The idea to organise Camps on Communication and Computers for blind and partially sighted students is simple - and this simplicity seems to be the power of the idea:
When the "Study Centre for Visually Impaired Students" at University of
Karlsruhe (TH), Germany and the Educational Endeavour "Computer Science
for the Blind" at University of Linz, Austria, started their work of supporting
blind and partially sighted students who wanted to study at university, the
usage of computers had been a prerequisite from the beginning.
These special centres took the effort to enable the blind and partially sighted students to study equally in mainstream courses and mainstream fields of study.

The concept of support focuses on the supply with study materials in digital formats and in consequence on the usage of the computer for every study aspect. Like a wheelchair enhances the physical mobility of people with a motor disability, the computer enhances the "literal" mobility of the print disabled. It opens a door to the "digital universe", easily accessed by computers equipped to meet their needs.
Additionally the process of making a profound decision what and where to
study, to find out how to organise one's educational career and where to get
the support needed calls for counseling and supply of information. Once
the decision is made it is necessary to prepare the new career.

The high complexity of this process for blind and visually impaired youngsters in terms of technical, pedagogical, as well as social aspects asks for an early start of preparation. Information and counselling is therefore offered at ICC as well.
The idea to organise summer camps deals with this special situation.

 

The International Camp on Communication and Computers:

• Aims at making young blind and partially sighted students aware on the benefits of efficiently using Information and Communication Technology as well as Assistive Technologies, what skills are a "must", where to put efforts to enhance technical as well as social skills and the level of mobility,
• Supports students in finding a decision for their educational and vocational paths and motivates an early and profound preparation before starting,
• Is an excellent opportunity to make contact with partially sighted and blind peers from other countries and to exchange interests and experiences and build up social networks.

ICC should be seen as an event to start this process and to give an incentiveto students to do their best to graduate at secondary school and to preparethemselves well for the entrance into Higher Education and labour market.

 

The Philosophy ICC

The following statements emphasise initiating considerations that brought the
idea ICC up to the structure now achieved, which was and still is -
after more than 15 years - an encouraging and promising philosophy.
These statements reflect the targets which should be addressed with ICC.

 

Applying Technology - A Social Process

The computer, which is, when equipped with special devices, accessible for
people with visual deficiencies as well, opens a door to their integration into
society and community. Access to a lot of information which is available in
digital form builds up these new possibilities and chances for an improvement
for visually impaired people. The computer is able to present the information
at the human computer interface in a way which suits the needs of the users
and therefore also for the visually impaired. The more computers are used
the more possibilities of access can be found.
These tools allow blind and visually impaired people to take part in social
processes more independently and more actively. Might it be in school,
higher education, job, leisure time, culture, or politics: The better these
possibilities are used, the greater are the chances for a successful
integration.
We have to point out very clearly that this does not mean that we can
compensate the 'handicap' completely just by applying technology.
Integration and segregation are social processes, built up in our everyday
thinking and acting. Technology can influence these social processes but
offer no solution on their own. There can't be a pure technical solution for a
social process. Technology applied in the right way can improve the situation;
used in the wrong way it can build up new handicaps. We must not mix up
technical and social aspects. 'Pure technology' often caused problems to
mankind because of the lack of reflecting the usage in complex social
situations. Technology therefore always has positive as well as negative
effects. This is also and much more valid to our target group.
Therefore ICC must never be a pure technical event. We deal with social
integration in school and university. ICC is of course a technical event
because we can cope with the situation by using these tools. Application of
technology in a social reflected manner - that is what we intend at ICC.

 

The Basic Role of Integrated Education

The increasing complexity of every day life for all of us and therefore the
higher complexity for visually impaired people requires educational processes
and initiatives at various levels. Education is one of the most important
preconditions for participation in all kinds of processes within society and the
importance is still growing. The old concept of learning only once a lifetime in
a special institution is not matching the requirements any longer.
Therefore the integration into "regular" education becomes more and more
important, for we can not establish a 'mirror' of the "regular" educational
system for visually impaired persons, because it is complex and it is changing
fast.
ICC intends to prepare for this situation of an integrated education and for life
long learning. Again a profound knowledge in handling modern technology
needs to be seen as a prerequisite for the integration into educational
processes.

 

Being International

All countries can offer only a very restricted amount of educational and
vocational possibilities to the minority of their visually impaired citizens. The
European integration, including the countries of the former East, is able to
supplement the necessarily narrow national set of possibilities by a much
broader and richer spectrum. This minority, especially the younger
population, gets the chance to be integrated into a much bigger
group of people with equal interests and needs, a group large enough to be
heard in Europe. ICC wants to emphasise and to deal with the importance of
international and intercultural exchange as a unique chance for the identity,
self-confidence, self-concept and a positive view to the future. The most
desirable process of the European integration requires efforts that foster
mobility within Europe, intercultural communication and international
exchange. ICC is a contribution to this process for a group which has only a
very limited offer of exchange opportunities.
Taking into account the discrimination of visually impaired people, the
importance of education and the existing and increasing technical tools of
support, the need of initiatives for taking up these chances in a socially
reflected manner is obvious. It is quite clear that a single computer camp can
not solve all the problems stated above - but that's not the goal.
Such a project offers impulses for exchange of experiences, to take one's
own initiative, to engage oneself as a visually impaired person and also as an
expert in that field for further technical, social, pedagogical and intercultural
work and co-operation. It should be pointed out that ICC is also a broad field
for experts taking part to learn - hands on and not in theory - from each other,
to get to know concepts and methods applied in other countries. Teachers
and specialists from all over Europe accompanying the groups of students or
preparing a special workshop have a unique opportunity to learn from other
colleagues, other cultures and form a very dense situation concerning their
professional working area. Last but not least ICC offers a unique chance to
the local organisers to make the public aware of their work and the need for
integration. The big audience the camps always get as "sensational events"
with technical, social and international high lights in local, national and
international press, radio and TV can support the PR work.

The refreshing international atmosphere away from the often difficult every
day life, the freedom in contents and methods to concentrate on the
necessities of the youngsters and the intensive support should make these
goals possible to reach.