Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Campus InnoBreaks

Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Glasgow Intensive Family (Scotland) and Casa d’Infants (Catalonia). 27 May 2025. Open for registration.

Webinar in English and Catalan, with simultaneous translation into Catalan and Spanish

The institutionalisation of children and adolescents remains a reality in many countries, despite clear evidence of its negative emotional, social, and cognitive effects. In this context, there is growing social consensus on the urgent need to transform the protection system towards a model focused on prevention, community, and children’s rights.

This paradigm shift, known as deinstitutionalisation, represents a profound transformation in the way we understand care and support for vulnerable children. The approach aims to ensure that all children can grow up in stable, loving family environments that are rooted in the community. It replaces the institutional care model with a system of personalised community-based support that prioritises freedom of choice, participation, and the autonomy of children and their families.

This transition is also being promoted through public policies. In 2024, the Ministry of Social Rights launched the National Deinstitutionalisation Strategy, while in Catalonia, the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion presented a specific plan to increase the number of foster families and ensure that no child under the age of six enters an institution.

All of this involves a deep review of social services and professional roles, in order to build a system capable of preventing, protecting, and providing support. Or, as a report by the Ombudsman of Catalonia (Síndic de Greuges) puts it: we must move from “separating to protect” to “preventing to protect” and “protecting for return,” working with at-risk families before separation becomes inevitable, and ensuring that any protection measure is oriented towards the well-being and future autonomy of the child.

In this Innobreak, we will explore two innovative initiatives that are leading the way in preventing the institutionalisation of children and adolescents:

  • Glasgow Intensive Family (Glasgow, Scotland) is an initiative developed by the Social Care Partnership in collaboration with three other third-sector organisations. The service aims to support families with children aged 12 or over who are at risk of entering the child protection system. It employs a strengths-based approach that prioritises active listening, emotional validation, and supportive accompaniment..
  • Cases d’Infants (Barcelona, Catalonia) is a temporary residential resource for children and adolescents who need a short-term separation from their families. The goal is to help families overcome the difficulties that led to the separation, enabling a safe return home or, if necessary, supporting the young person in their path toward emancipation. The intervention takes place in an everyday setting, identifying family dynamics and working closely with families to foster positive and sustainable change.

SPEAKERS:

Maxine Hawthorn, Glasgow Intensive Family Service Support – Aberlour (Scotland)

Mònica Garcia, Cases d’Infants – FASI (Catalonia)

Innobreaks

Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Glasgow Intensive Family (Scotland) and Casa d’Infants (Catalonia). 27 May 2025. Open for registration.
Innobreak 09.04.25 Inclusió digital - Imatge de persones grans utilitzant ordinadors. Les persones grans són un dels col·lectius susceptibles de patir a causa de la bretxa digital

Pioneering Initiatives for the Digital Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups

DigiUP (Finland) and the Digital Inclusion Center of Bordeaux Métropole (France). Held on 09/04/2025.
Innobreak: Noves mirades en la prevenció i intervenció de la Violència sexual infantil

New Perspectives on the Prevention and Intervention of Child Sexual Violence

PrevenSI (Intress) and Barnahus (Save the Children). Held on 11/2/25.
Innobeak - Serveis innovadors en drogodependencia

Innovative Services in Drug Addiction: Family Support and Risk Prevention

BRUS (Denmark) and Energy Control (Catalonia). Held on 02/07/24.

TalX, messaging app for people with motor disabilities

Publications Bank of innovations

TalX, messaging app for people with motor disabilities

3Dthinks

Messaging app that facilitates communication between people with motor disabilities and the professionals who care for them

Imatge que mostra una dona portant el menjar a una senyora en cadira de rodes, fruit d'una demanda feta a través d'una aplicació de missatgeria insluiva.

TalX is a highly intuitive messaging app designed to facilitate communication between people with motor disabilities and the professionals responsible for their care.

It operates through pictograms that allow users to express their physical and emotional states and request the services they need remotely. This visual language replaces conventional written text, enabling people with limited mobility or speech to communicate clearly and effectively.

TalX is available in nine languages and incorporates generative artificial intelligence models that not only interpret user requests but also suggest possible responses to questions asked by caregivers. Additionally, it can automatically generate pictograms based on context and the user’s typical needs, helping to better specify what is being requested.

