Manawanui, Self-Directed Support for people with disabilities

Laura Hurtado on 12 June 2024

Project aimed at enhancing the autonomy and freedom of choice for people with disabilities

Manawanui is an initiative that promotes Self-Directed Support, a system of assistance that encourages people with disabilities to choose, through a personal budget, how, when, and with whom they manage the care services they receive.

Through these personalized budgets, “agents” (mostly volunteers) guide and accompany users in decision-making and self-management of these services. The main goal is to place the person at the center and promote their autonomy.

Users develop a personal life plan and are responsible for managing home care services, hiring necessary personnel, and setting their own goals. In this way, people with disabilities gain independence and freedom of choice in their daily lives.

Característiques de la innovació

Disability, Independent living, Innovative organization, New model of intervention, Personalization of the service, Self-management and participation, User empowerment

Localització

New Zeland

Col·laboradors / Finançadors

–

Gènesi

Manawanui was created in 2004 and has become a leading and pioneering initiative in self-managed funding for people with disabilities in New Zealand.

Nivell d’implantació

According to Manawanui, 26% of the population under 65 in New Zealand eligible for the program is enrolled in the project. The organization has more than 3,500 users in total, 68% of whom are under 35 years old.

More information

Propose your innovation

See our selection of innovations

Banc d’innovacions

Energy Control, a drug analysis service to reduce risks

Energy Control is a drug analysis program that promotes responsible consumption

Predictive Telecare Service in Home Care

The Adinberri Foundation has launched a telecare service that enables anticipation and action through a personalized intervention plan based on the 4P model: prediction, prevention, personalization, and participation.

From your eyes, AI technological tools for visually impaired people

From Your Eyes promotes AI-based solutions to improve the daily lives of visually impaired people.

Reviu, a platform that promotes transparency in housing access

Reviu is an online platform for sharing and searching for apartment reviews, with the primary goal of providing transparent and real information about the real estate market.

I·ROC, a tool that evaluates the recovery process of mental health service users

I·ROC is a tool that measures the recovery process of people using mental health services

SmartSocks, socks that detect distress in people with dementia

SmartSocks that enable the detection of risk situations in people with dementia

NaviLens, a code system that guides individuals with visual impairments in public spaces

Laura Hurtado on 24 April 2024

A code system with relevant information about public spaces to increase the autonomy of people with visual impairments

Individuals with visual impairments face difficulties in performing everyday tasks, such as locating restrooms, recognizing which bus is in front of them, or reading a street sign. To address this issue, NaviLens has been created, a system of labels with codes, similar to barcodes or QR codes, that provides useful information to facilitate the mobility of people with visual impairments in public spaces.

To read the information contained in the signs, all that is needed is to download an application and move the mobile device around the area where the code is located. Without the need to approach closely, NaviLens labels can be read from a distance, while in motion, and with the camera unfocused. These are some of the main differences compared to QR codes, which are of little use to people with visual impairments as they require proximity to be interpreted with a mobile device. This implies that users must know beforehand where they are located.

Once the code is detected, a “click” is heard, and the application vocalizes the information. For example, the stop number where the user is located, the transportation schedule, the position relative to the space, etc. It can also be used in cultural events such as museums or exhibitions, with informative labels about the route or artistic works.

Additionally, some product brands are using NaviLens on the labels of their items to provide information about the components or usage. The application also allows for the identification of personal use objects, as the codes can be printed and stuck onto any surface.

Characteristics of innovation

New technological tool, Disability, Fully inclusive cities, Independent living, Personalization of the service, Self-management and participation, User empowerment

Localization

Murcia, Spain

Partners / Funders

Mobile Vision Research Lab (University of Alicante) and CIDAT

Genesis

NaviLens is a project by Neostistec that was created in 2017, after five years of development, with the aim of helping people with visual impairments navigate unfamiliar spaces and obtain information about products or services in a more accessible manner.

Level of implementation

Since 2017, NaviLens has been implemented in urban transport, museums, and cultural spaces in more than 130 countries across five continents. Furthermore, the application is available in 36 different languages. Among other organizations, Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB) incorporated NaviLens labels throughout the bus and metro network in 2019. The project won the Connecting for Good award from the Vodafone Foundation.