Oct 5, 2017 | By Tess
The Spanish foundation for medullary injury (FLM) has teamed up with the Vodafone Spain foundation to develop and launch a new initiative that will offer people with spinal cord injuries and spinal-related disabilities technological training.
The program, which will feature 3D design and 3D printing courses, is aimed at providing independence and employment options to people with limited mobility due to spinal conditions.
FLM and Vodafone Spain have launched the new “Integral Training Plan for New Technologies” (Plan Integral de Formación en Nuevas Tecnologías) in a bid to improve equal opportunity for those suffering from debilitating spinal cord injuries.
Aimed at helping the physically disabled find employment, the program will offer courses and training in various technology-related fields, including robotics, 3D scanning, 3D design, and, of course, 3D printing. Other courses will include Android basics and community management training.
These subjects have been chosen for a number of reasons: first and foremost because tech jobs are in high demand, as companies are increasingly transitioning into the digital age. Second, because these jobs require knowledge more than they require physical mobility, people with spinal injuries would not be at a disadvantage.
There is also an interesting rehabilitation aspect to the training initiative which is worth talking about. It comes in the form of a course called “Lego Mindstorm Education EV3.”
This course will reportedly consist of building a robot prototype from Lego pieces and robotic accessories. According to FLM and Vodafone, by having the participants work with their hands in some capacity—assembling plastic blocks with the goal of building a robot—they will potentially be able to improve their dexterity.
The FLM is a Spain-based nonprofit organization which was founded with the express goal of providing comprehensive rehabilitation services for those who have suffered from spinal cord injuries. The foundation has launched a number of programs to help physically disabled people integrate into society.
“The FLM, unique in Spain in its scope of action, began [its] career in 1997 in Madrid,” reads the nonprofit’s website. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life for all those affected by spinal cord injury, offering integral rehabilitation services, with the aim of [providing] options for these people to achieve full participation in society.”
With its new project in collaboration with the Vodafone Spain foundation, FLM is inviting its members to become more active in the tech world, to learn the ins and outs of digital technologies and manufacturing processes such as 3D printing, with the goal of opening up new employment opportunities.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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