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Online Information on Employment and Training Opportunities for Disabled PeopleProject Reference Group Meetings |
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Agenda |
Ruth Gould - Full Circle Arts
Gary Copitch - MCIN
Tony Martin - Tameside College
Alex McDonald - Toucan
Eve Davidson - ISaware
John Clark - Project Evaluator
Jenny Craven - REVEIL project, CERLIM
Nicola Teece - MCIN*
Rowan Purdy - MIND in Manchester
Bob Lee - Tameside College
Colin Floyd - Manchester Youth Service
Dave Ellis - Toucan
Erica Stross - Workable
(*Nicola no longer works at MCIN)
Agreed, matters arising will be covered through the agenda items.
The new design is now in place, with the Information Service being the 'home page' rather than the project itself. (http://www.on-line.org.uk/)
All the existing links/sections are current and available, as before.
We are also going to add an additional section under the project section to include details of the training. This will include the nature of the courses, organisations involved and the training qualifications & materials.
The Level 2 course started on the 13th August '99, the venue is MTMC as last year. The curriculum includes advanced searching, web page design and full video-conferencing.
Sarah Ross, who is now working full-time with Toucan, is delivering the training.
The groups involved are:
Other Training courses:
Bury and District Disability Resource Centre (BADDAC)
8 workers/voluntary workers undergoing training at the Seedfield Resource Centre, Bury on Wednesday afternoons.
They are following the level 1 curriculum but also looking at web page design.
Ethic Disabled Group Emerging (EDGE)
Continuing on-site support with the management group. Two workers taking part on the Level 2 course.
Oldham Disability Alliance (ODA) & NewVale House
The initial course ahs now ended with the user group, although there are some portfolios to be finished off. From the group of 15 who underwent the training 8 are now becoming involved as volunteers with the ODA.
We will continue to provide on-site training support around the use of chatrooms, emails and web sites with the organisations.
The support workers carried out evaluation and we are awaiting the documentation. Early indications are that the feedback is very positive but this may actually be skewed by that fact that for many of the trainees this was the first time a course was felt to be suitable and 'accessible'.
Manchester Deaf Centre
We are expecting to organise training with group of deaf people, approximately 5, which will be delivered in British Sign Language.
The venue is provisionally the WEA suite above the Deaf Centre.
Newbridge Centre (Stockport)
Training on Monday afternoons, on-site, for 4 support workers in the use of the Internet etc.
These workers will then support users sessions to be held at MTMC.
Phoenix Centre (Oldham)
The Centre is a mental health day centre with the course being part of their programmed activities.
Working with a small group of 4 people, including 1 support worker, at the Oldham Sixth Form College - Business Centre on Thursday mornings starting this week (16th).
Start Studios (Manchester)
Officially part of Central Manchester Area Health Trust, working with Mental Health returners.
Course with 8 clients and 1 support staff looking at the use of the Internet and basic skills, the venue is LTC.
Venture Arts (Hulme)
Presently support is being arranged for 2 workers around multi-media (scanning etc) and the Internet, whilst the organisation acquires more computers.
From this training for users groups is being planned, with the venue provisionally MTMC.
The guidelines are currently being expanded, in draft form, to cover the following areas:
The aim is to get these adopted by Manchester City Council, MITER, ISaware and the Community EVH forum as guidelines in their technology projects etc.
Further discussion under Agenda item 4.
WEA/GMB College
No further developments but it is hoped that with the Community Forum they will be drawn in.
Oldham
With the development of a voluntary worker group, with the ODA, and the work with Richard Lambert, Oldham Library Service it is hoped accessibility will have a higher profile.
Still waiting on developments of the library bid but we will aim to have the guidelines above adopted.
Tameside
Since the departure of Mary Moss there has been little activity in the Voluntary Action Tameside group with regard ICT and the community & voluntary sector.
We are still in touch with VAT and will be hoping for them to support the guidelines.
The NW Disability Technology Forum
A web site is currently under development. The group is examining the draft guidelines and following any changes/suggestions it is hoped they will be adopted.
Following the wider adoption of the guidelines the DTF will also attempt to get the IRISI groups to take on board the issues raised.
