Safe Education and Internet Surfing…

Safe Education and Internet Surfing in Computer Labs for People with Intellectual Disability

Today’s world is based on internet and social media. People with intellectual disability also use internet in a more and more common and sophisticated way.

They are encouraged to this, because thanks to digital inclusion they can become full citizens of the society and do not stand in the worse position when looking for work. Internet, due to its universality and accessibility, however, carries many risks. Cyber violence and the antidote of cyber safety are fast becoming a global concern for governments, educational authorities, teachers, parents and users alike.
Some aspects of internet endanger safety of all – children, teenagers, adults and seniors, regardless of whether they are people with or without intellectual disabilities. But it can be concluded that people with intellectual disabilities are more vulnerable to various types of fraud and cyberbullying.

Because of limited founds of public centers for people with disability, staff leading computer labs are often therapists, who are left alone, with no IT support and sometimes they have no skill to resolve problems they meet during their everyday work. Sometimes they are not even conscious of problems.

The project idea is to define the dangers of work not only in internet but also in a computer environment, met in computer labs and workshops used by people with intellectual disability.
Together with dangers and risks list the answers and solutions will be worked out. All this knowledge will be accessible in form of a database, where labs leaders and staff can find information. The database will be also accessible for persons with intellectual disability. Rules will be given in an easy to read text.

The main effort in the project will be focused on safe labs. One of the aims of the project is to create safe and favorable condition for people with mental disabilities working in computer labs. The Certificate for Safe Lab will
be created and introduced. Certificate for Safe Lab will guarantee that a place, where people with mental disabilities work is safe in this area. The set of requirements with the descriptions how to fill them up will be prepared in the form of a Guide of Safe Labs Certificate.
In the project Main National Trainers will be trained according to the Guide to be able to help in improving computer labs safety and training people with disability in safe internet behaving. The worked out program of trainings will be published. The databases, the guide, the certificate idea will be presented during local, national seminaries, where parallelly a course for people with disability will be conducted lead by Main National Trainers and Supporting Trainers – persons with intellectual disability.

The project results and objectives are aimed to staff leading computer labs and workshops in the Activation Centers or Occupational Therapy Workshops and for their learners with intellectual disability