Once selected, pictograms are automatically converted into text messages, which can be played using text-to-speech synthesis. The simultaneous translation of visual input into spoken and written language enables direct communication between users and caregivers. The caregiver receives the message directly on their mobile phone and can respond immediately through the app, indicating when and how they will address the request.

TalX aims to reduce the digital divide affecting people with disabilities by enabling accessible communication with their surroundings and speeding up access to the services they need.

Banc d’innovacions

An app designed to make reading easier

DiLoFácil, an app that makes reading easier for people with cognitive disabilities

DiLoFácil an app designed to make reading easier for people with cognitive disabilities or those who need support to understand written content.
Glasses that facilitate communication for people with hearing difficulties

LEION Hey, smart glasses with automatic speech recognition

LEION HeY are smart glasses with automatic voice recognition that facilitate communication for people with hearing difficulties.
Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Glasgow Intensive Family (Scotland) and Casa d’Infants (Catalonia). 27 May 2025. Open for registration.
ChatGPT ha dit: Image of a woman bringing food to a lady in a wheelchair.

TalX, messaging app for people with motor disabilities

TALX is an inclusive messaging app for people with motor disabilities

Pioneering Initiatives for the Digital Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups

Campus InnoBreaks

Pioneering Initiatives for the Digital Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups

Innobreak 09.04.25 Inclusió digital - Imatge de persones grans utilitzant ordinadors. Les persones grans són un dels col·lectius susceptibles de patir a causa de la bretxa digital

DigiUP (Finland) and the Digital Inclusion Center of Bordeaux Métropole (France).
Held on 09/04/2025.

We live in an increasingly digital society where technology is essential for accessing basic services, information, and social connections. However, a significant part of the population remains excluded from this digital environment, either due to a lack of access to technology or the necessary skills to use it independently and safely. The digital divide not only limits opportunities for these individuals but also exacerbates social and economic vulnerability. According to a 2022 study by the Catalan government, among vulnerable groups, half of the people do not have a computer at home, 3 out of 10 lack mobile data access, and 38% do not know how to carry out online procedures.

Digital inclusion aims to turn technology into an empowering tool for people’s lives, with public and private social service organizations playing a crucial role in this process. Simple and personalized actions—such as helping individuals become familiar with basic tasks (sending a message, downloading an app, using a search engine) or providing support in device configuration (adjusting language settings, font size, linking email accounts)—can make a huge difference in their digital autonomy.

At the same time, making cities more inclusive requires improving infrastructure (secure and accessible Wi-Fi connectivity, device lending programs, digital learning spaces) and training social professionals in digital skills.

In this Innobreak, we will explore two pioneering European initiatives that promote socio-digital inclusion for the most vulnerable groups in society:

  • DigiUp (Helsinki, Finland) is a service designed to enhance the digital skills of migrants, fostering their inclusion and active participation in the community. To achieve this, DigiUp provides training and capacity-building for social service professionals, enabling them to offer digital support tailored to the cultural diversity and specific needs of newly arrived individuals.
  • The Digital Inclusion Center (Bordeaux Métropole, France) operates in two key areas: a public digital space offering direct digital support to the population and a specialized training program for social action professionals. The Bordeaux Métropole also provides direct training for vulnerable individuals and coordinates the “France Service Digital Advisors,” professionals who assist and educate citizens on the responsible use of digital tools.

SPEAKERS:

Yuri Kitaba, DigiUp, Helsinki (Finland).

Anna Lebey, Digital Inclusion Center, Bordeaux Métropole (France).

Innobreaks

Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Preventing Institutionalisation in Childhood and Adolescence: Rights, Families and Community

Glasgow Intensive Family (Scotland) and Casa d’Infants (Catalonia). 27 May 2025. Open for registration.
Innobreak 09.04.25 Inclusió digital - Imatge de persones grans utilitzant ordinadors. Les persones grans són un dels col·lectius susceptibles de patir a causa de la bretxa digital

Pioneering Initiatives for the Digital Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups

DigiUP (Finland) and the Digital Inclusion Center of Bordeaux Métropole (France). Held on 09/04/2025.
Innobreak: Noves mirades en la prevenció i intervenció de la Violència sexual infantil

New Perspectives on the Prevention and Intervention of Child Sexual Violence

PrevenSI (Intress) and Barnahus (Save the Children). Held on 11/2/25.
Innobeak - Serveis innovadors en drogodependencia

Innovative Services in Drug Addiction: Family Support and Risk Prevention

BRUS (Denmark) and Energy Control (Catalonia). Held on 02/07/24.