European Bodies, ECOTEC etc
The various bodies have been contacted, after running initial 'Bobby' checks on their sites, as yet no responses either to acknowledge receipt of information or any future action.
There is scope to bring in the Regional Development Agency/Assembly under their newly published report on Social Exclusion, although there is no contact address for the report apart from the general RDA.
The guidelines have been circulated to other groups and people for comment. In general the feedback has been positive in that they are clearly set out and easy to follow also that they form a good starting point for issues to be addressed.
Changes to the text will be made particularly in references to disabilities and access to computers and the Internet etc.
These expanded versions of the guidelines will be circulated to other forums and Disabled Groups. They will also be presented at the new Manchester Voluntary & Community IT Forum on the 27th September with the aim that this group adopts them in the near future. From this it is hoped that the Council's Telematics partnership will then take them on board and use them as future guidelines on Council supported regeneration projects.
We will be looking also to the NW Disability Technology Forum to support the guidelines, which may also, act as impetus to the group to continue.
Work is ongoing in Tameside around the development of Telematics and the group is certainly interested in accessibility although not clear on whether they would follow the guidelines.
MCIN are looking to develop a new training room and would like to develop accessible training notes etc, bringing in the 'My Manchester' site & bulletin boards.
John Clark has met with members of the Reference Group and discussions are continuing around questions linked to access needs.
The second draft interim report is due around the end of November.
The last meeting of the partnership was in Caligaria, Sardinia 26th & 27th July.
There were problems and issues around the organisation of the meeting but all partners were present.
Work is continuing on the Guide to Good Practice although some deadlines have been missed. From the meeting it should be possible to catch-up on the work in progress, more information on the respective national projects can be found on the transnational web site at http://www.on-line.org.uk/tad/
The new deadline for work, correspondence etc., to be carried out is the 15th September.
During the meeting the partners had a detailed assessment of the 'new' Tad web site and it was a little disconcerting that some of the managers appeared to be looking at the site for the first time.
The On-Line project will be exhibiting, within the Toucan stand, at the Employment Week Conference in Brussels. Each partner has been invited to share the space at a shared cost, they will be informing the project in September whether they wish to be involved.
The next meeting of the partnership is in Gran Canaria on the 25th & 26th October where the agenda will primarily around the drawing together of the 'Guide to Good Practice'.
The last meeting of the year is being held in Madrid, 16th 17th December, along side the National Employers Conference, aiming to raise awareness of Disabled People etc.
a. 27th September the Voluntary Sector Meeting at the Town Hall as previously mentioned.
b. Employment Week, 3rd - 5th November, Brussels. After presenting at the conference last year the project is sharing part of the Toucan Exhibition stand.
c. NW Horizon Network Employers Conference 11th November Bridgewater Hall.
d. 16th November NW Horizon Network meeting Stockport.
e. Association of Disability Advice and Information Providers (ADAIP) National Conference, 26th & 27th November '99
The project has been asked to lead two workshops at their national conference in Birmingham around the use of computers, access issues and development of the usage of ICT.
f. Toucan Conference Manchester Dec 3rd '99
We are holding a conference at the St Thomas Centre, as last year, but more aimed at the groups that have been involved within EMPLOYMENT projects.
The aim is to share experience of the project activities, good practice etc., and what the next steps should be in continuing further work in the respective project areas.
a. At the last meeting the aim and idea of providing Disability Equality/Awareness training was mentioned as an important part of the awareness around accessibility. The project is still looking to enable these sessions as part of the wider adoption o f the accessibility guidelines and we should be able to progress in association with other projects and organisations.
b. The Hearing Impairment Unit in Bury Central Library has asked for letters of support as their current project funding is due to end. It is anticipated that the Council and library services will continue to support the service but at what level remains to be seen.
Letters send to or more information from:
Lenke Csaba
Hearing Impairment Unit
Bury Library, Manchester Road, Bury
Tel: 253 5874
9. Date of Next Meeting
Tuesday 14th December 1999 10.30am - 12.30am
St. Thomas Centre, Ardwick Green North, Manchester
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Last updated: 9 December 1999
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