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NatSpec Annual Conference 2010
Working with
technology to
improve employer
engagement
Sal Cooke: Shirley Evans:
News & Updates for the Sector
• Bercow Implementation plans
• 2011 – to be the Year of…………???
• Next Generation Learning Awards
• In-folio and Capital Spending updates
• SME Engagement and BCE Agenda 2
Using technology to support speech, language and communication (SLCN)
• The Bercow Review of services for children and young
people (0- 19) with speech, language and
communication needs.
• Requested by the Secretaries of State for Health and
Education.
• Involved consultations, visits and academic research.
• Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)
was included in the initial remit for the Review.
• Conducted over a year and final report published in
July 2008.
JISC TechDis Involved from Start
• From the outset JISC TechDis was involved in
many meetings and was able to bring a different
angle to the debate – due to the Service’s remit
for Further and Higher Education Sectors.
• As a result the very lengthy report – known in
early days as State of the Nation was produced .
SLCN at the heart of the early findings
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• Toby is the CEO and founder of
Just Different, which provides
talks by disabled people in
schools to challenge children’s
views about disability. He was
also the interim Chair of
Communication Matters and
ran last year’s Symposium. He
has cerebral palsy and uses a
communication aid, which he
accesses with his elbow
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www.justdifferent.org.uk
Another pragmatic voice; Toby Hewson
The Bercow Review findings
• Communication is crucial, a key life skill at the heart of every
social interaction and vital to children’s successful development;
• Early identification and intervention is essential to maximise
each child’s chance of overcoming their communication need
and succeeding;
• A continuum of services designed around the family is needed
for children with SLCN;
• Joint working is critical to deliver services that provide effective
support;
• The current system is characterised by high variability and a
lack of equity.
• NB Although SLCN related – same issues for AAC -early introduction
the better the chances for the child. 6
• Alan is a qualified dance instructor
and appeared as one of the main
characters in the recent BBC3
comedy series. He lives
independently and is currently
having a short film made about his
life. Alan also has cerebral palsy
and uses a communication aid in
all aspects of his life, including
teaching dance.
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wwww.mouseonthemove.co.uk
Alan Martin
The Government response to the
Bercow Review
• Better Communication, the SLCN Action Plan
published in December 2008
• Establishment of the Communication Council
• Appointment of the Communication Champion
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Initiatives include:
• 16 local area pathfinders to develop good
practice guidance and a supplemental joint
commissioning framework on SLCN;
• Up to £1.5 million invested in grants to the
alternative and augmentative communication
sector;
• Up to £1.5 million invested in a research
programme looking at SLCN over the next three
years.
Communication Champion
The Communication Council provides Government with
ongoing advice and support on how best to develop
effective services for children with SLCN, and is co-
chaired by senior civil servants from DCSF and DH.
Jean Gross has been appointed in this position and has
been in post since 1st January 2010. One of her early
tasks is to review the effectiveness of Augmentative and
Alternative Communication (AAC) provision in different
areas of the country, to identify effective practices and
inform on the development of future initiatives to
improve services
AAC recommendations within the‘Better Communication Action Plan’
• AAC within the commissioning pathfinders.
• Commissioning models for children’s community
equipment.
• AAC grants programme.
• Becta appointment of AAC Coordinator,
( Anna Reeve).
• There is only one SLCN commissioning
pathfinder considering AAC
• Note: Links needed; DH involved with Strategic Health Authorities
re disabled children's’ services and communication aid provision
d11dd
AAC Grants programme
• Better Communication, the SLCN action plan,
included a commitment that Becta would provide
grants totalling £1.5 million over three years to
organisations in the alternative and augmentative
communication (AAC) sector.
• A total £500,000 is available in each three financial
years: 2009- 10, 2010- 11, 2011- 12, making a
commitment of £1.5million
• This fund is divided into two streams.
