"According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union (EU) at the start of 2019, 101.1 million people in the EU had reached the age of 65 – 20% of the total population. By 2050, this share is projected to increase to 29%. The ageing is mainly due to a long-term fall in fertility rates and increased life expectancy. The needs of these people have changed over the years. There are significant differences between the seniors at present and in previous years. Together with the global phenomenon of ageing of societies (decreasing birth rate and prolonging life expectancy), increased migration of population, growing number of breakdowns of unions, lack of offspring, etc., a growing number of environments in which seniors run single-person households are observed, especially for Deaf senior. The ""Deaf Senior Education for Active Living"" project aims to : - PROMOTE ERASMUS + AMONG ALL CITIZENS AND GENERATIONS BY OFFERING ACTIVITIES OF EDUCATION AND EXCHANGES OF EXPERIENCES TO SENIORS.The project was designed to meet the growing demand for support for deaf elderly people, with particular reference to their access to the information and actions required by the digital world, first of all, the financial, banking and social security operations that today require increasing digital skills. Deaf people, especially older ones, are often forgotten by public services and cannot access most routes for people of their age because of the communication difficulties they may encounter and the absence of interpreting services, for example in CPIAs or UNITRE (in Italy), but also on mainstream occasions, such as conferences in a library or a guided tour of a museum. There are significant differences between the elderly of today and those of the past, the current ones are in fact active, attentive to their physical appearance and the environment, follow the needs of fashion, engage in various activities promoting health, physical and mental. They require a high-quality training offer, taking into account both the range of issues suitable for their needs and the possibility of being involved in various activities with a function of socialisation and active employment of leisure.Thanks to this active lifestyle, the current senior enhances his time and consciously selects the activities in which he participates, paying attention to the quality, attractiveness, and usefulness of the offer in everyday life. Increasingly, older citizens are showing an interest in broadening their knowledge of the latest technological developments (ICT) to be active in the digital world; they want to pursue passions/interests that, for various reasons (lack of time, over-responsibility), could not afford at an earlier stage of their lives. However, this process of selection and free choice is in fact prevented for deaf elderly people, who struggle to find the right information on training courses and even when they find them, they are faced with activities that are not accessible to them and lack adequate support. Since current elders are a group with specific individual needs, with different professional, family, social, educational, health and cognitive experiences (such as memory, attention, etc.), and that this significantly affects the educational opportunities of each person, the methods and forms of education used should be universal enough to meet the needs of a diverse group and at the same time individually adapted to the specific needs and abilities of the individual. For this reason, the consortium of this project wants to implement its training offer, enhancing the sector related to the education of senior people. - EXTENDING AND DEVELOPING THE COMPETENCIES OF EDUCATORS AND OTHER PERSONNEL WHO SUPPORT ADULT LEARNERS.Few adult educators/ trainers have been trained in the specific needs of older students and those with a formation in working with elderly people with disabilities. At the same, training materials are frequently designed to appeal to a younger audience and are not only not relevant but may be rejected as such by discerning seniors. Moreover, intergenerational training requires different methods and adaptation of existing materials and techniques especially when the target group are senior with disabilities (D/deaf Senior).- SOCIAL INCLUSION: According to Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we must recognize the equal right of all people with disabilities to live in the community, with the same freedom of choice as other people, and take measures effective and appropriate in order to facilitate the full enjoyment by people with disabilities of this right and full inclusion and participation within the community, so the project wants to improve social inclusion for older generations of deaf people through their stay active through learning, volunteering and contributing to the well-being of society."

