa 1,2 Prozent der Bevölkerung an Demenz erkrankt, was einer Gesamtzahl von rund 100.000 Personen entspricht. Mit zunehmendem Alter nimmt auch die Prävalenz stark zu, was im Zuge der demographischen Alterung daher einen starken Anstieg der Zahl der Betroffenen in der Zukunft erwarten lässt. Der Erhalt von und die Motivation zur Mobilität wirkt aus mehreren Gründen zumindest verzögernd auf den Verlauf dementieller Erkrankungen. Mangelnde Bewegung ist laut Norton et al. jener Risikofaktor, der den meisten vermeidbaren Alzheimer-Demenz-Fällen in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika (USA) und Europa zugrunde liegt. Der österreichische Demenzbericht nennt als Risikofaktor bei der Entwicklung demenzieller Erkrankungen: „... weniger als 20 Minuten flotte Bewegung an drei oder mehr Tagen pro Woche oder weniger als 30 Minuten moderate Bewegung an fünf oder mehr Tagen pro Woche...“. Da Mobilität bei Demenz aber auch Risken wie Verlorengehen und Stürze mit sich bringt, zielen bisherige technische Lösungen in erster Linie darauf ab, die Mobilität demenziell erkrankter Menschen von außen her zu überwachen und einzuschränken oder zu verhindern. Sie unterstützen damit in erster Linie Pflegepersonal oder Angehörige und machen Personen mit Demenz zum passiven Teil der Wirkungskette. Dort, wo versucht wurde, ältere Menschen selbst durch technologische Lösungen mobil zu erhalten, wurde bisher auf Smartphones bzw. Smartwatches gesetzt, deren Handhabung demente Personen jedoch überfordert. Das WAY-KEY-Konsortium möchte existierende technische (Teil-)Lösungen der Firmenpartner in einem stark partizipatorisch ausgelegten Designprozess mit Hilfe der Wissenschaftspartner für demenziell Erkrankte zur Förderung ihrer Mobilität nutzbar machen

The Impact of COVID-19 on Community-based Juvenile Service Aid Programs

The Community-based Juvenile Services Aid Division (CBA) is a program funded by the Nebraska legislature and housed within the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (NCC). The guiding statute requires that funds be used for programs and services that divert youth from the juvenile justice system. The overarching aim is to effectively intervene with youth while they are in the community, and thereby reduce youth going to court or being placed in juvenile detention. To assess the efficacy of the interventions, the legislature allocated 10% of the fund for the development of a common data set and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the CBA program. The common dataset is currently maintained by the NCC; evaluation of effectiveness of programs is conducted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI). The goal of collecting data in a common dataset is to have comparable measures across the state and to help programs determine if they are effectively keeping youth out of the system. For the past three fiscal years (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2021), the number of funded programs has remained fairly consistent, although the types of programs being funded have fluctuated some (see Figures 1 and 2 below). Although the chart below appears to show an increase in programming, this is because programs receiving funding through the Juvenile Services Commission Grant Program (JS) also began entering youth data into the common dataset for FY 20/21

Multiple Pterygium Syndrome With Severe Knee Flexion Contracture: A Case Report

Multiple pterygium syndrome, a subgroup of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, is characterized by the webbing of different parts of the body. We describe a child who developed 140° flexion contractures of the popliteal fossa, which complicated mobility, skin care, and general hygiene. After seeking multiple opinions, the parents elected to proceed with through-knee amputation of both knees. At 6 month follow-up, the child had been fitted with bilateral prostheses and was able to ambulate with assistance. The findings of the current case suggest that in extreme cases of multiple pterygium syndrome, through-knee amputations may represent a predictable and functional treatment option that should be considered

Annual Report 2020-2021: Juvenile Case Management System Definitions and Data Fidelity Project

Evidence-Based Nebraska Implementation research is “the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice, and, hence, to improve the quality and effectiveness” of programs (Eccles & Mittman, 2006). Most implementation science is based on principles of implementing a program’s activities with fidelity; however, the implementation fidelity framework and resources can also be utilized to develop tools and a process to evaluate CBAfunded programs’ adherence to common definitions and data entry practices. The quality of the Evidence-based Nebraska juvenile justice program evaluations rely on the assumption that program staff are utilizing common definitions when gathering and entering data, and that the data entered is accurate. All data are subject to quality limitations such as missing values, bias, measurement error, and human errors in data entry and computation. During site visits to assist programs with data collection and entry, the Juvenile Justice Institute staff have observed instances where programs have misunderstood common definitions or are using their own definitions when entering data into the Juvenile Case Management System (JCMS). Furthermore, while generating reports we have seen large amounts of missing data. To this end, we have taken several measures to ensure data is accurate and employed methods to improve the quality of the data. Data quality assessments should be undertaken to understand how much confidence can be placed in the data that are used to assess program performance and to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of the data (WHO, 2017a). This project evaluates the fidelity with which CBA-funded programs are adhering to EB-Nebraska common definitions (see jjinebraska.org and definitions within each program type) and data entry recommendations

