Brussels, 19/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission awarded the Design for All and Assistive Technology Awards for the first time last Saturday in Düsseldorf, according to a communication. The prize established at the initiative of the Commission, rewards inventions which make goods and services accessible to as many consumers as possible, including the elderly and disabled people.
The winners in the category Design for All are: Indes Medical Design (Netherlands), in the category Daily Life, with the Cairlift®, a mattress, the height and position of which can be easily adjusted. DFG Deutsche Fernschprecher GmbH (Germany), in the category Communication and information, with their Hausnotruf-Telefon, a telephone which is particularly suitable for people with vision, hearing or touch impairments. FIT-Frauenhofer-Institut für Angewandte Informationstechnik (Germany), in the category Employment and social affairs, with their RedDot Web Compliance Manager, which allows checks to be carried out on websites with reference to internationally agreed standards. Tojo (Finland), with, in the category Culture. Leisure and Sport, the Sport sled, a sledge which can also be used by the disabled. PFAU-Tec GmbH (Germany) with, in the category Mobility and transport, their Umbausatz Profondo, which allows a tricycle to be changed into a bicycle and vice versa, ideal for those who are temporarily disabled who need three wheels for a limited time. Tech Design Oy (Finland) who, with their Easy Reach Shelves - shelves with easy access even for those confined to a wheelchair - won the Jury prize for "New Ground" for professionals. (The communication recalls that 70% of accidents in Finland occur in the home). Carin Larsson of the Umea Institute of Design (Sweden) won the Jury prize for “New Ground” for students with the Audible tape recorder, which is both advanced and easy to use.
In the category Assistive Technology, the winners were: Marta Mei of the Politecnico di Milano (Italy), with, in the category Daily Life, her Listening to the Clothes, which, thanks to an ingenious labelling system, helps the visually impaired to dress themselves without assistance. Binom Produktdesign (Germany) with, in the category Communication and information, Butler, a telephone which is easy to locate and fitted with alarm systems which could save many lives. Bergische Universität Wuppertal (Germany) with, in the category Jury prize for integrated solutions, Bücherfuchs, which automatically scans books and stores them electronically. Invacare (Germany), with their Elektro-Rollstuhl Typhoon, a wheelchair which is both advanced and accessible, which won in the category Mobility and transport. Parkaid Srl (Italy) with their Parkwalker, in the category Jury prize for “New Ground”, a mini-computer which helps sufferers of Parkinson's disease to get around. Vipamat (France), with, in the category Culture, Leisure and Sport, Hippocampe, a vehicle which can easily cross difficult terrain. Livereader GmbH (Germany), who won in the category Lifelong learning with their Livereader, a digital camera which is easy to use for people with visual impairments (Info: Tom O'Connell. Ogilvy - rue de la Putterie, 22, Bruxelles 1000 - Tel.: 00 32 475 69 15 60).