The Catalan Minister of Social Rights visits the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project in Sort

Publications News

The Catalan Minister of Social Rights visits the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project in Sort

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La Consellera de Drets Socials parla amb dues persones beneficiàries del projecte Vincles a Sort

The Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran Project is now active in over twenty municipalities and has 171 community agents

The Minister of Social Rights, Mònica Martínez Bravo, visited the “Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran” project in Sort—an initiative aimed at tackling unwanted loneliness in the Alt Pirineu and Val d’Aran through community intervention, technology, and citizen involvement. The visit was also attended by the President of the Pallars Sobirà County Council, Carlos L. Isus Castellarnau; the Mayor of Sort, Baldo Farré; the Public Health Deputy of the Lleida Provincial Council, Òscar Martínez; the County Director of Social Services, Adriana Vidal; and the Director of the iSocial Foundation, Toni Codina.

During her visit, the Minister learned firsthand about the program’s operations. Since 2023, Vincles has been established in over twenty municipalities across the Catalan Pyrenees. The project introduces a more proactive approach to addressing unwanted loneliness, leveraging Big Data technology for early detection of social isolation in people over 55 and activating local networks and citizen participation to intervene and provide support in identified cases.

Following the project presentation, Vincles representatives and the Minister visited a local business involved in the program, where they spoke with the project’s community activator in Pallars Sobirà, social worker Elena Santos, as well as two community agents (local business professionals who voluntarily participate in the project to identify potential cases of unwanted loneliness) and two elderly beneficiaries. This exchange provided valuable insight into the work of Vincles and the positive impact it is having in the region.

Positive Impact of the Project

Since its launch, Vincles has achieved significant results: it currently has 54 social and healthcare professionals working across the six Pyrenean counties, along with 171 trained community agents who help identify and address cases of unwanted loneliness in towns and villages. Additionally, 47 social awareness training sessions have been conducted to improve detection, and 209 community activities have been organized for beneficiaries, including workshops, participatory processes, and talks.

The project, led by the iSocial Foundation and funded through Next Generation funds from the Department of Social Rights of the Government of Catalonia, has become an innovative solution and a benchmark in Catalonia and Europe in this field.

Actualitat

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Erill la Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall
La Consellera de Drets Socials parla amb dues persones beneficiàries del projecte Vincles a Sort

The Catalan Minister of Social Rights visits the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project in Sort

The Catalan Minister visited the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran Project, which is now active in over twenty municipalities and has 171 community agents
Membres de les set entitats sòcies del projecte Solidigital es troben a Tolosa per preparar el llançament de la Soliguia. Fotografia de grup durant les jornades.

International Meeting in Toulouse to Prepare the Launch of Soliguia

The meeting provided an opportunity to share the work done so far and to coordinate the promotion and management of Soliguia, an online social services search engine.
Un grup de persones,

La Teva Idea És Ciència: A Co-Creation Process to Improve the Autonomy of People with Intellectual Disabilities

La Teva Idea És Ciència has involved a collaborative effort between social organizations, researchers, and students to turn everyday challenges into viable technological solutions
Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

The Rehab-Lab network expands with 10 new organizations across Catalonia, establishing itself as a leader in the production of customized functional aids using 3D printing

International Meeting in Toulouse to Prepare the Launch of Soliguia

Publications News

International Meeting in Toulouse to Prepare the Launch of Soliguia

,
Membres de les set entitats sòcies del projecte Solidigital es troben a Tolosa per preparar el llançament de la Soliguia. Fotografia de grup durant les jornades.

The meeting provided an opportunity to share the work done so far and to coordinate the promotion and management of Soliguia, an online social services search engine.

On March 18 and 19, the iSocial team attended an international meeting of the Solidigital project in Toulouse, where the seven partner organizations of the project came together. The goal of the meeting was to finalize the details for the launch of Soliguia, an open-access online search engine for social services that will soon be available in Catalonia and Andorra.

During the meeting, we validated the joint dissemination strategy for the project and discussed technological aspects related to integrating Soliguia with our Nidus app and the French app Coffre-Fort Numérique by Reconnect.

Solidigital is a European project co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg POCTEFA program. Its objective is to create a comprehensive database of social services and facilities across Catalonia and Andorra, ensuring that the data is verified and up-to-date, and making this information accessible to both the general public and professionals. Soliguia will provide access to this information through an online search engine, where resources will be listed based on proximity and will include key practical details such as operating hours, risk of saturation, and the target audience for each service.