"‘PERIEGESIS’ (beautiful multi-meaning Greek/Latin word almost synonym to perambulation/ tour/ sightseeing/ voyage) is aiming to promote inclusiveness of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) people in vaults of cultural treasures; mainly museums, galleries, and similar cultural spaces. ‘PERIEGESIS’, is aiming for an inclusion of the sometimes marginalized group of DHH, by elevating the skills of hearing museum/and or gallery staff such as Docents, Public relations Officers, Museum Shop Managers, Museum Protection Staff, Tour guides and the like, to be able to communicate with DHH. In a post-COVID19 era all people will long for live human contact. All of us in EU have felt the isolation via the lockdowns and the cut from other human beings. This is the isolation some of our fellows feel as DHH in the society for all of their lives. PERIEGESIS is aiming to help adults who already are or intending to work in cultural vaults to communicate via visual language with a very large percentage of humanity which includes DHH people. This will not only benefit DHH but also the upskilling of adult workers or adults who want to develop further skills thus having better chances of finding a work. PERIEGESIS is also aiming to bring closer these cultural places to DHH. If museums are to be made attractive to a special target group, this means creating new groups of visitors, and thereby generating more income and more publicity. It is widely accepted that language (in any form -visual or oral) is one of the most important instruments to communicate ideas and feelings.Museums (and galleries) have been active in shaping knowledge for over six hundred years, thus their function within today's society is crucial and important (Greenhill, 1992). In addition, beyond shaping knowledge, museums and galleries have a multidimensional role of offering an inclusive experience of simultaneously learning and entertaining; important both for the individual person as well as to the global community (Falk, J. H., & Dierking, L. D. 2018). Accordingly, ‘PERIEGESIS’ aspires to target hearing employee staff who are directly communicating with visitors, in an attempt to make them get familiarized with visual language/s. Sign language should be considered as important (visual) and discrete language as the other (spoken) languages. Side-lining the visual language means automatically putting aside more than 466 million people and their opportunity to broaden their perspectives, knowledge, experience and leisure acquired through visiting museums and/or galleries and other cultural spaces.Through its well-defined structure; detailed analysis of management; analysis and development of intelligent outputs; bringing together projects partners from different backgrounds and its associated partners; ""PERIEGESIS"" aspires to benefit people from various target groups, such as:adults/Individuals who are willing to be trained on the project methodology, will have acquired free access to all the material produced, benefiting mostly from O1 ‘PERIEGESIS Compendium’ and 03 ‘Video Learning Directory for Museum staff’;adult coaches, trainers, educators and sign language specialists who will be endowed with innovative material to be used towards inclusion of DHH in cultural monuments, by developing the skills of the people working in them. This is achieved mostly through the O4 ‘Lesson Plans for DHH inclusion in museums’ and the O5 ‘Digital Serious game’, which offers and interactive, fun activity to learn; most suitable for the digital/ covid era. PERIEGESIS partnership was established by trying to accomplish a balance of consortium in having organisations who have much experience in strategic partnership projects, whilst also having partners who have expertise in the field of innovative digital tools and of course partnership with expertise in the Deaf Society. The consortium consists of five partner organizations deriving five European countries (Poland, Cyprus, Greece, France (coordinator), and Italy), which cover a wide range of expertise and experiences related to the scope and the aims of 'PERIEGESIS’, whilst they have a Pan-European outreach in their activities. Specifically, the consortium of partners consists of a balance of organizations with experience in managing, providing administrative support, as a connecting link between authorities, promote educational work, support and consult adult development skills. Critical support to the consortium, in the implementation, dissemination and exploitation of the project will be also provided by the extended network of organizations working with the partners coming from a wide range of social, cultural, professional and regional background."

<< Objectives >>Our objectives are to promote cooperation and exchange of experiences and good practices in the field of social inclusion and sexuality education for parents of people with disabilities (PWDs).<< Implementation >>We plan to implement:3 Transnational project meetings.3 Main results of the project:- Identification of barriers and social needs.- Course curriculum.- Empowerment guide and materials.5 Multiplier events.<< Results >>- Prepare and deliver sex education classes for parents with children with disabilities.- Develop question and answer materials for parents to help them provide accurate, rights-based information to their children.- Implement sex education sessions for families to encourage intergenerational dialogues.- Target parents through activities with the community or identified/guested.

<< Background >>The EU has committed its 27 member states to the promotion of social inclusion to drive social cohesion. It has been deemed essential to promote the full participation of people with disabilities as part of the efforts to strengthen the EU’s new Disability Strategy, including those with sensory impairments. Still, there exists a pressing need to develop new approaches that offer empowerment routes to adults with sensory impairments, ultimately facilitating the creation of more inclusive and friendly societies.Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) citizens should have equal access to the EU’s public sphere. Typically, however, citizenship in the EU tends to be centered on hearing and speaking individuals, constituting a social policy that excludes DHH and promotes a ‘hearing culture that prioritizes audio-centric forms of communication over sign language’ (Turner et al. 2016). CitSci4All aims to create a methodology for DHH adults’ further inclusion in society, through their involvement in Citizen Science (CS) projects for climate change, a pillar that has become central to the EU’s climate action policy. CitSci4All means to help DHH adults become agents of change in their communities, locally and globally. Climate change can make anyone feel powerless, not to mention DHH adults. Yet CS provides mechanisms for citizens to take that power back. According to the EC (2020), “Citizen Science is a broad term, covering that part of Open Science in which citizens can participate in the scientific research process in different ways: as observers, as funders, in identifying images or analyzing data, or providing data themselves. This allows for the democratization of science, and is also linked to stakeholders’ engagement and public participation”. CS is one of the 8 Pillars of Open Science (European Citizen Science Association, ECSA) and as such, it contributes to new knowledge and innovation through the inclusion