Empowering The Handicapped: University for Everyone
La Usina is a not for profit organization founded in 2002. They aim to promote higher quality of life, autonomy and participation for handicapped people and to build a society by and for everyone.
To do this, To dodo To accomplish this, La Usina accompanies the construction of non profit organizations - from and for – the handicapped all over the country, ensuring that they are solid, transparent and sustainable and providing customized training on demand, reflection and dissemination of good practices and a solid, multifaceted network. They also promote leadership amongst handicapped youth with training and, by generating discussions, project proposals and community participation. La Usina also strives to change social attitudes and promote civic responsibilities through public campaigns about rights and prevention. They promote autonomy and equal opportunities, providing technical, professional and legal support.
Although all handicapped students should be able to attend university, La Usina recognizes that today this is virtually impossible for many students in Argentina. This society does not yet nurture its diversity, and many people with disabilities must fight prejudices every day. Argentina lacks adequate transport and the schools´ infrastructure is not prepared for handicapped youth, making universities mostly inaccessible. There is a systematic lack of public support for the handicapped. Making matters even more difficult, Argentina has suffered from a deep economic crisis, leaving the majority of the population in conditions of poverty. This means that the new technology is only available to the rich, since its costs are not accessible to those who most need it to ensure their independence and development. In this scenario, the handicapped youth become “invisible” to the world, unable to play a role in society as autonomous and independent citizens.
La Usina intends to revert this situation for 50 students with their project “Empowering the Handicapped: University fro Everyone”. They will provide students with disabilities with the possibility to study a University career online and thus fulfill their professional potential and join society as capable and independent individuals. After a promotional campaign, La Usina will select 50 applicants. Their needs will be evaluated, in particular the technological adaptations needed for them to successfully study a career utilizing the internet. If granted the scholarship, the students will be provided with all the technological adaptations required and with broad-band internet access for four years (length of most virtual university careers). Their performance will be reviewed after each academic quarter and a renewal of the scholarship will be subject to the successful completion of their studies. If a student is unable to continue studying, La Usina is committed to reassigning the grant to a new student.
The most expensive part of this proposal is the provision of internet access for each student during four years. Internet access is still very expensive in Argentina, and there are no discounts or promotional rates for people with disabilities. La Usina is also looking for local partners in the telecommunications industry to participate as sponsors.
Below, we provide a budget for the entire project for 50 students for 4 years.
Campaign / Newspaper Ads / 300gacetillas+HTML / 85
Press 3 months / 500
subtotal / 885
Evaluation of Needs / 13 US $ per person / Eval 50 people / 650
subtotal / 650
Adaptation According to Handicap / 1 mouse / 60 US$ per person / 3000
1 keyboard / 33 US$ per person / 1650
easel/headgear / 65 US$ x pers / 3250
software for the blind / 1,100 US$ / 1100
subtotal / 9000
Internet / 30 US$ per month / 4 years, 50 people / subtotal / 72,000
TOTAL / TOTAL U$S / 82,535
This project aims to fulfill La Usina´s mission bypromoting a higher quality of life, autonomy and participation for handicapped people and to build a society by and for everyone. These students will be able to become professionals, acquire new knowledge and thus participate in their society as capable and independent citizens.
La Usina - El cambio en Discapacidad
Asociación Civil sin fines de lucro
Viamonte 1690 PB "A" -
C1055ABF - Capital Federal
(+54.11) 4373.3793