Soliguia is based on the model of its French counterpart, Soliguide, a tool that already facilitates nearly 3.5 million searches per year. As part of the project, Soliguide will also be expanded to the French departments of Occitanie.

We at iSocial would like to thank Solinum and Reconnect, the French partners of the project, for their warm welcome in Toulouse, as well as our Catalan and Andorran partners—Associació Alba, Fundació Resilis, Grup Pere Claver, and Fundació Andorra Recerca i Innovació—for their contributions and all their hard work. Their efforts will help make Soliguia an efficient and accessible tool, fully integrated into the social services ecosystem.

Actualitat

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Erill la Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall
La Consellera de Drets Socials parla amb dues persones beneficiàries del projecte Vincles a Sort

The Catalan Minister of Social Rights visits the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project in Sort

The Catalan Minister visited the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran Project, which is now active in over twenty municipalities and has 171 community agents
Membres de les set entitats sòcies del projecte Solidigital es troben a Tolosa per preparar el llançament de la Soliguia. Fotografia de grup durant les jornades.

International Meeting in Toulouse to Prepare the Launch of Soliguia

The meeting provided an opportunity to share the work done so far and to coordinate the promotion and management of Soliguia, an online social services search engine.
Un grup de persones,

La Teva Idea És Ciència: A Co-Creation Process to Improve the Autonomy of People with Intellectual Disabilities

La Teva Idea És Ciència has involved a collaborative effort between social organizations, researchers, and students to turn everyday challenges into viable technological solutions
Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

The Rehab-Lab network expands with 10 new organizations across Catalonia, establishing itself as a leader in the production of customized functional aids using 3D printing

RAPNIC Project: Automatic Recognition of Unintelligible Speech in Catalan

Lab Innovation projects

RAPNIC Project: Automatic Recognition of Unintelligible Speech in Catalan

Noi amb paràlisi cerebral, potencial beneficiari del Projecte RAPNIC Reconeixement Automatic de la Parla No Intelligible en catala

RAPNIC is a project focused on developing and training an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model capable of recognizing unintelligible speech in Catalan.

(2025-2026)

Despite technological advancements, voice recognition systems still face significant challenges in identifying and interpreting speech patterns that deviate from standard norms, particularly in the case of so-called “unintelligible speech.” As a result, people with speech disorders, such as dysarthria, often struggle to be understood and are unable to access technological tools that could facilitate their communication and autonomy. Furthermore, the few existing solutions are primarily available in English, creating an additional barrier for speakers of other languages, including Catalan.

The RAPNIC project (Automatic Recognition of Unintelligible Speech in Catalan) aims to address this need by developing an AI-powered solution capable of recognizing and interpreting unintelligible speech in Catalan. This technology will allow individuals with speech disorders to interact effectively with voice assistants, speech-to-text transcription systems, and other digital tools, thereby improving their autonomy and quality of life.

What is RAPNIC?

RAPNIC is a pioneering initiative by the iSocial Foundation that seeks to eliminate a major technological barrier for people with speech disorders. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), RAPNIC aims to develop a system capable of recognizing and understanding unintelligible speech, which current voice recognition systems fail to comprehend.

To achieve this, the project plans to create a database of unintelligible Catalan speech, built from voice recordings of individuals with speech disorders, with a particular focus on dysarthria— a motor impairment affecting facial muscles and making the pronunciation of certain phonemes difficult. This database will train AI algorithms using deep learning technology to recognize the sound patterns of these speech variations.

Infographic RAPNIC Project

In the project’s initial phase, work will be carried out on a corpus of recordings from individuals with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, as their speech patterns generally present fewer alterations than other forms of dysarthria, making AI training more manageable. The database will contain at least 100 hours of recorded speech and involve the participation of 120 volunteer speakers with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, along with social professionals, speech therapists, deep learning specialists, and computational linguists.

The ultimate goal of RAPNIC is to extend this system, first to the 22,000 people with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy within the Catalan linguistic community and, in a later phase, to the entire population of 49,000 individuals with speech disorders in the Catalan-speaking region, including those with more severe conditions. RAPNIC will enable affected individuals to communicate more effectively with those around them, give voice commands to digital assistants, transcribe their speech into text, and interact with other digital services more independently.

