SEMADISC: Electronic Mediation and Arbitration for Persons with Disabilities "

GIAA research group (Group of Applied Artificial Intelligence) and the Human Rights Institute "Bartolomé de las Casas", University Carlos III of Madrid has carried out the project SEMADISC (Electronic Mediation and Arbitration for Persons with Disabilities) designed to provide a mediation platform universally accessible and free. SEMADISC is a product that was born with a mission to provide a software tool for mediation and arbitration, focusing on people with accessibility problems or disabilities.

This multidisciplinary project covering the fields of law and engineering to offer a mediation service, where disabled people can solve their problems without going to trial, no cost and with the greatest possible comfort and ergonomics.

SEMADISC is based on W3C standards, an international organization dedicated to standardization of the Web, both for accessibility and for correction of the application code. The system responds to the RD 1417/2006 of 1 December, developing Law 51/2003 of equal opportunities and non discrimination and universal accessibility for disabled people, which requires the legislature to have this type of system .

What is mediation?

Mediation is a legal form of conflict resolution which replaced the figure of a judge or an arbitrator by the figure of a mediator, to assist the parties to reach agreement by consensus.

SEMADISC born as a platform to support this type of case, based on information technologies to provide support throughout the process. This feature about the system to people with disabilities, who have different problems to carry this type of process normally.

The main idea of the system is to provide adequate means for anyone, especially people with disabilities can have free and universal service with which to resolve their problems in a peaceful way through dialogue.

How does the process?

SEMADISC project is multidisciplinary, meaning that consists of different areas of knowledge and open to external collaborations.

SEMADISC To work you must be a legal team to advise and take the role of mediator. This legal team will consist of associations and public entities to collaborate with the project, providing in any case, a free service to the citizen demands.

The process would start by sending a request by the user faced with a problem. This request would be studied by the mediators, who would be responsible for contacting other involved in the case. Once started the process, the problems would be resolved out of court thanks to advice from legal experts group members of the project.

Figure 1: Schematic of operation of the mediation

What is SEMADISC?

SEMADISC is the application that supports the process described above.

This is an online platform, accesib him from any browser, platform-independent software installed on the user's computer.

The application enables the procedures related to the process, such as:

• Create a case and make requests to the experts.

• Upload documents related to the case.

• Have a record which records the progress of the process.

• Notify by different means, to those involved, each time there is something new, improve the fluidity of the process.

• Have a means of communication with the mediator accessible from anywhere and adapted to the special needs of users.

Figure 2: Display of system access.

The platform has been developed by a group of Computer Engineers in taking care of technical details and ensuring proper compliance with legal requirements surrounding the system. SIt has taken particular care with user privacy, security and adaptation to the legislation on data protection, ADAT whole process to the Law 15/1999, of protection of personal data.

Figure 3: Main Menu.

The potential of information technologies

The mediation platform that has developed has a distinctly innovative. Therefore, it is exploring the option of introducing the figure of the observer.

The observer would be one user who can observe the case but not directly involved in their resolution.

This figure would train new generations of lawyers sensitized on the need to use such systems to solve cases of people who have problems getting around or interact with traditional channels.

SEMADISC could be applied to academia by using the system in the resolution of actual cases by teachers and university researchers, which turn observers could introduce their students, enabling an approach to real social and practical classes and helping to raise awareness among future professionals.

The project was funded by IMSERSO and is the focal point CEAPAT.

For more information contact:

Miguel Angel Patricio

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Avda. de Universidad Carlos III, 22

28270 – Colmenarejo, Madrid.Spain.

Email: mpatrici@inf.uc3m.es

Tfno: +34 91 856 13 18

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