• The 15 participating educational centers presented the projects developed in this 2023/2024 academic year at a public event at the Ágora sociocultural center (A Coruña).
• Students from all over Galicia have devised technological solutions for people with cerebral palsy through this collaborative project, launched by CITIC of the UDC in collaboration with ASPACE Coruña and with the support of the Consello Social of the Universidade da Coruña, the Concello da Coruña, the FECYT of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Xunta de Galicia through the consellerías of Education, Science, Universities and FP and Social Policy and Equality.

A Coruña, June 14, 2024.- Talentos Inclusivos held its science fair today at the Ágora sociocultural center (A Coruña), marking the end of its fourth edition. More than three hundred students, teachers, researchers from CITIC and users of ASPACE Coruña and Amencer-ASPACE participated in the event. The collaborative project launched by CITIC of the UDC in collaboration with ASPACE Coruña has this year involved 15 schools from all over Galicia, which have developed ICT solutions for people with cerebral palsy such as an accessible camera, electronic locks, an art therapy and rehabilitation table, or the adaptation of classic games like “Simon says”.

Students, teachers, and users of both associations shared the ICT challenges and technological solutions carried out during this school year. A public event, which was attended by representatives of the entities supporting the program such as the conselleira of Social Policy and Equality, Fabiola García; the vice-rector of Research and Transfer of the UDC, Jerónimo Puertas; the director xeral of Educational Planning and Innovation, Judith Fernández; the councilor of Social Welfare of the Concello da Coruña, Yoya Neira; the secretary of the Consello Social of the UDC, Jesús Spósito; the president of ASPACE Coruña, Carmen Barreiro and the director of CITIC, Manuel Penedo.

“We are very pleased to see that Talentos Inclusivos is an initiative that involves more people each year and achieves greater social and territorial reach,” said the director of CITIC, who highlighted the uniqueness of this “pioneering project in promoting ICT vocations among Secondary, Baccalaureate and FP students and raising awareness of disability”.

In the same vein, the president of ASPACE Coruña, Carmen Barreiro, stated that “the educational community and social entities must go hand in hand to achieve this innovation with shared knowledge, with the experience that our trajectory gives us and with the firm commitment that all people, with or without disabilities, have much to contribute to achieving a more inclusive and participatory society, where no one is left behind.”

Similarly, the vice-rector of Research and Transfer of the UDC, Jerónimo Puertas, recalled that the Universities Law “establishes collaborative relationships with public and private entities to carry out activities that benefit society and I can’t think of a better initiative that reflects this commitment” and reaffirmed the UDC’s commitment to continue working in this direction.

Precisely, the social value of the project was one of the aspects highlighted by the conselleira of Social Policy, Fabiola García, who thanked the involvement of all the “key parties for the launch of this pioneering project at the national level, such as CITIC, ASPACE and the more than 200 students who have made these technological solutions available to people with cerebral palsy” and conveyed her department’s support to continue collaborating in future editions.

Technology at the service of people

Throughout the morning, students, teachers, researchers, and people with cerebral palsy had the opportunity to share their experiences in developing the challenges posed by ASPACE Coruña, Amencer-ASPACE, and APAMP with the attending public. Among the projects launched, there were 3D printing models for bike guides, an accessible camera, wireless doorbells, electronic locks, an art therapy and rehabilitation table, a holographic fan, or adapters for classic games like “Simon says,” among others. During the fair, students participated in a contest where they had to answer questions about the challenges presented by the educational centers, with the winners being awarded a drone and wireless headphones.

Talentos Inclusivos

Talentos Inclusivos is a project developed by CITIC (Centro de Investigación en Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones) of the UDC (Universidade da Coruña) and ASPACE Coruña, and is supported by the FECYT (Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; the Consello Social of the UDC; Concello da Coruña and the Xunta de Galicia through the Consellerías of Education, Science, Universities and FP and Social Policy and Equality.

Its objective is to inspire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) vocations among young people and raise awareness of the reality of disability through collaborative work teams to solve technological challenges posed by people with cerebral palsy.

Through this project, secondary and baccalaureate students from various institutes in Galicia will have to seek technological solutions to a series of challenges proposed by users of the ASPACE Coruña, Amencer-ASPACE, and APAMP entities.