 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Online Information on Employment and Training Opportunities for Disabled PeopleProject Reference Group Meetings |
||||
|
Agenda |
Eve Davidson - Isaware
Colin Floyd - Manchester Youth Service
Bob Lee - Tameside College
Tony Martin - Tameside College
Alex McDonald - Toucan
Erica Stross - Workable
Mary Moss - ISaware/WEA
Jenny Craven - REVEIL project, CERLIM
Tish Dockerty - MTMC
Phil Samphire - Full Circle Arts
Rowan Purdy - MIND in Manchester
Nicola Teece - MCIN
Diane Topping - CAB
Annika Ireland - Voluntary Action Manchester (VAM)
John Clark - Project Evaluator
Dave Ellis - Toucan
Agreed, matters arising will be covered through the agenda items.
Presented to the group was the draft executive summary outlining the activities from 1998, the summary has been taken from the end of year report (each European Social Fund funded project has to submit an end of year report to the National Co-ordinating body for the UK).
The report has been divided into five main areas:
The group felt that the report demonstrates the important work that the project has undertaken. Rather than remain a ‘report’ it was suggested that it should form a policy/recommendation document, after re-drafting, that can be used to promote the issues around the use of Information and Communication Technologies by Disabled People.
The report will be re-drafted and circulated to the Reference Group and placed on the Project web site. Its use as a policy paper will covered under Agenda item 4 (Access Guidelines).
The project organised an ‘access checker’ session in conjunction with the REVEIL project and Bury Libraries-Visual Impaired Section. The aim of this session was to examine a number of web sites for their accessibility to people using text browser software to access the Internet.
The results for the different sites checked included the BBC, British Library sites and the project Information Service were similar. For example, navigation could be improved, especially in allowing people to ‘jump’, to new information, past navigation bars rather than having to constantly read through them on each page (feedback on the session will be available shortly).
Changes following on from this will be made to the site, primarily allowing easy access to the new page information rather than having to read through the navigation bar.
The project is now looking to develop more local information to be included within the site, a number of organisations have come ‘on-line’ and their information could be more interactive rather than a simple holding page. There is a need that information becomes more ‘front line’ in order to encourage usage through people receiving information that is more than background/general information help.
Also there is the idea of developing/organising materials that allow people to write CVs, personal development plans etc.
We are looking to start the NVQ level 2 (Certificate in Telematics) primarily for those who have already undergone the Level 1 course, there is the possibility that new workers can start directly on Level 2. It appears that the number of hours involved will be similar to that for last years courses, covering the following three units:
As part of ‘Designing Web pages’ we will explicitly include information on accessibility, as it appears that within the curriculum it is not mentioned.
We will be using Tameside College as the main validation centre for the NVQ training, and will be looking to greater use of the process of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). A number of organisations are unable to release workers on block and need more on-site training support.
There are a number of ‘user’ groups that have undergone initial taster sessions, as well as new groups, for which the Open College Federation certification process may be more suitable in terms of officially recognising their skill etc. Again the process would use APL through the Workers Education Association who are the local validation centre, as well as an organisation the project has been working with.
Many of the organisations that have linked with the project are undergoing management and cultural shifts in their work due to the use of Information and Communication Technologies, as well as extra demands from users to access the Internet.
As the need for more ‘outreach’ training has become apparent the project is now looking to take on two part-time trainers to underpin the projects delivery and support the organisations involved.
The project has developed two main guideline documents on Web Page Design and Computer Facilities. What is now needed that these are disseminated to a wider audience in order to raise the issue of access and to place these on other develop agendas. In order to mainstream the issue there have been a number of recent meetings to widen the awareness.
The Labour Telematics Centre (LTC), based in the GMB College, have agreed to circulate the guidelines through their network of trainers and web page designers. It was also identified that there is a need to develop ‘training the trainers’ in the use of accessible software programmes, such as text browsers, in order the ensure greater access. The issue will also feed into the Electronic Village Halls through the ‘Training theme team’ via the LTC.
Tameside Telematics Advisory group is also taking on the issues of access, this group includes the voluntary and community sector, Tameside College as well as Tameside Business link. It is hoped that the issues can be easily taken on board since their strategy is still under development.
Within Oldham a similar process is underway, with the voluntary and community sector taking on board these issues. In this area the library service in particular are looking to increase their accessibility for disabled people and are setting up an informal advisory group. The group will be identified at the taster session later this month organised by the project.
Hopefully, through Workable who has direct access, we can raise the issues with the Manchester Chamber of Commerce who are developing a virtual Chamber. Obviously, there will be issues that need to be dealt with and perhaps access has not been a priority within design.
There is a meeting arranged with the Manchester Community Information Network (MCIN) this Thursday, so see how access can be integrated into their existing programmes of training and support.
The Executive Summary report, as well as the Audit report, should be used to widen the awareness of the issues involved. It suggested that the project works through its existing contacts, for example the ISaware team, to promote access at a policy level.
There is now a new partner from Gran Canaria (they are a late start project having only recently received approval).
The organisation FUNDESCAN (Fund for the Social Development of the Canaries) are responsible for the technical direction and management of the project, with the island government body CABILDO INSULAR DE GRAN CANARIA acting as promoters.
The project is based in the rural highlands and aims to train 20 disabled people in the use of IT and Telework.
The next meeting of the Partnership is being held in Manchester on the 25th 26th March. During the visit the partners will be visiting Workable and the Labour Telematics Centre.
During the Management meeting work on the development of the Guide of Good Practice on Disabilities and Teleworking, and the Web Site will be discussed. Also the timetable for future meetings will be confirmed in light of the new transnational partner, as well as brief national project updates.
Minutes from the Transnational work will be available via the Project web site.
John Clark, the project Evaluator, is currently working on the interim evaluation report for the project. As soon as the report is ready it will be circulated to the Group for comments.
Sponsored by the Centre on Disabilities (CSUN).
The project will be presenting a paper to the above conference about the project information service etc. Also at the conference is the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) who is presenting a number of new papers.
The main themes of the Conference are ‘Co-operative Working’ and ‘Access Technology’. The project will aim to have the guidelines adopted by the members of GLADNET.
The project is presenting a paper under the strand PS3-3 Technology Supported Employment. From the draft programme it seems, again, that the access issues are only being dealt in specialist areas, rather than being seen as a general area that all projects should address.
The next meeting of the Forum is next week, the group is looking at how the issues involved can be mainstreamed. It has adopted the guidelines from the project but is faced with the same issues of trying to get other organisations, service providers’ etc., to take them on board.
The next newsletter is soon to be published, any articles etc., to be included please send them through.
Bury, Isaware, have purchased a number of laptops to support their IT training project and would like some information on improving accessibility with regard to hardware and software.
9. Date of Next Meeting
Tuesday 8th June 1999 10.30am - 12.30am
St Thomas's Centre
Ardwick Green North
Manchester
| Information Service | Project | TAD | Contact | Sitemap |
Last updated: 6 August 1999
© 1999-2000 Toucan Europe Ltd
webmaster@on-line.org.uk