Media Literacy in Care Facilities for People with Disabilities in Bremen

People living in care facilities for the disabled have less access to mobile, digital devices than in private households. In addition, people with learning difficulties in homes for the handicapped often do not receive sufficient support and encouragement from their professional environment to deal with mobile and digital devices. The access to digital and mobile devices is denied to them for various reasons (Bosse, Hasebrink 2016).

The aim of the project was to investigate these different reasons and to offer a variety of ways in which the mediation of media literacy can be promoted in services for people with disabilities in Bremen. A scientific review of training needs in care facilities for people with disabilities in the state of Bremen was carried out and recommendations for further education in the field of the transfer of media literacy to people with so-called intellectual disabilities have been developed on the basis of this review. These recommendations are aimed at employees of residential facilities and workshops for people with disabilities. They were designed in a way that they can be adapted individually to the requirements of the individual institutions.

According to the authors of the study, the lack of devices such as smartphones, ­tablets and computer in care facilities for people with disabilities in Bremen are the main reasons for missing opportunities of participation. “There are only three tablets in all of the 14 facilities”, says Bosse. And only more than half of the facilities would have access to Wi-Fi.

On the occasion of the symposium  #Teilhabe [#participation], the study "Media Literacy in Care Facilities for People with Disabilities in Bremen" was published on 15 November 2018.

• You can find the results of the study here and on the website of brema.
• Article about the study in the newspaper 'Weser-Kurier'
• Final report as pdf available for download: Bosse, I.; Zaynel, N.; Lampert, C. (2018): MeKoBe – Medienkompetenz in der Behindertenhilfe in Bremen. Bedarfserfassung und Handlungsempfehlungen für die Gestaltung von Fortbildungen zur Medienkompetenzförderung [MeKoBe - Media Literacy in Care Facilities for People with Disabilities in Bremen. Needs Assessment and Recommendation for Action for the Design of Further Education in Media Literacy Promotion]. Ergebnisbericht [Final Report]. Bremen: brema.

Guest of the symposium and media activist Raul Krauthausen from Sozialhelden e.V. picked up the results in a video message to call on employees in care facilities for people with disabilites: Don't be afraid of new media!

 
(22 November 2018)