<< Background >>Accessibility is a core area of action in the European Disability Strategy 2020-2030, and culture is one of the most crucial contexts in which accessibility fails, because of its centrality to the growth of both individuals and society. Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides that “States Parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning directed to: a. The full development of human potential and sense of dignity and self-worth, and the strengthening of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human diversity; b. The development by persons with disabilities of their personality, talents and creativity, as well as their mental and physical abilities, to their fullest potential; c. Enabling persons with disabilities to participate effectively in a free society”. Nevertheless, educational attainment of persons with disabilities continues to be significantly lower than that of persons without disabilities. At present, people with disabilities are only represented on average in 1.4% of university degree students, and the percentage is even lower among master, postgraduate or PhD students.Despite efforts carried out by many European higher education institutions, it is still necessary to adopt positive actions to promote access and guarantee that Higher Education contents are adapted and accessible to the largest possible number of people with special needs. Access to education is also essential to ensure an effective recovery in times of crisis, such as what we have been experiencing as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: promoting equal opportunities for all and leaving no one behind is more than ever an imperative. The In-VisIBLe project (“Innovative and Inclusive learning tool for Visually Impaired and Blind people”) aims at addressing this pressing and growing need for inclusion of people with special needs, specifically by improving their access to Higher Education content by using and implementing innovative tools for communication and fruition of cultural contents to be integrated in HE didactic modules. As suggested by its name, In-VisIBLe is focused on visual disability, which affects about 30 million people in the EU: a large community of people who face discrimination on a daily basis, and whose struggle for cultural inclusion is a social priority. Real access to culture for visually impaired and blind people (henceforth “VIB”) is thus an important issue, and when it comes to Higher Education offerings, inclusion is especially challenging for VIB in fields of knowledge that apparently exclude them without remedy, the so-called “visual” arts. The main focus of the In-VisIBLe project is the needs of Higher Education systems, and especially the needs and requirements of VIB students. The project is also expected to be relevant to the needs of the broader community and to the cultural sector in general. The mixed composition of the partnership ensures that the project results benefit from different fields of expertise (Architecture, Virtual reality and 3D Modelling, ICTs, Educational Sciences, Inclusive Education) and that they meet the needs of different target groups. The In-VisIBLe consortium actually includes 3 Higher Education Institutions (Università di Bologna-UNIBO, Italy; Yedetepe University-YU, Istanbul, Turkey; Akademia Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna w Łodzi-AHE, Lodz, Poland), 1 international research institution (Information Technologies Institute of Centre for Research and Technology Hellas-CERTH, Thessaloniki, Greece), 1 public entity for the blind (Center for Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind-CERB, Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece) and 1 renowned museum for blind people (Museo Omero-MO, Ancona, Italy).<< Objectives >>Among the disciplines related to visual arts, the project is focused on History of Architecture, because it is a cross- sectorial discipline which is present in almost all the bachelor/master degrees in this field. The main objective of In- VisIBLe is to equip HE courses in History of Architecture with advanced technological solutions, interactive pedagogical methods, and innovative didactic tools that make them accessible also to students with visual disabilities, thus contributing to build a more inclusive EHEA. Most of these tools (i.e. tactile models and plates, artificial intelligence modules relying on visual information to recognize the objects and images surrounding the user, educational tools that can substitute the visual display, text to speech modules) are already available, but they have not been truly exploited in higher education courses. So far they have been generally used in non-academic courses or in educational activities exclusively dedicated to VIB students; moreover, they are in most cases used singularly, not combined together. The In- VisIBLe project aims to integrate these tools into HE courses in History of Architecture: this will be the first time that VIB tools and pedagogies are implemented in Innovative and Inclusive Didactic Modules (IDM) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) addressed to HE students. The main objective of In-VisIBLe is to foster the inclusion of VIB students and learners by (1) equipping HE courses of History of Architecture with tools that make the visual contents accessible to them, and (2) implementing a MOOC on the same topics in order to reach as many users (both VIB and non-VIB) as possible, i.e. HE students but also other learners/users outside academia. The second objective is to foster innovation in learning and teaching practices: both the In-VisIBLe HE courses and MOOC will actually rely on the development of “Innovative and Inclusive Didactic Modules (IDM)” that will use advanced technological solutions, interactive pedagogical methods and innovative didactic tools (e.g. 3D architectural models; 2D tactile plates with architectural drawings; Artificial Intelligence); these innovative digital tools will be specifically designed to meet the needs of students/users with visual disabilities, but they will also facilitate and enrich the learning practice of all potential students/users, while also developing their ICT skills and competences. The third objective is to promote collaboration between HEIs and a broader cross-section