CSC Impulsa 2024 Award

The RAPNIC Project has been recognized as the winner of the CSC Impulsa 2024 Awards in the category of “Innovative AI Projects in the Social Sector.”

This recognition, granted by the Catalan Health and Social Consortium (CSC), includes financial support of €20,000 and technical guidance from the consortium, which will be crucial in transforming this initiative into a tangible reality.

Premi CSC Impulsa a RAPNIC web

Leads:

Fundació iSocial. Innovació en l'acció social

Partners:

logo Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Logo collectivat
FCSD Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down
Logo ASPACE Catalunya
Ampans
Logo Alba. Persones amb empenta
Fundació El Maresme Discapacitats
logo astres

With the support of:

Logo CSC Consorci Salut SocialCatalunya

Projectes d’innovació

Noi amb paràlisi cerebral, potencial beneficiari del Projecte RAPNIC Reconeixement Automatic de la Parla No Intelligible en catala

RAPNIC Project: Automatic Recognition of Unintelligible Speech in Catalan

RAPNIC is a project focused on developing and training an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model capable of recognizing unintelligible speech in Catalan.
NIDUS Mental Health

NIDUS Mental Health

NIDUS Mental Health is a pilot project aimed at adapting the Nidus app as a digital support tool for individuals with mental health disorders undergoing the process of deinstitutionalization.
Imatge d'una mà sostenint un mòbil on s'hi veu la Soliguia, una de les eines tecnològiques involucrades en el projecte Solidigital

Solidigital

Solidigital is a cross-border collaboration project centered around three technological tools to support people in vulnerable situations: Soliguia, Nidus, and Reconnect.
DigitaliSSB (Promotion of the Digitalization of the Basic Social Services of Catalonia)

DigitaliSSB (Promotion of the Digitalization of the Basic Social Services of Catalonia)

DigitaliSSB is a project based on the developement of digital tools for the improvement of management and social intervention of the Basic Social Services of the local institutions in Catalonia
Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran

Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran

Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran is a project for early detection and social intervention in situations of loneliness of the elderly in the Alt Pirineu-Aran region.
Rehab-Lab

Rehab-Lab

Rehab-Lab.Cat is a project for the creation of a FabLabs network for the design and manufacture of functional adaptations for activities of daily living through 3D printing.

La Teva Idea És Ciència: A Co-Creation Process to Improve the Autonomy of People with Intellectual Disabilities

Publications News

La Teva Idea És Ciència: A Co-Creation Process to Improve the Autonomy of People with Intellectual Disabilities

, ,
Un grup de persones,

The initiative has involved a collaborative effort between social organizations, researchers, and students to turn everyday challenges into viable technological solutions

La Teva Idea És Ciència, a program led by the iSocial Foundation and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), has reached its final stage after months of collaborative work. This initiative has brought together people with intellectual disabilities, social sector professionals, students, and researchers to develop technological solutions that enhance autonomy.

Over the course of six working sessions held between January and February 2025 at UPC campuses, students and researchers collaborated with service users and social sector professionals to design solutions addressing six key areas of daily life: communication, personal care, financial management, socialization, household tasks, and mobility. These challenges were based on 150 pain points or barriers to autonomy, previously identified in the All by Myself working group led by iSocial, in which users and professionals from the same organizations participating in La Teva Idea És Ciència took part.

The program will continue in April with a project definition workshop, where participants, guided by a facilitation team, will work creatively to turn ideas into concrete, viable proposals. This will be followed by a public voting process, allowing the university community and social services to select the two most promising initiatives. These will be showcased in a final event with all participants. The teams behind the winning proposals will receive support from UPC to bring their ideas to life.

A Co-Creation Effort

The project has been carried out with the participation of seven social organizations specializing in intellectual disabilities: Fundació El Maresme, Fundació Ampans, Associació Alba, Support-Girona, Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down (FCSD), and ASPACE Catalunya—all members of iSocial—along with Fundació Astres.

Josep Maria Junoy, a user experience expert and volunteer at iSocial, also played a key role as a specialist facilitator and workshop leader.

Additionally, the program has received support from the Catalan Government’s Department of Social Rights and funding from the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR).

Thanks to the involvement of students and researchers from UPC, this experience has fostered a valuable dialogue between the social sector and academia, enabling a deeper understanding of the real needs of people with intellectual disabilities and promoting the development of technological solutions with a direct impact on their daily lives.

