With this inauguration, the MEO Foundation consolidates its role as the main driver of the Group's social commitment, leading concrete initiatives that transform technology into real and measurable inclusion. This project's core mission is to promote equal opportunities by offering tools that help people with disabilities or special needs overcome barriers to communication and participation.
"When we created the Espaços com Sentido program, we knew that the goal was simple but absolutely essential: to use technology as a bridge so that more people can communicate, learn, work, and live with more autonomy, more freedom, and, above all, more dignity," emphasized Carolina Pita Negrão, Director of Fundação MEO, at the inauguration ceremony.
This initiative is part of a broader strategic plan that includes other projects such as "Cinema with Meaning," "Music with Meaning," and "Stores with Meaning," all focused on democratizing access to culture and services to build a more just society.
In Alcoitão, Espaço com Sentido is part of the Laboratory for Access to Technology and Communication (LATec), a center dedicated to assessment, intervention, and research for users with communication limitations. Support is provided by a multidisciplinary team that includes occupational and speech therapists, as well as physiatrists. Among the technological resources available, the following stand out:
• MagicContact : an alternative communication solution for people with speech difficulties or reduced motor skills.
• Grid 3: a system that uses symbols and text, allowing computer control through interfaces adapted for users with motor or cognitive limitations.
• PC Eye: cutting-edge technology that allows you to navigate your computer using only your gaze.
This new center in Alcoitão is the fourth to join a national network that already extends to Faro, Porto, and Leiria, where it has been implemented in various contexts such as hospitals and educational institutions. In addition to the software, the Fundação MEO support Fundação MEO the provision of mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, and computers) and funding for the physical and functional adaptation of the furniture in the spaces.
With this opening, the Fundação MEO its mission to put technological innovation at the service of human dignity, creating tangible solutions that give back a voice, autonomy, and participation to those who need it most.