The SIVA network

The Mission

SIVA (Servizio Informazione e Valutazione Ausili - which stands for Assistive Technology Information and Assessment Services) is a network of specialised services of the Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation. They provide information, guidance, consultations and individual assessment in the field of assistive equipment for people with disabilities. The network includes:

the Italian Internet Portal on assistive technology products (Portale SIVA) - participating in the European Assistive Technology Information network (EASTIN) and in the International Alliance of Assistive Technology Information Providers (IIATIP)
a highly specialised assistive technology Centre (the DAT Service) located in Milano - including a large permanent exhibition of assistive products and a trial flat equipped with advanced smart home technologies
a telephone/email helpline for general infomation in the assistive technology field, located within the DAT service
a nation-wide network of assistive technology assessment services (the SIVA Centres), where users, their family members and the professional caring for them can get appointments for individual assessment and guidance.

The SIVA network operates in close contact with the assistive technology research activities of the Foundation´s Biomedical Technology Department (Polo Tecnologico) Biomedical Technology Department, where also the Portale SIVA editorial team and the SIVA coordination office are based.

The SIVA helpline

For general information in the field of assistive technologies
and for appointments for individual assessment
Tel: 02 40 30 83 40 (h. 8.30-13 monday to friday)
siva.milano@dongnocchi.it

The DAT (Occupational Therapy, Assistive Technology, Smart Home) Service

DAT
Centro IRCCS "Santa Maria Nascente"
Via Capecelatro 66, 20148 Milano
Tel: 02 40 30 83 40 (h. 8.30-13, monday to friday)
Fax: 02 40 30 88 50
siva.milano@dongnocchi.it

Other Centres of the Don Gnocchi Foundation having an Assistive Technology assessment service

SIVA Inverigo
Centro "Santa Maria alla Rotonda"
Via Privata d´Adda 2, 22044 Inverigo (CO)
Tel: 03 13 59 55 27 (h. 8.30-13, monday to friday)
Fax: 03 16 05 66 1
siva.inverigo@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Torino
Centro "Santa Maria ai Colli"
Viale Settimio Severo 65, 10133 Torino
Tel: 01 16 30 33 47 (h. 13.45-16.30, tuesday / thursday; 8.30-13.00 friday)
Fax: 01 16 60 44 25
siva.torino@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Parma
Centro "Santa Maria ai Servi"
Piazzale dei Servi 3, 43100 Parma
Tel: 05 21 20 54 (h. 10-12, monday to friday)
Fax: 05 21 28 12 99
siva.parma@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Firenze
Centro IRCCS "Santa Maria agli Ulivi"
Via Imprunetana 124, 50020 Pozzolatico (FI)
Tel: 05 52 60 12 15 (h. 11-12 and 13.30-16, monday to thursday)
Fax: 05 52 60 12 09
siva.firenze@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Massa
Centro "Santa Maria alla Pineta"
Via Istriana 24, 54037 Marina di Massa (MS)
Tel: 05 85 86 32 46 (h. 8-14, monday to friday)
Fax: 05 85 86 32 91
siva.massa@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Sarzana
Polo Riabilitativo del Levante Ligure
Ospedale San Bartolomeo, Via Cisa, 19038 Sarzana (SP)
Tel: 01 87 60 48 32 (h. 11-14, monday to friday)
Fax: 01 87 60 48 46
siva.sarzana@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Falconara
Centro Egidio Bignamini
Via Matteotti 56, 60015 Falconara Marittima (AN)
Tel: 07 19 16 09 71 (h. 12-13, wednesday)
Fax: 07 19 12 10 4
siva.falconara@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Roma
Centro "Santa Maria della Pace"
Via Maresciallo Caviglia 30, 00194 Roma
Tel: 06 33 08 64 49 (h. 16-18, monday to friday)
Fax: 06 33 08 64 75
siva.roma@dongnocchi.it

SIVA Girola
Centro "Carlo Girola"
Via Carlo Girola 30, 20162 Milano
siva.girola@dongnocchi.it

The parent organisation

The Foundation (Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS) is the largest private non-profit Organisation in the field of rehabilitation in Italy. It was founded just after the second world war by don Carlo Gnocchi in order to provide care, rehabilitation and social integration to children injured by war. Since that time, the Foundation has rapidly grown and now runs 20 medical and social rehabilitation centres throughout Italy, providing medical, social and vocational rehabilitation to individuals of all ages with a variety of physical, sensory and mental disabilities. It employs over 3000 persons including medical, paramedical, technical and administrative personnel. Funding is based mainly on the medical and vocational rehabilitation services, provided according to the current National Health Service and Regional policies.

A client-centred service

Most Centres of the Foundation are equipped with a SIVA service, offering individual consultation upon appointment on assistive technology to any persons requesting it. These are mainly persons with disabilities; however, clients include also families with disabled members, rehabilitation & health care professionals, teachers, architects, health authorities and sometimes even manufacturers.

Assistive Technologies, Accessibility, Autonomy

It´s a fact that today´s technologies have greatly expanded the possibility for persons with severe functional limitations to live independently and participate in all aspects of society. The term Assistive Technologies (AT) – in particular – refers to any product or technology based service that enable disabled or elderly people in their daily lives, education, work or leisure. Technology is available today: the issue is how to find the specific technology that best matches each individual case. For this purpose, it is important to resort to reliable information tools and to professional counselling services. This was the main reason for establishing SIVA.

25-years experience

The SIVA idea was launched in 1980 as a research project of the Milano Bioengineering Centre, jointly established by the Don Gnocchi Foundation and the Milano Polytechnic. In the period ´80- ´82 the four main “pillars” of Siva activity gradually take wing: the AT Database, the AT Information/Advice Service, AT Research and AT Education. Over the following years, the database develops by taking advantage of leading-edge advancements in information technology, until it is acknowledged – by Local Health Agencies, rehabilitation Centres, Users organisations – as the major information resource in the AT field in Italy A specific methodology is developed for the AT Information / Advice Service, which provides over 1700 consultations /year to persons of any age with with any kind of disability or pathology. Following the SIVA model, similar services are established by other Centres of the Foundation, by Local Health Agencies of the National Health Service, by Users Organisations.. Research activities are carried out within national programmes (National Research Council, Regions, Ministries) and European programmes (Helios/Handynet, Tide, Telematics, Race, IST). Several Courses and other kinds of educational activities – mainly for rehabilitation professionals - are designed and carried out, until achieving in 1999 an agreement with the Milano Catholic University that leads to the AT Certificate Postgraduate Course that takes place every year. Recently, AT information/advice services have been established in most rehabilitation centres of the Don Gnocchi Foundation, in order to provide better service to people with disabilities throughout the Country.

Expertise and Tools

Each Information / Advice service is staffed with a multidisciplinary team including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, technicians and in some cases also other professionals (eg. Psychologist expert in educational technologies). The SIVA Portal is the major information tool for the team. The service is equipped with a permanent exhibition of technical aids, where most types of assistive technologies can be directly tried out; it includes several environments (mobility, communication, computer access, kitchen, bathroom, playground etc...) which represent the most common situations that a person with disability may encounter in daily life at home, outdoors, in the worksite and in the school.

Collaboration with Public Agencies

Besides responding to individual users´ needs, SIVA Information /Advice centres are prepared to provide support to public community agencies in relation to training of professionals or planning service delivery, thus helping them improve the quality of service offered to citizens.