La Teva Idea És Ciència has been an opportunity for people with disabilities and the social organizations that support them to actively participate in a co-creation process tailored to their needs. At the same time, it has helped raise awareness and train UPC technologists on the challenges faced by the social sector. This experience has demonstrated the power of collaboration between universities and social organizations to tackle societal challenges through innovative approaches.

Actualitat

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Erill la Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall
La Consellera de Drets Socials parla amb dues persones beneficiàries del projecte Vincles a Sort

The Catalan Minister of Social Rights visits the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project in Sort

The Catalan Minister visited the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran Project, which is now active in over twenty municipalities and has 171 community agents
Membres de les set entitats sòcies del projecte Solidigital es troben a Tolosa per preparar el llançament de la Soliguia. Fotografia de grup durant les jornades.

International Meeting in Toulouse to Prepare the Launch of Soliguia

The meeting provided an opportunity to share the work done so far and to coordinate the promotion and management of Soliguia, an online social services search engine.
Un grup de persones,

La Teva Idea És Ciència: A Co-Creation Process to Improve the Autonomy of People with Intellectual Disabilities

La Teva Idea És Ciència has involved a collaborative effort between social organizations, researchers, and students to turn everyday challenges into viable technological solutions
Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

The Rehab-Lab network expands with 10 new organizations across Catalonia, establishing itself as a leader in the production of customized functional aids using 3D printing

Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

Publications News

Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

,

The Rehab-Lab network expands with 10 new organizations across Catalonia, establishing itself as a leader in the production of customized functional aids using 3D printing

The Rehab-Lab project, dedicated to creating personalized functional aids through 3D printing, takes a significant step forward with the addition of 10 new organizations across Catalonia and the official launch of the Rehab-Lab network. These new entities, equipped with 3D printers and becoming FabLabs within the network, will provide tailored solutions to more people with motor disabilities, improving their independence and quality of life.

Functional aids are custom-made plastic components that are low-cost and quickly manufactured to meet the specific daily needs of individuals with disabilities. While assistive products exist on the market, they are often standardized and do not adapt to each person’s unique requirements. According to a 2022 survey by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), 46% of people with disabilities require assistive devices in their daily lives, while 18% need them but do not use them.

In response to this reality and inspired by the French Rehab-Lab community, we launched the Rehab-Lab.Cat Project in 2023—an innovative social and technological project led by the iSocial Foundation, in collaboration with the CIM-UPC Foundation, the Ampans Foundation, the Guttmann Institute, and the company Avinent. This February, the project evolves into the Rehab-Lab network with the inclusion of 10 new social and healthcare organizations.

The Catalan Minister of Social Rights visits Rehab-Lab training sessions

As part of the launch of the Rehab-Lab network, a group of 28 occupational therapists and other professionals from the newly joined entities received training in the design and production of functional aids using 3D printing at UPC’s facilities. This training covered both technical aspects and the Rehab-Lab methodology, which promotes co-creation between the user, occupational therapists, and engineers.

On Thursday, February 6, the Catalan Minister of Social Rights, Mónica Martínez Bravo, visited the training sessions to gain firsthand insight into the project and its impact on enhancing independence for people with disabilities. Her visit underscored the importance of fostering dialogue and collaboration between the government, the social sector, universities, and private industry to develop real solutions that address citizens’ needs. Rehab-Lab is supported by the Government of Catalonia through the European Next Generation funds.

A growing collaborative project

The Rehab-Lab network is the result of collaboration between third-sector organizations, the academic community, and the technology sector. Alongside its five founding members, the network now includes:

• ASPACE Catalunya (Barcelona)
• Grup Alba (Tàrrega)
• Grup MIFAS (Girona)
• ASPID (Lleida)
• Grup Esclat (Barcelona)
• Fundació El Maresme (Mataró)
• Fundació Onada (Tarragona)
• Fundació Althaia (Manresa)
• Fundació Ramón Noguera (Girona)

By expanding, Rehab-Lab strengthens its connection with the European Rehab-Lab network, which now includes over 60 organizations across Europe. This international collaboration fosters knowledge-sharing and expertise in the production of customized functional aids.

The expansion of Rehab-Lab marks a major milestone in innovation for inclusion and autonomy among people with motor disabilities, solidifying the project as a reference point in Catalonia and Europe in this field.