of DHH citizen scientists as well as strengthens efforts to make societies more inclusive for DHH individuals. CS can help citizens ‘improve their own local environments and drive a new, more participatory form of democracy’. Through science-society collaborations, exchanges, and the active engagement of citizens in this type of research, we can involve DHH adults who are almost entirely excluded from participation in such initiatives. However, CS is less developed as an approach to empowering disadvantaged populations specifically; it is very rarely used as a method to enable greater social participation by DHH people. Therefore, under the present conditions, social justice becomes highly necessary. Within CitSci4All, DHH adults are given opportunities to not only enhance their social participation and inclusion, but are also given the methodologies and tools to contribute to a social goal that brings about both personal and societal growth, and not solely for the scientific value of CS. DHH adults will contribute to CS projects that fit their aspirations.To measure and demonstrate social inclusion achievements, an evaluation base of the actual implementation and outcomes of such change will be provided. While the EU’s Green Deal points to the importance of citizens as catalysts for change, no specific mention is made for disadvantaged adults, much less so for those who are DHH. Yet, there is a tremendous opportunity for the inclusion of these populations so that they become part of a bigger societal goal.<< Objectives >>“CitSci4All - Social Inclusion and participation of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults in Citizen Science for Climate Change” project aims to empower Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) adults to engage with Citizen Science (CS) through rigorous scientific research, data collection and analysis of results in relation to climate change. This project sees CS as a means for social and environmental justice with an immediate impact on people’s living conditions, with citizens taking an active role, but not solely for the scientific value for CS, but also to exercise their rights for equal participation in societal life, including scientific initiatives of Open Science. Oft-excluded groups, like DHH adults, should be given opportunities to become both recipients as well as providers of information, especially within the context of environmental and climate action which is currently a pressing priority for the EU and will be so for the coming decades. The General Objectives of CitSci4All include: 1. Develop both deaf and hard of hearing adults’ skills and competences in CS for climate change2. Enhance DHH adults’ accessibility to Open Science initiatives, especially for climate change3. Promote the social inclusion and democratic participation of DHH adults (35+) in CS4. Strengthen DHH trainers, institutions and associations and relevant professional skills5. Create innovative, DHH-accessible methodologies for DHH trainers and DHH adults to enable their contribution to CS projects for climate change6. Strengthen the participation of disadvantaged groups in all project activities through the provision of inclusive services and psychosocial support by the relevant project partners<< Implementation >>The following activities will be implemented throughout the duration of CitSci4All project: Target groups will participate in surveys and interviews in PR1 to provide insight into the needs, gaps and experiences of DHH populations in relation to their inclusion and involvement in CS (especially for climate change). The entire PR2 Toolkit will be transmitted to DHH trainers of local/regional/national DHH institutions of each country. It’s been estimated that 75 DHH trainers from all partner countries will participate during the national workshops.At least 100 DHH adults (in total) will participate in CS projects for climate change during PR3.At least 12 DHH trainers and adults will participate in roundtables with CS experts and project partners for reflection and awareness-raising in PR4.5 Transnational Meetings in total, with the participation of 1 individual per partner organization.4 Multiplier Events,E1: Final International Conference in France with at least 35 local participantsE2: National Symposium in Cyprus with at least 25 local participantsE3: National Symposium in Italy with at least 25 local participantsE4: National Symposium in Greece with at least 25 local participants<< Results >>The CitSci4All project aims to empower DHH adults (35+) to participate in CS activities for climate change through creating and facilitating inclusive methodologies to do so. Its impact is addressing both the need for further inclusion of DHH individuals in scientific endeavors but also the advancement of CS for tackling climate change through the participation of wider parts of the general population. All PRs as well as project activities are designed to enhance and facilitate this 2-way process, by setting the fertile ground for the simultaneous involvement and collaboration of DHH adults and trainers in inclusive CS projects, whilst advancing CS data on climate change. Main Resultsa) The creation of an inclusive and innovative methodology for enabling the participation of DHH adults in CS for tackling climate change. DHH trainers will be given guidance (through R1-R4) on giving support and access to DHH adults who wish to engage in CS, while DHH adults will be given the tools to contribute to CS projects and analyze their results as well as engage in roundtables and reflection opportunities with partners and CS experts.b) The familiarization and upskilling of DHH trainers with DHH-inclusive Toolkits, Guides and Reports on CS for climate change for the equal participation of DHH adults in these scientific endeavors without barriers c) The design and implementation of an inclusive educational approach suitable for Deaf/Hard of Hearing adults Project Results * 1 Guide under the context of “PR1 - Guide on DHH Populations’ Engagement in Citizen Science for Climate Change”, which informs DHH trainers about the opportunities of CS for the social and scientific inclusion & participation of DHH adults for tackling climate change.* 1 Toolkit under the context of “PR2 - Customized Citizen Science Toolkit for DHH Trainers”, which aims to offer a methodology for planning, contributing to/constructing a CS project for climate change for DHH adults. R2 will be made up of digital learning nuggets and 30 inclusive multimedia resources, including bite-sized Elearning videos, interactive presentations, infographics, case studies. * 1 Report under the context of “PR3 - Comprehensive Report on Citizen Science Project Implementations by DHH Adults for Climate Change”, which aims to realize practical opportunities for adopting the inclusive methodologies created for the participation of DHH in CS. 100 DHH adults will participate in CS projects, collect, analyze and synthesize data to form the basis of the R3 report. *1 Report under the context of “PR4 - The Way Ahead to Open Roads: A Report on the Lessons Learnt and Gained Through the Inclusion of DHH Adults & Trainers in CS Projects for Climate Change”. R4 is aimed at outlining the key competencies, lessons and reflections of DHH trainers & adults through their participation in inclusive methodologies and exchanges related to CS for climate change. DHH-adapted video testimonials will accompany the report as maps of social change.

