Tag Archives: accessible technology

MLF – my personal reminder of why this work is so important

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iPadMy uncle died recently. I felt privileged to have had him in my family as he was an extraordinary man in many ways.

Our lives had a deep point of connection – he was in a near fatal car crash in 1989 as I was in 2004. However, as a result he suffered from tetraplegia while I am lucky enough to be able to walk.

Whether, like me, his interest in the wider benefits of technology grew as a result of his accident I am not sure, but I did see first-hand what a staggering difference it could make to his life.  He never let what had happened to him dominate how he approached the world. Despite his physical challenges he became a county councillor in Oxfordshire where he lived and ended up on the cabinet. He was also a director of Regain, a charity helping other people facing tetraplegia who want to enjoy more independence.

We talked often about how the internet and access to technology enabled people who could feel very isolated to feel more engaged and able to cope. We also talked often about how to nuke cumbersome paper from organisations and replace it with much more efficient digital distribution. He would wade through boxes of paper in order to conduct his council business. For years, he had a special attachment made by stoke mandeville that enabled him to slowly hit the keys of his pc. It must have been frustrating but I am sure he rarely complained and instead delighted in the fact he could Skype his beloved 7 grandchildren and 2 daughters and buy surprise presents for his wife, my aunt Dido – activities that would have been impossible for him through any other means.

However, it was the launch of the iPad that led to a dramatic improvement in access – quite by fluke he had enough movement in the knuckle of his little finger to be able to use it completely unaided and the app driven screen was perfect for his needs.  He loved it and the services, games and news it provided.

Long before I founded Race Online 2012, he showed me that the internet was not just a fabulous tool for selling last minute holidays, but when I started the campaign he reiterated to me how vital it is that everyone is given the opportunity to benefit from the internet.

Race Online 2012 is a rallying cry to help millions more use the internet but it is also, I hope, a spotlight on how very deeply individual lives can be transformed. I am delighted to be a patron of AbilityNet, that helps many disabled people to use technology, and I am so happy to have known this brave man, Roger Belson.

MLF discusses accessibility on You & Yours

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Yesterday, the Office for National Statistics released its third quarterly update on internet access, which showed that of the 8.43 million adults in the UK who have never used the internet, 4.25 million are disabled.

At lunchtime, Martha and Nigel Lewis, CEO of AbilityNet, of which Martha recently became a patron, discussed the issue on Radio 4’s You & Yours programme.

“Firstly it’s very important to recognise that there’s an enormous benefit for disabled people to be online”, she said.  “Therefore we should work hard to create technologies that are easier to use and to bring the price points down of the technologies that are out there already.”

According to Nigel Lewis, those with disabilities are often prevented or discouraged from going online because of inaccessible technology.  “Either they can’t engage with and use the standard computer out of the box, and so it needs adapting in some way, or the online services, the websites, are not accessible with their adaptive technology”, he said.

Listen to the interview on BBC iPlayer (available for a limited time only)

Fancy a challenge? Help older people stay keep connected

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Design Council logoFancy a challenge?

The Keeping Connected Business Challenge has just launched to help devise and develop great technology and services for older people.

Run by the Technology Strategy Board and Design Council, the competition is challenging businesses to come up with innovative ideas to help  people stay independent and keep connected, whatever their age.  Watch the video below for more:

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/28503336]

Over the next six months, £495,000 will be distributed to teams of businesses and designers to translate their ideas into reality.

Interested?  Apply by 20 October.

Surfing the web? No, Sailing in fact!

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""The thought of taking part in a gruelling 600-mile yacht race would fill most people with dread. But despite being blind since the age of 13, Ed Kitchen jumped at the chance last month. “I’ve been a keen sailor since a child.  My Dad always encouraged me to live my dreams and to not allow my disability to get in the way.” said Ed.

The adventure is typical of the man who has signed up to be a digital champion for Go ON Leeds and spoke at its launch. With an estimated 136,000 local residents yet to experience the internet, it’s people like Ed who are spreading the word.

Ed, who is 35 and lives in Rotherham, works for O2 at its main offices in Leeds.  He’s able to do his work thanks to special software that turns his computer text into voice, and a braille display to translate as a back-up.

“The technology allows me to work like anybody else.  The specially adapted system is amazing.  It even picks up graphics and can relate a smile or icon into voice,” said Ed.

""“I am right behind the efforts of Go ON Leeds and want to encourage as many people as possible, not just those with a sight impairment, to try going online to see what a difference it can make.”

