From May 31 to June 1, Barcelona hosted the second edition of the Breaking Barriers Congress, an event organized by the Romper Barreras Foundation that showcases the latest advancements in assistive technology and augmentative communication.

During the three-day event, national and international experts presented the best technological solutions and good practices for the application of technology for inclusion and participation. The presentations included cases related to multisensory stimulation, good practices in the use of dynamic communicators, and accessibility to video games.

On Saturday, as part of the experiences and resources session, Manuel Lagos, a researcher at CITIC, presented the project “VisualTECH: Mapping Low-Cost Assistive Technologies for People with Disabilities”.

VisualTECH is an online platform that offers mapping, categorization, and dissemination of free and low-cost assistive technology. Its goal is to facilitate the search and applicability of technological developments for carrying out various activities.

The project has been funded through the “Call for research projects within the framework of the Program to Promote University Research in Technologies for the Common Good”, promoted by Enxeñería Sen Fronteiras Galicia and the Artigo9Tech research network.

Next, Irene Brage, coordinator of the Talentos Inclusivos project, explained the initiative, focusing on the current edition, which includes the participation of 15 educational centers throughout Galicia. As Brage pointed out, “it is exciting to see how the project consolidates over the years, achieving representation from 15 centers across the Galician community. It is a challenge that we face with great enthusiasm and excitement”.

During her presentation, the coordinator of Talentos Inclusivos outlined the different phases of the project’s development. “The starting point is marked by the associations we collaborate with, such as ASPACE Coruña, Amencer-ASPACE, and APAMP, through the identification of a series of needs of people with disabilities that hinder their social participation”.

Once these needs are identified, CITIC analyzes them and seeks solutions through technology. “This way, a list of technological challenges is created, which will be developed by the educational centers during the school year,” she noted.

Talentos Inclusivos is an initiative promoted by CITIC of the Universidade da Coruña and ASPACE Coruña, with the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), the Social Council of UDC, the Xunta de Galicia through the Consellería de Política Social e Igualdad and the Consellería de Educación, Ciencia, Universidades y Formación Profesional, and the Ayuntamiento da Coruña.