Croatia Enhances Education and Support of Children with Developmental Disabilities through Assistive Technology

Croatia has equipped 34 educational institutions in 22 cities with assistive technology for children with developmental disabilities. The project, led by CARNET, provided hardware and software aids to improve functional abilities and quality of life. The results were presented at a final conference on April 24.

The Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation of the University of Zagreb (ERF), the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of the University of Zagreb (FER), and the City Reykjavik were project partners in implementing the ATTEND project. Training sessions were provided to directors and employees to efficiently use the new equipment in working with children with developmental disabilities.

A total of 5,686 pieces of assistive technology equipment were delivered to the institutions, benefitting over 1750 students. Multiple workshops, webinars, and an e-course were organized for more than 1450 participants to enhance their skills. ERF and FER also established a new Laboratory for Assistive Technology (AT Lab) and a Catalog of assistive equipment purchased as part of the project.

The City of Reykjavik organized trainings and shared examples of good practices for Croatian directors and employees of educational institutions, introducing them to institutional frameworks and support systems for children with developmental disabilities. The project was 85% co-financed from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the remaining part from the state budget.

The ATTEND project aimed to improve the education and support of children with developmental disabilities through the use of assistive technology, benefiting thousands