• On May 6, first-year Occupational Therapy students will present proposals to improve the daily lives of people with functional diversity
• The presentation day at UDC marks the conclusion of the pilot study for the Design2Freedom project, organized by CITIC’s Talionis group
• The project promotes the creation of mixed work teams composed of students, people with functional diversity, and professionals from various fields

A Coruña, May 5, 2025.– The Center for Research in Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC) at the University of A Coruña will host the presentation day for the results of the pilot study of the Design2Freedom project on Tuesday.

The project, coordinated by the Spanish Confederation of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities (COCEMFE), is currently in the pilot development phase at each of the participating universities: Vilniaus Kolegija – VIKO (Lithuania), Technicka Univerzita v Kosiciach – TUKE (Slovakia), and Universidade da Coruña – UDC (Spain).

Design2Freedom aims to create an inclusive learning environment that not only educates but also empowers students to develop accessible, human-centered products and services.

Over the course of two months, first-year Occupational Therapy students at UDC have worked in multidisciplinary teams to develop technological solutions to everyday challenges shared by people with functional diversity.

Juan Ramón, Sonia, and Jose from COGAMI, along with Jorge, Joan, and José Luis from ASPACE Coruña, shared aspects of their daily lives that pose challenges to equal participation. The students had the opportunity to collaborate with them, as well as with professionals and students from various disciplines (Computer Engineering, Education, Speech Therapy, and Social Work), in an effort to find innovative solutions to these daily issues.

Among the proposals to be presented are a portable ramp that allows wheelchair users to overcome steps up to 10 cm high, and a dice cup that enables anyone to play board games regardless of their mobility. The proposals showcased during this event aim to address these and other related challenges.

During the presentation, a mixed jury with representatives from the Coruña City Council, UDC, ASPACE, and COGAMI will evaluate the quality of the learning process and present awards for the most inclusive and innovative solutions.

About CITIC

CITIC is a research center that fosters progress and excellence in applied R&D&I in ICT, created in 2008 by the University of A Coruña. Its scientific activity is structured into four main research areas: Artificial Intelligence; Data Science and Engineering; High Performance Computing; and Intelligent Services and Networks, along with a transversal research area that spans all of them: Cybersecurity.

CITIC is accredited as a Center of Excellence and is a member of the CIGUS Network for the 2024–2027 period. The accreditation, structuring, and development of CITIC is co-financed by the Xunta de Galicia and 60% by the European Union under the Galicia ERDF Operational Programme 2021–2027, with the thematic objective of promoting “a smarter Europe: innovative and smart economic transformation” (ED431G 2023/01).