This tool sought to empower people with autism to read documents with confidence and autonomy. As a result, their social inclusion was increased as they gained better access to educational, vocational, cultural and social opportunities in Europe.
The software developed will primarily assist people with autism to access to written information, thereby increasing their quality of life and social inclusion.
It will also assist clinicians, support workers, family members of people with autism and teachers, to provide more efficient assistance to people with autism to help them understand written information. The software can also be helpful for people with low literacy or learning difficulties, as well as people who are learning a foreign language and the elderly.
Open Book is now available online in English, Spanish and Bulgarian.
Check it out at: www.openbooktool.net
It was a collaborative project involving nine organisations across Europe, funded by the the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013).
Autism-Europe’s played a dissemination role, ensuring that the autism community was aware of the project and the software programme made available at the end of the project.
About the Seventh Framework Programme
The Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7) is the European Union’s main instrument for funding research in Europe. FP7, which applies to the years 2007-2013, is the natural successor to the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), and is the result of years of consultation with the scientific community, research and policy making institutions, and other interested parties.
Since their launch in 1984, the Framework Programmes have played a lead role in multidisciplinary research and cooperative activities in Europe and beyond. FP7 continues that task, and is both larger and more comprehensive than earlier Framework Programmes. Running from 2007 to 2013, the programme has a budget of 53.2 billion euros over its seven-year lifespan, the largest funding allocation yet for such programmes.