<< Objectives >>MS is the most common cause of non-traumatic disability in young adults and is typically presented between the age 20 to 45, at the most productive life stage when people are planning families and building careers, impacting significantly the affected individuals, their families and society. ShapeMS aims to empower people and their employers, training them and providing tools to both sides in order to maximise the quality and duration of the active presence of people with MS in the workforce.<< Implementation >>End-user needs/requirements in Europe will be mapped by involving beneficiaries in field research. We will then create a learning platform empowering young adults with MS to remain in the workforce, and employers to create an inclusive work environment and establish networks and policies to support them further. For a sustainable result, we will create a training program for employers and mentors to transfer knowledge to others after the project completion and continue developing ShapeMS.<< Results >>ShapeMS will result in a fully developed learning platform co-created, co-designed and evaluated by all stakeholders. This platform will include 3 main ICT components a) entrepreneurship video lessons for asynchronous learning by people with MS who would like to explore self-employment, b) a module were mentors and mentees can discuss experiences and challenges and learn from one another and c) a module to find information and support for the employers and employees.

The “Easy Reading” framework will improve the cognitive accessibility of original digital documents by providing real time personalisation through annotation (using e.g. symbol, pictures, videos), adaptation (using e.g. layout, structure) and translation (using e.g Easy-to-Read, Plain Language, symbol writing systems). The framework provides these (semi-)automated services using HCI techniques (e.g. pop-ups/ Text-To-Speech (TTS)/captions through mouse-over or eye-tracking) allowing the user to remain and work within the original digital document. This fosters independent access and keeps the user in the inclusive discourse about the original content. Services adapt to each user through a personal profile (sensor based tracking and reasoning of e.g. the level of performance, understanding, preferences, mood, attention, context and the individual learning curve). The interdisciplinary project team includes users with cognitive disabilities in all phases through the Inclusive Participatory Action Research Method (IPAR) ensuring to address real users´ needs. The “Easy Reading” framework is planned as a cloud based, open source and freely available support infrastructure. It will reach as many people with limited reading and language skills (e.g. people with cognitive disabilities - ~2,5% of the population - older adults, people with a different mother tongue) summing up to 25% in some regions or countries. Additionally, many more people will enjoy exploring new and unfamiliar content using personalised access. This framework integrates and supports state-of-the-art and future R&D. It incorporates tools for annotation, adaptation and translation of content by providing a sustainable user-centred eco-system for personalisation. It promotes European ideals and enables independent applications to leverage the infrastructure and socialize their application for business (profit and non-for profit) in a new EU driven growth market.