of society on the issue of inclusion of VIB people: HEIs will collaborate with museums and cultural institutions, organizations for the blind, relevant stakeholders and policy makers in the areas of education and inclusion: this collaboration will be for the mutual benefit of HEIs and their students, on one side, and for the larger community of stakeholders - who are also represented in the project consortium - on the other side. The In- VisIBLe project is in line with the main European policies and priorities concerning Inclusion and Diversity and digitalization of education: it will contribute to build more inclusive HE systems; it promotes diversity and will improve access to cultural contents of people with special needs; it will improve the accessibility, the quality and the relevance of HE through an innovative use of digital tools and new technologies in line with the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027); it draws-in a broader cross-section of society into HE, by including several institutions working on artistic education and inclusion of VIB people both in the project consortium and in the project activities; it fosters the internationalization of the EHEA and it strengthens the quality of education through mobility of HE teachers, reinforcing academic networks, establishing knowledge alliances through transnational cooperation.<< Implementation >>The project implementation will be organised in 3 main phases: (1) Preparation and survey/needs analysis. This phase will be focused on the identification of the specific needs and requirements of the VIB students in visual arts and review of best practices collected and analyzed with the support of the non-academic partners of the consortium, who have extensive experience in the implementation of learning paths specifically addressed to VIB people approaching visual arts. (2) Development of contents and technological implementation. Innovative and Inclusive Didactic Modules (IDM) of History of Architecture will be integrated with tools and pedagogical methods that will make them accessible to VIB; relevant Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), addressed to both HE students and a larger public, will be also implemented. AI based on visual information to recognize and describe architecture will be developed. A web platform for accessing, processing and sharing the In-VisIBLe inclusive didactic tools and modules will be developed, which will be open-access with all the items having the necessary mechanisms to provide accessibility to VIB. Guidelines for the design and realization of 3D architectural models accessible to VIB will be produced. One intensive training activity for teachers is scheduled. (3) Testing and revision. IDM and MOOC will be tested and evaluated during regular HE courses by groups of both VIB and normally sighted students. Guidelines to make architecture and visual arts accessible to VIB will be produced. Three multiplier events for the dissemination of the project results are scheduled. The tasks and responsibilities will be distributed among the partners in order to match the specific expertise of each one and to ensure the effective management of project activities, with a good mix of diverse skills and competencies. The coordination of each Project Result (PR) will be assigned to one of the project partners, which will be officially indicated as “Leading Partner”, in collaboration with one or more co-Leaders, in light of their specific expertise. The co-leadership structure of the PR activities will ensure more commitment and collaboration among the partners. All the partners will be responsible for the dissemination of the project results, which will be considered a very important activity. The participation of non-academic actors in the consortium, as well as the involvement of several associated partners from all the partner countries – including museums, research centers, non-profit organisations, high schools, public foundations, national federations of the blind – will actually enhance the usage potential and the sustainability of the results of the In-VisIBLe project well beyond its lifetime.<< Results >>The main expected outcome of the In-VisIBLe project is to improve inclusion of people with special needs in Higher Education and specifically in the fields of Arts/Architecture/Design, creating Innovative and Inclusive Didactic Modules of History of Architecture accessible to students with visual disabilities, by using and implementing innovative tools for communication and fruition of cultural contents related to visual arts. Another expected outcome is the implementation and development of innovative didactic tools, specifically designed and applied to meet the needs of users with visual disabilities in various artistic and architectural contents, but also with the broad capability for all potential users to develop their ICT skills and competences. This will require the development of tools to make the project results accessible to as many people as possible: MOOC, a web platform where all the project tools are stored and accessible, and guidelines. Finally, the project is expected to attract a broader cross-section of society into HE, establishing collaborations with cultural institutions, organizations for VIB, research networks, relevant stakeholders, and implementing them in the long run, also after the project’s end. It is also expected that significant institutions and organizations for visually impaired and blind people, starting from those which are associated or full partners of the In- VisIBLe project, will consider recommending the innovative and inclusive didactic modules to their members/networks. The tangible results of the In-VisIBLe project will consist in six Project Results, i.e.: 1) Higher Education Innovative and Inclusive Didactic Modules (IDM) of History of Architecture equipped with technologies and tools that make them accessible to all students enrolled, both by normally sighted and VIB students. 2) Guidelines for the design and realization of 3D architectural models accessible to VIB. This result has the objective of defining the features and tools (materials, software, scales etc.) to realize architectural models accessible to VIB, tested and implemented by students taking part to the project and, after its end, addressed to a wider range of users. 