e-Sense workshop

Sense International Romania, Code for Romaniaand Orange Foundation formally launched yesterday, November 9th, during an online workshop, the education software e-Sense, a digital tool free of charge that can be used in therapeutic and educational interventions for children with deafblindness and multisensory impairments.

The project ”e-Sense” is funded by Orange Foundation through the project The World through Colour and Sound, the largest fund dedicated to people with visual/hearing impairments.

„We know how difficult it is to create digital solutions, especially when we talk about such complex needs as in the case of people with both hearing and visual impairments. e-Sense aims to create an educational online space with multiple functions, very useful in the teacher-child and parent-child relationship because, ultimately, education continues at home as well.” Daniela Mita, Programmes Manager, Orange Foundation Romania

”e-Sense” has two components: the first component is an app of visual, hearing and cognitive stimulation, organised in four types of activities in agreement with the National Curriculum for the Education of Children with Deafblindness. Thus, ”e-Sense” brings into the digital technology sphere exercises meant to support children to develop their perceptive skills to detect sensory stimuli and become aware of their presence, develop their attention to sensory stimuli, their ability to localise, recognise and discriminate stimuli.

„For us, of all our 46 live projects we currenttly have at Code for Romania, e-Sense has been by far the most challenging, given the target group that we have not worked with before. It was very interesting to work alongside specialists in education. For the first time, we worked with an expert to make e-Sense a best practive model from the point of view of accesibility”. Olivia Vereha, co-founder and VP product Code for Romania

The second component is the web platform www.esense.ro, which allows schools, teachers and parents to monitor pupils’ progress. After registering onto the platform, the parent or the teacher can create the child’s profile and use the software in a rhythm adapted to the child’s functional level, selecting the appropriate type of exercise and adjusting the visual elements, the specific content and level of difficulty.

”Why is e-Sense valuable? Because it has been created by special education teachers experienced in working with children with disabilities, because of the pleasant design and colours, the nice audio feedback. It is user friendly and relevant in connection with the curriculum for the education of children with deafblindness, multisensry impairments, visual and other types of disabilities.” Mihaela Adriana Moldovan, PhD, special education teacher at School Center for Inclusive Education "Cristal" Oradea

Education specialists from the five partner schools, The Professional Special School for Children with Hearing Impairments "Sfanta Maria" Bucharest, Special Technological Highschool "Vasile Pavelcu" Iasi, School Center for Inclusive Education "Cristal" Oradea, School Center for Inclusive Education Nr. 2 Sibiu and School Center for Inclusive Education "Constantin Pufan" Timisoara presented the exercises ad talked about their experience in developing this digital instrument that will support students in accessing high quality education, adapted to the specific needs given by the combination of hearing and visual impairments.

”e-Sense: I think this is the beginning of a beautiful online experience for children with deafblindness and multisensory impairments!” Etelka Czondi, Director Sense International Romania

Despre Sense Internațional România

Sense Internațional România este o organizație românească înființată în 2001 cu scopul de a îmbunătăți viața persoanelor cu surdocecitate și deficiențe senzoriale multiple din țara noastră. SIR este singura organizație din România care militează activ pentru drepturile persoanelor cu surdocecitate. Prin programe la nivel naţional ce promovează intervenția timpurie la nou-născutul cu deficiențe senzoriale, educația copiilor cu surdocecitate/DSM și oferirea de servicii vocaționale, SIR reușește cu succes să aducă o schimbare în bine în viața a sute de persoane cu acest tip de dizabilitate. Domeniul nostru de interes ca organizație este reprezentat de patru direcții strategice majore: promovarea drepturilor persoanelor cu surdocecitate, sănătate, educație și incluziune socială. www.surdocecitate.ro

Despre Code for Romania

Code for Romania este a doua cea mai mare organizație din domeniul tehnologiei civice din lume. Asociația dezvoltă soluții software pro-bono, în sistem open-source, pentru rezolvarea unor probleme sociale, cu ajutorul unei comunități de peste 1800 de voluntari din România și Diaspora. Doar în 2020, soluțiile din ecosistemul Covid-19 (stirioficiale.ro, rohelp.ro, datelazi.ro etc) și cele din ecosistemul de vot (Vot Diaspora, Rezultate Vot etc.) au fost utilizate de peste 8 milioane de  de români. www.code4.ro

Despre Fundația Orange

Fundația Orange este o organizaţie non-profit care se implică în viaţa comunității, prin realizarea de proiecte de filantropie, menite să aducă schimbări pozitive în viaţa persoanelor dezavantajate. În cei 10 ani de activitate, Fundația Orange a investit peste 6 milioane de euro în 5 programe ce susțin dezvoltarea comunităților vulnerabile și integrarea persoanelor defavorizate, prin promovarea și implementarea tehnologiei și a metodelor digitale în proiecte de educație, cultură și incluziune socială. . Pentru detalii, vizitați www.fundatiaorange.ro.