Recruiting and Retaining Higher Risk Youth in Promotion and Prevention Programs FY 2018-2019

Evidence-based practices for reducing youth involvement in the criminal justice system have gained a considerable amount of attention over the past few decades. One such practice is delinquency prevention and promotion (PP) programs, which aim to promote positive behaviors and prevent negative behaviors. Research has demonstrated that PP programs can target risk factors at different stages of development thought to contribute to antisocial behavior, reducing the likelihood of criminal justice involvement (Pardini, 2016). Once a program is in place, however, recruiting the youth most likely to benefit from the program and retaining those youth can be a significant challenge. Specifically, research has shown that youth of color are less likely to participate in out-of-school activities compared to White youth and youth living in poverty are less likely to participate than youth of higher income families (Theokas & Bloch, 2006). This report focuses on what PP programs in one state are doing to ensure they are recruiting and retaining the appropriate youth and crucially includes youth’s own experiences about why they began attending the program and why they continue to come back. This report includes 13 of the 33 FY 2018-2019 Nebraska state-funded PP programs. A mixed-methods approach was employed with Juvenile Justice Institute researchers conducting 13 focus groups with 204 youth and 13 in-person or phone interviews with PP program coordinators. The focus groups were semi-structured with open-ended questions designed to facilitate discussion about youth participants and program activities. One-on-one interviews with PP program coordinators were semi-structured focusing on identifying and understanding effective strategies for recruitment and retention. Based on discussions with youth and program coordinators, several strategies for effective recruitment and retention are suggested: •utilize current participants in efforts to attract more youth •collaborate with established local community programs •offer diverse activities based on youth’s backgrounds •ensure location and time of program is as convenient for the youth as possible •involve family members and support networks •offer food or snacks •offer incentives for regular attendance •help the youth see the benefit of program attendance Overall, nearly every program self-identified areas for improvement, summarized in the recommendations outlined below. In order to maximize their impact, PP programs need to pay special attention to who they are attracting to ensure youth who are most likely to benefit from the program are being captured. While the focus groups were successful at gaining an in-depth understanding of youth experiences, there were some drawbacks to this method. First, our ideal sample size for a focus group was about 10 participants to allow for healthy discussion of the topics and gather participants’ diverse experiences. Unfortunately, many of the focus groups did not reach this ideal size typically because programs did not have enough youth attend on a regular basis. Second, researchers were unable to conduct some focus groups because either the programs met only a few times a year or sessions were rescheduled at the last minute. Finally, the focus groups’ effectiveness depended on the degree to which youth were familiar with the overarching program goals

Corona: Die Rolle der Stadtplanung für die Krisenbewältigung am Beispiel Wien

Die Auswirkungen von Covid-19 betrafen wie kaum eine Krise der jüngeren Vergangenheit alle Lebensbereiche in drastischer Weise. Auf Grund der schwerwiegenden Gesundheitsfolgen und pandemischen Bedrohung musste überdurchschnittlich rasant und einschneidend gehandelt werden. Die Stadtplanung und -entwicklung, als Disziplin mit einem längerfristigen Zeithorizont von mehreren Jahren bis Jahrzehnten, stellte dies vor eine ungewohnte Aufgabe. Dabei lassen die Entwicklungen der vergangenen Jahre vermuten, dass es sich bei Krisen wie der aktuellen wohl nicht um singuläre Ereignisse handelt, sondern um Ausprägungen zunehmend volatiler Rahmenbedingungen, die sich durch bereits jetzt eintretende klimatische oder ökonomische Umwälzungen tendenziell noch verschärfen werden. Entsprechend steigt das Interesse der planenden Disziplinen an der Auseinandersetzung mit Notfällen, Krisen und Katastrophen und zeitnahen Reaktionsmöglichkeiten. Nichtsdestoweniger ist die Stadtplanung und -entwicklung gefordert ihre Kernkompetenz nicht außer Acht zu lassen und auch zukünftig langfristige und vorausschauende Strategien zu verfolgen. Der vorliegende Text wirft einen Blick auf die Wiener Stadtplanung und Stadtentwicklung. Dabei werden Fragen zu den Auswirkungen durch Covid-19 in den Monaten März bis Juni 2020 in den unterschiedlichen Planungsaspekten, -sektoren und -disziplinen aufgegriffen. Ausgangspunkt ist die Frage welche Bedeutung langfristige, strategische Ansätze und die kontinuierliche Weiterentwicklung einer robusten Stadtentwicklung in Zeiten von akuten Krisen aufweisen. Es wird weiters beleuchtet, welche bestehendenArgumentationen der Wiener Stadtentwicklung im Zuge der Erfahrungen der letzten Monate gestärkt oder geschwächt wurden. Dabei wird auch auf das Verhältnis von taktischen Adhoc-Lösungen und langfristigen Strategien eingegangen. Zu Grunde liegend ist das Verständnis, dass jede Entwicklung und Veränderung in der Stadtplanung ins Verhältnis zur globalen Klimakrise und dem Umgang damit gesetzt werden muss