3) In-VisIBLe Image Captioning Dataset and System. In-VisIBLe courses of History of Architecture will be equipped with AI based on visual information to recognize and describe architecture. Images will be equipped with supplementary metadata allowing anyone to understand their content; every image will be able to provide information about the type of building(s) described and give a description about its content. 4) In-VisIBLe Teaching & Learning Web Platform. The platform, created for accessing, processing, and sharing the In-VisIBLe didactic tools and courses, will be open-access and all the items will have the necessary mechanisms to provide accessibility to VIB. 5) Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) of History of Architecture accessible to VIB. 6) Guidelines to make architecture and visual arts accessible to VIB. This result has the objective of promoting the dissemination and use of the tools and methodologies developed for HE courses of History of Architecture in the activities related to visual arts of museums, cultural/educational institutions, and high schools. The In-VisIBLe project is expected to give to all persons directly or indirectly connected with it the opportunity to foster inclusion in education, promote accessibility to culture, and improve HE teaching and learning quality and innovation. Finally, the project is expected to expand educational possibilities to people with disabilities, in order to generate synergies between entities and communities from different countries that currently carry out innovative types of action in the field of inclusion. In doing so, cultural accessibility can fulfill its role and become one of the most strategic and effective tools for creating a truly inclusive society.

<< Background >>ASPABER is an entity that provides services to people with intellectual disabilities in the province of A Coruña. Since 2017, it has had 2 educational units through which it has become aware of the barriers that these students have to reach the results in the different educational stages, and as a consequence, that their academic merits are not recognised. The same concern is shared by the other partners, which are, however, in different situations as their educational legislation has been developed differently.The needs addressed have been:The special incidence of ESL among people with disabilities (PWD) and the lack of detailed information on this phenomenon at EU level, as definitions of disability and early school leaving vary greatly from country to country.To carry out an analysis of the dimensions of why education systems in the EU are not adapted to the needs of these groups in order to shift the burden of responsibility for ESL to the actors with competences in education, and to lay the foundations for the involvement of the educational community in measures to prevent ESL.<< Objectives >>The general objective of the project was to analyse and exchange good practices in prevention, intervention and monitoring of people with disabilities at particular risk of early school leaving (ESL), defining the main dimensions in which EU education systems are not adapted to the needs of these groups.The project has three specific objectives: 1) To analyse the incidence of ESL in PWD; 2) To identify good practices in prevention (monitoring systems for students with disabilities and accreditation of educational achievements and intervention (appropriate curricular adaptations) that are carried out in the different member countries of the partnership and at all levels that affect the academic success of students with disabilities (policies, schools, family and environment and individual level) and, 3) To share and compare ideas, practices and measures that are being applied to prevent ESL between partnership countries with a low rate of ESL and partnership countries with a high rate of ESL.<< Implementation >>The activities implemented have been grouped into 6 work groups (WT): WP1 of COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT led by ASPABER, involving the rest of the partners in its management.WP2 COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS led by EULABTec, who has set the guidelines in the communication carried out by all ACADAS partners.WP3 EUROPEAN OBSERVATORY ON ESL AMONG STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, coordinated by NEU, who led the empirical data collection tasks among the rest of the partnership and was responsible for its interpretation. WP4 IMPACT OF POLICIES TO REDUCE esl, CERB has been in charge of leading the work for the elaboration of the catalogue of ESL monitoring and prevention systems with the collaboration of the rest of the partners.WP5, TRAINING IN EARLY DETECTION AND MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AT RISK OF ESL, whose responsibility fell on the School of Special Education St. Ita, which hosted the rest of ACADAS partners, being in charge of organising the transnational training.WP6, on GOOD PRACTICE IN PREVENTING ESL AMONG STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, led by Pro-Mente Croatia with the contribution of the other partners.<< Results >>- 3 survey formats to analyse the special risks for PWDs in ESL, targeting different interest groups: families, professionals and students with disabilities; - a report on the dimensions and factors affecting the ESL of PWD;- a catalogue of systems for monitoring and prevention of ESL in PWD at EU level, with special emphasis on the recognition of educational attainment and its accreditation; - a set of resources at European level to address intervention in ESL in PWD;- a catalogue of good practices in monitoring and prevention of ESL in PWD at individual, school and setting level; - a roadmap addressed to policy makers with the necessary steps for the standardisation of educational attainment at EU level and the necessary partnerships to achieve it.Other results obtained not covered in the initial form are:- analysis of the different education policies of each partner country with special incidence of the LOMLOE as it was published during the project life cycle;- a compact network of partners that served as a mutual support to share experiences and face the challenges arising from COVID-19 in the daily life of their schools.

