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

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V-TOOLS, Virtual Reality Applied to Social Innovation

Laura Hurtado on 29 May 2024

Project that combines technology and social innovation through immersive experiences with the aim of improving the lives of people and communities

Under the motto “If you don’t live it, you don’t feel it”, V-TOOLS uses virtual reality as a pedagogical tool to address social issues. The initiative mainly focuses on the prevention of cyberbullying and gender-based violence, with special attention to the dynamics generated among children, adolescents, and young people.

The organization conducts sessions in educational centers, targeting individuals aged 10 to 18 years old, where users put themselves in the shoes of people experiencing situations of violence, control, and discrimination. In the field of gender-based violence, for example, there are audiovisual capsules on topics such as jealousy, friendship, social networks, and sexual relationships. Regarding cyberbullying, the program addresses prejudice, diversity, and physical stereotypes, among other aspects.

V-TOOLS follows the quadruple helix model, a methodology based on close collaboration with key community actors: citizens, businesses, public administration, and knowledge centers, to generate synergies that favor economic and social development, promote social inclusion, and foster sustainability.

Characteristics of innovation

Personalization of the service, Adolescence and youth, Innovative organization, Link with the community, New model of intervention, Woman

Localization

Catalonia

Partners / Funders

Secretariat of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation (Red.es), Kit Digital, Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (Government of Spain), and Next Generation Funds (European Union)

Genesis

The V-TOOLS project began in 2017, with the aim of transforming digital education and social innovation. The pandemic temporarily interrupted the entity’s activity, but in 2023 it reinvented itself with a fresher approach adapted to new realities.

Level of implementation

In 2024, V-TOOLS was selected as a candidate initiative for the Meta_Talks Awards, the first awards recognizing the best Spanish-speaking projects developed with metaverse technologies.