The largest cause of sensory impairments is the ageing process with over 60. Rising life expectancy and increasing numbers of older people in the population in Europe means a growing number of individuals are affected by visual and hearing impairments. Thus, raising general awareness of problems and potential solutions is essential to maximising individual quality of life and minimising social isolation. A key challenge related to the quality of life of older people with sensorial impairments is the adequate training of the professionals working in care services addressed for this specific target group. Through surveys, events, workshops and daily work ENVITER and HIPEN (European networks representing organisations of professionals and experts in sensory impairments from 21 EU countries) collected information about the concrete learning needs of the professionals working with ageing people with sensory impairments. Based on this knowledge, 7 entities from these EU networks launched the SENSNET project with the aim of creating a European Academy that designed, developed, collected, tested and valorised innovative approaches and contents tailored to the specific needs of professionals that work with ageing people with sensory impairments. The main activities within the SENSNET project were as follows:- Design of the methodological guide for the learning programme- Development of the training materials for professionals working with ageing people with hearing and/or visual impairments in the areas such as, lighting and ergonomics and accessibility in society and in the daily life (access to culture and access to information and communication media)- Creation of an online learning platform for professionals working with ageing people with hearing and visual impairments- Development of training courses for professionals- Organisation of two multiplier events in Germany and FranceThe most important results achieved within the SENSNET project are: 1) Creation of the European Academy that provides training for professionals working with ageing people with visual and/or hearing impairments (SENSNET-EASI platform), 2) Creation of a European learning community of professionals working with ageing people with visual and/or hearing impairments, 3) Increased the knowledge base of the partners to have a more accurate awareness of professionals’ learning needs and priorities, 4) Improved skills of professionals involved in two rounds of the training course, 5) Creation of a comprehensive training strategy for professionals working with ageing people with hearing and visual impairments6) Increased awareness on the importance of the training of the professionals working with ageing people with visual and/or hearing impairments at national (Spain, France, The Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and United Kingdom) and European levels.The main target group of the project are workers at day care centres for older people, geriatric social workers, care workers for seniors, therapists for seniors, GPs, nurses, home-visiting care workers and other professionals that provide services to support ageing people with sensory impairments. Through the SENSNET activities these target groups have improved their occupational qualification and professional skills in the area of sensory impairments, especially related to hearing and visual problems. By participating in the SENSNET courses all of them became part of a European learning community of professionals working with ageing people with visual and/or hearing impairments and will be informed on the further training to be developed by ENVITER (European Network for Vision Impairment Training Education & Research) and HIPEN (European Network for Professionals working with People with Hearing Impairments). As long-term benefit can be mentioned, among others, the creation of the European Academy that will continue providing training for professionals working with ageing people with visual and/or hearing impairments beyond the project lifetime. To this end, the organisations belonging to the ENVITER and HIPEN networks will encourage their members to participate in the SENSNET courses that are available at the online platform sustained by the Dutch partner – Visio. Also it has to be emphasised that ENVITER has expressed the importance of and their interest in making sure that the efforts in the SENSNET Project will be taken further and will be made sustainable with support of the network.Finally, it is relevant to mention that the final beneficiaries of the SENSNET project are ageing people over 60 with visual and/or hearing impairments. Due to the SENSNET project, ageing people with sensory impairments will be able to use better qualify services provided by professionals who have carried out the tailored trainings.