"The visually impaired constitute a community at risk of social exclusion. Beyond the strict definition of visual impairment, or the percentage of vision loss of each individual, adequate training is crucial for the full social integration of this community. In addition, raising the awareness of the rest of the population towards the special needs of disadvantaged groups in general and visually impaired people in particular requires educational interventions in this regard. On the other hand, the emergence of new technologies, such as 3D printing, has opened a range of educational possibilities and services that can alleviate the aforementioned inequalities and collaborate in inclusive actions. The main objective of this project is to attend to the inclusion of students with visual impairment. This objective is addressed from a number of points, including service-learning methodologies that promote awareness of the needs of this group and the educational development of 3D printing skills. The 3D products can facilitate routines and empower the visually impaired students involved in their design, production and evaluation. It is strongly recommended that the visually impaired attend a specific training, but also it should be complemented by inclusive training in conventional schools. Students entering the school for the first time always receive the pertinent documentation that includes, generally: schedules, rules, staff of the centre, facilities plans (blueprint), etc. All these data are usually translated into Braille when a visually impaired student enters. Everything except plans. Around this last ""lack"" and necessity this project is structured. To this end, it is proposed: - Design a specific training of teachers that includes: a) technical and didactic aspects of 3D design and printing; B) knowledge about the service-learning methodology centered on visual impairment. - Develop and edit a didactic unit related to 3D printing linked to the learning service, including a teacher's guide and an associated student mini textbook. - Train teachers in this regard to implement both ideas in the classroom. - To implement in the classroom the learning of 3D printing, with the aim of generating useful objects for the visually impaired, in particular school plans, as well as plans of outpatient clinics, hospitals, metro stations, urban routes maps, etc. - Involve students with visual impairment in the process of learning competencies in 3D printing, including the design, preparation and / or evaluation of the ""3D objects"" produced. - Make available to the community of people with visual impairment such objects. Depending on the number and quality of ""manufactured"" objects, they will be donated to the ""mapped"" places (hospitals, museums, etc.). The expected impact is clearly visible. There will be effects, both in awareness-raising about the visual impairment (among the participating students), and in improving the life conditions of the final users of the 3D objects. All the necessary means of diffusion will be used to guarantee its visibility. Likewise, the sustainability of the project is ensured both by the long ""useful life"" of the objects generated (permanent regarding their designs), as well as by the didactic methodology used. It will be easily replicable in successive years and surely, will leave a mark (in values) in the participating students. In order to guarantee the success of the project, we have tried to ensure that the partnership covers the maximum aspects. The partners are: two governmental and one non-governmental organizations dedicated to the inclusion (education and rehabilitation) of the visually impaired; A company that produces 3D printing equipment; An educational regional institution; Several educational centres where there are visually impaired students enrolled. In addition, the geographic location of the partners (Greece, Latvia, Spain and Iceland) ensures sufficient variety to generate the corresponding synergies, providing very different visions of the project approach, thus ensuring an adequate European dimension."