RESC partners with Tatkraft association
ETH Zurich’s Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) partners with Tatkraft, an association founded by people with disabilities. Tatkraft puts the spotlight on individuals living with a disability and the sustainable contribution they can make to society.
Tatkraft is an association by and for people with a disability, who live self-empowered lives and actively participate in society. Tatkraft believes that accessibility reflects the quality of a society and aims to focus attention on the perspectives, experiences, and viewpoints of people with disabilities. By founding the Ability Center, the association has launched a project that enables people with disabilities to develop and realise ideas and projects independently. A user-centred range of services has an equalising effect on disability and enables project owners to tap into their unique abilities and resources as well as to contribute their potential skills to society. The Ability Center therefore serves as an impetus for bringing about a change in perspective in society – shifting away from the status of passive “victims” in need of help towards active “participants in society”.
Founder and president of Tatkraft, Islam Alijaj, on his vision and motivation to partner with RESC: “Through our partnership with RESC, we want to achieve our goal of empowering individuals with disabilities in a sustainable and human-centred way, and we want to build and expand a strong network.”
Oliver Stoller, Executive Director RESC: “A key factor for the adoption of novel solutions for people with disabilities is a user-centred research and development environment. Together with Tatkraft, we aim to promote novel formats for the participation of people with disabilities in research, development, and transfer of innovations. Furthermore, we are joining forces to extend and strengthen our networks to reach as many people as possible.”
The ETH Competence Centre RESC is a nexus of expertise from academia, hospitals, industry, government, healthcare, disability organisations, and other NPOs. Its mission is to improve the quality of life and participation of people with physical disabilities; thus, contributing towards a more inclusive society. RESC promotes exchange, interdisciplinary research projects, innovative education programmes, and knowledge transfer.
external page Tatkraft
protected page 5 questions for Islam Alijaj - disability lobbyist and social entrepreneur
external page Watch documentary film "Handicap disability" (in German, SRF Swiss Radio and TV, 29.04.2021)