Annual Report 2019: Triumphs and Challenges of the Evidence-based Nebraska Project and Examining Youth Served by Community-based Aid Programs Funded in FY 15/16

As of 2019, the Evidence-based Nebraska project (EB-Nebraska) has been funded for four years. Sometimes, in the excitement to analyze data and generate reports, as researchers, we forget to take a step back and relish in the process that got us here. We also thought it would be important to document this process in an effort to inform other jurisdictions thinking of developing a statewide evaluation such as this. Furthermore, we hope that by better understanding the process behind EB-Nebraska, the reader may leave with a stronger appreciation for the work that the State of Nebraska is doing for Nebraska’s young people. Now that four years have passed, we thought it ripe to examine EB-Nebraska with a wide angle lens. The aim of this report is twofold: First, we summarize EB-Nebraska, including the process for classifying programs into program types, building the Juvenile Case Management System (JCMS), training program staff on common definitions and entering data, and the ongoing process of improving the quality of data entered. Second, we examine the trajectory of youth who were served by Community-based Aid (CBA) funded programs in the first year of the project (FY 15/16); specifically, whether they moved deeper into the juvenile or adult criminal system by being filed on in court, having an intake at probation, or being admitted to a secure or staff secure detention facility (Neb.Rev. Stat. § 43-2404.02(b). Although we have accomplished several things over the past four years, there is still room for growth. As any large project that includes the three branches of government and a university might, EB-Nebraska has experienced both triumphs and challenges. While the ultimate goal is to determine “what works” in juvenile justice programming, there are methodological and data reasons that can limit conclusions. The gold standard for evaluating “what works” is an experiment where youth are randomly assigned to receive an intervention or not. This can be a difficult methodology to implement within juvenile justice because random assignment can feel unfair to those not receiving the intervention (or visa versa). To overcome this challenge, researchers are urged to collect information about the youth and program to control for any factors (e.g., juvenile’s risk level, demographics, program specifics) that may influence outcomes and then report any limitations. While there are limitations to the data and research design, there is no doubt that EB-Nebraska has contributed to improvements for young people in Nebraska despite challenges. Using our wide angle lens, in the last four years the Nebraska Crime Commission (NCC) and the Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) have created a secure online data entry system (i.e., JCMS) that captures variables based on scientific research literature for 24 program types and approximately 50,000 youth served by CBA-funded programs. From this data, JJI has generated four annual reports, several program-specific evaluations (e.g., diversion, truancy, mentoring, alternatives to detention programs, school resource officers), as well as specific research question-based reports (e.g., diversion drug testing policies and outcomes, reliability and validity of assessment tools, approaches for retaining and recruiting higher risk youth, and evidence-based principles for promotion/prevention programs)

Family Support Evaluation FY 2017-2021

Evidence-Based Nebraska. Family Support programs are prevention-focused efforts that seek to improve upon family function and communication through referrals and interactions with youth and families in Nebraska. Youth and families are referred for various reasons and community-based programs respond to these youth and family needs in a variety of ways, depending upon their individual needs and involve organizations throughout the community as needed. Through interviews with Family Support staff and directors, we learned that programs take different approaches to providing services to youth and families that are individualized to address emergent issues. Youth and families are commonly referred to the program due to behavioral concerns at home and school, poor school attendance behavior, mental health issues, and substance use. Referrals often come from probation and/or diversion, police department missing youth reports, and from schools or by word of mouth. Caseloads vary by program and most report having contact with one to four youth/families, two to three times a week. Most programs, 71%, use a risk assessment or screening tool to help assess youth and family needs to facilitate case planning. Further, program staff discussed challenges related to parent and youth participation (e.g., program engagement) and household constraints (e.g., transportation, supervision) as barriers to service delivery. Twelve out of 29 programs had sufficient cases to examine outcomes (at least 80% of their cases were discharged). Of these, there were high rates of youth successfully completing the program (or a neutral discharge, such as transferring schools). Nine of these 12 programs had sufficient data to examine either family function, family communication, or both (at least 80% of the data were complete and the sample size was greater than one), Family Support appears to be most successful for improving family function from intake to discharge (three programs improved scores), with slightly less success at improving family communication scores from intake to discharge (two programs improved scores). When examining future system involvement for the twelve programs we found that few youth has new status offense court filings, law violations, and detainment in a secure or staff secure facility following discharge from programming. Overall, 1.5% (n = 9) of youth had a new status offense court filing within one year after leaving a program, ranging from 0% - 8.3%. Slightly more, 5.4% (n = 33) had a new law violation within one year from program discharge, with a range of 0% - 25%. An overall total of 32 youth from this sample were detained in a facility following discharge from a program (5.2%), ranging from 0% - 40%