The Cyprus Interaction Lab hosted the COST action “Play for Children with Disabilities (LUDI)”
in 4-5 June 2015 in Limassol. The meeting was held from 4-5 June 2015, with active involvement of Cyprus Interaction Lab (https://www.cyprusinteractionlab.com/) of the Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts at the Cyprus University of Technology.
The action includes up to two academics from every European country. Cyprus is represented by the dean of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts of the Cyprus University of Technology, Professor Panayiotis Zaphiris.
This Action aims at the creation of a novel and autonomous field of research and intervention on play for children with disabilities.The multi-disciplinary cooperation of researchers and practitioners in the fields of psycho-pedagogical sciences, health and rehabilitation sciences, humanities, assistive technologies and robotics as well as the contribution of end-users’ organizations will grant the right to play even for children with disabilities, and finally establish play as the main element for children’s development. The main objective of the Action is to spread awareness on the importance of giving children with disabilities the opportunity to play, while ensuring equity in their exercise of the right to play and by putting play at the centre of the multidisciplinary research and intervention regarding the children with disabilities.
The meeting was attended by 50 participants from over 20 European countries of the European Union. Keynote speakers of the event were:
- Keith Towler, past Children’s Commissioner for Wales (United Kingdom)
- Professor Marcia L. Nell, Millersville University (USA), President of the “Association for the Study of Play”
- Odile Perino, Co-Founder of the LUDOPOLE Association, Lyon (France)
- Iza Login, CEO and Head of HR of “Outfit7”