The Aspace Catalunya Foundation, in collaboration with the iSocial Foundation and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), promotes the project "Your idea is science", an initiative that seeks develop technological solutions to promote autonomy of people with intellectual disabilities.
La Library of the School of Engineering Barcelona East (EEBE) became a space for co-creation and innovation. For two hours, 10 professionals and 10 users from the Poblenou and Badalona Occupational Therapy Center worked together to identify everyday challenges and propose technological solutions. Through the methodology of the Design Thinking, participants explored real cases, debated alternatives and designed proposals with visual and creative tools.
"Collaboration between people with disabilities, professionals, academics and social entities is essential to understand the real challenges and create solutions with impact," highlighted one of the session's facilitators.
The project is based on a previous analysis in which More than 150 daily difficulties have been identified in aspects such as communication, mobility or personal care. "It's inspiring to see how simple ideas can transform people's lives," said one of the participating professionals, highlighting the creativity of the teams.
Among the proposals generated, one stands out: custom application to manage daily activities and a portable device which facilitates independence in household tasks. These ideas will be developed in future workshops with the technical support of the UPC.
This initiative not only exemplifies the potential of inclusive innovation, but also reaffirms the commitment of the Aspace Catalunya Foundation, the iSocial Foundation and the UPC to improving the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. The next session will take place on February 13 at the UPC headquarters in Vilanova, where work will continue to transform these ideas into real and effective solutions.