Actualitat

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Erill la Vall

The Social Innovation Chair of the UdL evaluates the Vincles project in Eril de Vall
La Consellera de Drets Socials parla amb dues persones beneficiàries del projecte Vincles a Sort

The Catalan Minister of Social Rights visits the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran project in Sort

The Catalan Minister visited the Vincles Alt Pirineu-Aran Project, which is now active in over twenty municipalities and has 171 community agents
Membres de les set entitats sòcies del projecte Solidigital es troben a Tolosa per preparar el llançament de la Soliguia. Fotografia de grup durant les jornades.

International Meeting in Toulouse to Prepare the Launch of Soliguia

The meeting provided an opportunity to share the work done so far and to coordinate the promotion and management of Soliguia, an online social services search engine.
Un grup de persones,

La Teva Idea És Ciència: A Co-Creation Process to Improve the Autonomy of People with Intellectual Disabilities

La Teva Idea És Ciència has involved a collaborative effort between social organizations, researchers, and students to turn everyday challenges into viable technological solutions
Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

Rehab-Lab network launches to boost autonomy for people with disabilities through 3D printing

The Rehab-Lab network expands with 10 new organizations across Catalonia, establishing itself as a leader in the production of customized functional aids using 3D printing

New Perspectives on the Prevention and Intervention of Child Sexual Violence

Campus InnoBreaks

New Perspectives on the Prevention and Intervention of Child Sexual Violence

Innobreak: Noves mirades en la prevenció i intervenció de la Violència sexual infantil

PrevenSI (Intress) and Barnahus (Save the Children). Held on 11/2/25.

Webinar in Spanish

Child sexual violence is a global issue that affects thousands of children and has serious consequences for their physical and emotional well-being. It is estimated that between 10% and 25% of the population has experienced sexual abuse during childhood, and nearly half of these cases are recurrent. Often, this violence occurs in trusted environments, making detection difficult. Furthermore, only about 15% of known cases are reported.

Addressing child sexual violence presents various structural and social challenges that complicate its prevention, detection, and the support provided afterward. A lack of knowledge and training hinders the identification of situations involving child sexual violence. Additionally, excessive bureaucracy and the criminal nature of these cases make it even harder to support victims through what is already a lengthy and complex process. On the other hand, social intervention efforts often focus on assisting victims, leaving the prevention of abuse and work with perpetrators in the background.

During this Innobreak, we will introduce two innovative initiatives aimed at preventing and addressing child sexual violence, as well as raising awareness about this issue in our society:

  • PrevenSi (Catalonia) is a specialized resource for the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA), created through the collaboration between the Institute of Forensic Psychology, the Intress Institute, and the IReS Foundation. This initiative tackles the realities of pedophilia and child sexual abuse through a specialized web platform that provides support and referral services for pedophiles. It also offers guidance and preventive resources for professionals and individuals who know of or suspect cases of CSA.
  • Barnahus (Europe) is a comprehensive care model, impulsed by Save the Children, where all departments involved in a case of child sexual abuse work together under one roof to support child victims. By consolidating all services in a single location, the process is streamlined, and secondary victimization—which children often experience in these cases—is significantly reduced. Over the past few decades, the Barnahus model has become a benchmark for integrated and coordinated care across Europe.

Speakers:

  • Núria Iturbe i Meritxell Campmajó, PrevenSI (Catalonia)
  • Emilie Rivas, Barnahus (Europe)

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Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Publications Bank of innovations

Acctua, a technological solution promoting digital accessibility on the Internet

Accesit Inclusivo

Imatge d'una persona amb necessitats d'accessibilitat digital

An initiative that facilitates Internet access and digital inclusion

In Spain, more than one million people face digital accessibility issues when accessing the Internet. This number rises to 16 million when considering difficulties stemming from physical or age-related limitations. The Acctua project is an innovative initiative aimed at facilitating access to web content and services for all users, regardless of their age and abilities.

Acctua offers an accessible and adaptable solution thanks to its intelligent interface, which allows web navigation through various modalities such as keyboard, voice commands, or other alternative mechanisms, ensuring an inclusive experience.

Moreover, the service does not require the installation of additional software or hardware by the user, as it is directly integrated into the visited web pages. The system is compatible with the most popular platforms and browsers, and operates through the cloud, allowing access from any computer. Through different navigation modes, such as sound modulation or switches, Acctua ensures that people with visual and mobility impairments or cognitive limitations can easily access digital content.

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