“The internet has opened a whole new world for me,” said Ed.  “If I wanted to research something, I would have to go the library and rely on somebody either looking up the information and reading to me or getting a photocopy to scan into braille.

“Online shopping is another big boost.  Beforehand, a shopping experience was like hell on earth.  If you can imagine going into a supermarket and asking for help.  You would get someone to help pick an item, say fresh orange, and they would take the first pack off the shelf unless you were very specific.

“Now, I can shop online with a full description and order exact items.  They are delivered to my door by the shop who then check every item with me.  I can’t begin to explain how good that is.”

Colleagues at O2 have been following the progress of Ed, and his trusted guide dog Darcy, on the intranet where he writes a regular blog about his experiences at work and home.  His insights are helping people in the business get an appreciation of what life is like for customers with a disability and is also influencing company policy when looking at new products and services.

“I hope that people take the plunge and go online during the week,” said Ed.  They shouldn’t be frightened but embrace the technology and realise how much better their lives can be.”

If Carlsberg did digital champion Receptions…

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By Caroline Stubbs, Race Online 2012 Community Partnerships Advisor

Take a pinch of enthusiasm and a few dollops of community spirit, and what do you have?  Why a digital champion reception of course.

In the countdown to Go ON Leeds, digital champions, community activists and local partners came together to talk about their experiences and challenges.  It was interesting to hear from Joan Roberts and her group from Billing View. The increased interest in getting online has meant they now have many people at different stages of development, making the work of the committed group of young volunteers very difficult. It was great to hear Paul from Heeley Development Trust give a potential solution from his group – the Cascade or train the trainer model.

Anticipating the problems people are likely to have, as well as arming potential champions with the resources and tools they need and addressing real issues is key to sustaining activity in Leeds.  Alongside his faithful guide dog Darcy, O2 digital champion Ed Kitchen neatly summed up the impact that the internet has had on his life. Registered blind at the age of 13, it was as a young adult and in his work that new assisted technology has really supported him.  He’s able to live independently and it supports his lifestyle by enabling him to order shopping or plan social activities.

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Throughout the day, Go ON Leeds partner Studio12 was capturing pledges from individuals and organisations such as Atkins and Leeds City College. Studio 12 is, though, itself a great champion for promoting digital literacy to youngsters. Run from the central library it provides a creative process to educate, engage and include young people in producing new work. Through Studio12 they have access to a production studio, training and an industry panel of creative professionals who encourage and support them to work towards an accredited qualification and portfolio.

Howard Bashford of Finerday raced from Torquay to Leeds just for the day. He talked about Finerday’s work and the products which support older people to get online simply and safely. By the end of the session he was inspired to work more with Atkins Volunteer Digital Champions and Go ON Adopt.

We’ll announce the winner of the most inspiring digital champion pledge during the Go ON Leeds: Get more out of life online lunchtime session on 30 September in the Central Library. Pop along to see us between 11am and 2.30pm or find out how you can get involved in the Go ON Leeds Facebook page – it’s not too late!

Thanks to everyone who made it through the rain and blustery winds to make it.  Now I’m off to get wed, but before I say “I do”, I’ve pledged to help a stranger on a train get online for the first time via their Smartphone..!

Martha Lane Fox’s People’s Taskforce

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Yesterday, Martha Lane Fox met with the Race Online 2012 People’s Taskforce. This taskforce is a collection of inspirational people from around the country who are each doing incredible things with the internet. Until recently many of them had never been online, but they are all now championing the internet to their friends, family, community and peers.

Martha will work with this group as a sounding board for some of her ideas. They’ve all got experience of how things work in real life and have inspiring thoughts about how to improve internet access for different groups of people. They also tell her about the issues that affect them the most and how being online can help overcome the challenges they face.

Over the coming weeks we’re going to focus on some of the taskforce’s extraordinary stories, and we aim to bring to life some of the benefits of being online. From people trying to get all their neighbours in a tower block connected to the web, to community outreach workers and people using the internet to inspire children in their local neighbourhoods, the stories show how empowered individuals can really make a difference.

Yesterday was also an opportunity for Martha to take the taskforce to the House of Commons to meet some MPs who are interested in digital inclusion. Many of the taskforce spoke with great passion and persuasion, explaining how the internet has changed their lives and reinforcing the importance of the issue of digital inclusion agenda.

What a fantastic day – expect more reports, feedback and discussion in the coming days.