Two Funding Streams – AAC Grants
1.Building Sustainable Services• Existing Centres providing services for children and young
people with AAC needs
2 Innovative Projects• Supporting specific projects to improve the knowledge base
for high quality AAC provision
For more information: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/slcnaction/aacgrants.shtml
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The range of technology available
• Wide range of voice output communication aids
• www.communicationmatters.org.uk/Resources/AAC_Suppl
iers/aac_suppliers.html
• Software to create and use picture and symbol- based
resources for communication www.widgit.com/
• Software to assess and teach speech and language
development www.speechlink.info/
• Increasingly technology is now more than high tech
communication aids – it includes software to develop
resources
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JISC TechDis Leading on Inclusive Practice
Pragmatic advice and
guidance on accessibility
and inclusion.
High quality resources,
tools and training.
Versatile and Responsive.
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History of Achievements
Meeting demands for
training and guidance and deliver of
sector wide solutions.
Partnership – supporting cultural change and
delivering
real “value add”
Embedding inclusive practice
and tools
Expertise in Free and Low Cost Solutions
• Looking at what is already available, • Staff Packs Accessibility Essentials
• Working with key partners and intermediaries to
expose this thinking to their audiences: (TDA, IT Directors’ Associations CPD providers, Funders and
Membership organisations etc)
www.techdis.ac.uk/getfreesoftware
www.techdis.ac.uk/getAccessapps
Sustainable Approaches:
• Building capacity within the institutions, vendors
and partner agencies.
• Creating resilience at meeting new technical,
compliance or legal issues:
useful resource www.web2access.org.uk
• Identifying and promoting appropriate skill sets
• Identifying and promoting appropriate policies
Useful resource www.techdis.ac.uk/getevaluated
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• As NASS and Natspec and the schools now
have a track record in students going into HE.
• Invited staff in HE to bid for technology to carry
out innovative projects.
• Open to staff in student services, careers
services, libraries as well as teaching staff.
• The most exciting response was to Free text to
speech – they had no idea www.robobraille.org
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HEAT Technology and Innovation
E-Book Readers
• Various e-book readers were loaned to staff
members with assignments loaded.
• Some issues with the hardware.
• However, staff liked the e-ink displays and the
portability of the devices.
• Working with industry two way process
• See work on e- books at:
www.techdis.ac.uk/getebooks
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HE version of MoleNet
• Labelled objects with QR codes.
• Students used QR code readers on
their mobile phones to access the
information.
• QR codes can be generated at
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ (free).
• QR code readers are available for
most phones with cameras.
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• Anthony is the registered Manager
of Chatting Independently – a
residential rehab provision for
adults who use AAC and
encourages them to develop
independent living skills. Anthony
has two children and uses a
communication aid, which he
accesses with an infra-red head
pointer.
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Anthony Robertson
• www.chattingindependently.co.uk
Creation of Resources
• JISC TechDis and Becta must now work
together with DoH, TDA, NASS and Natspec to
assist the thinking of the Toolkits for
Commissioners and how to obtain best Value for
Money and not re-invent the wheel.
• Looking at other sectors for funded solutions
• E portfolio System for complex needs
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Innovation Funding
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Link to the Rollout tour
Capital programme
• 43 Colleges seeking a server, support and training.
• Overwhelming success of programme
• Strategically important in current climate
• Each College will have Moodle, Xerte, In- Folio and
Access Apps
• Fantastic opportunity for technical training –• ALT potential offer
• Potential for teaching and learning or support staff
to engage with ITQ as a result.
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Using In-folio in the Workplace
• Example pages from a learners portfolio at
Henshaws.
• How is this working for you?
• What else do you need to be in place?
• What is stopping the development of such tools?
• How would you encourage employers?
• Would this help?
• What else do you need ?
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BCE within JISC and ISCs
• BCE agenda is inclusive• Not just HE or GFE
• Examples from Colleges limited so far • Why?• What else can we/you do?
• JISC TechDis needs to have good representation
from ISCs in the toolkit.
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Awards and Schemes
• Announcements this week
• But advance notice of
• Regional Awards for all providers
• National Awards – NGfL awards• Large presence from ISCs
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Award winning Resource maker:
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•allows non-technical staff to create rich, interactive engaging resources with high levels of accessibility including:•• all content is keyboard accessible using the tab, space, arrow and enter keys (Switch compatible)
• a range of media types, activities and self-assessments cater for different learning preferences•• ‘Text-to-speech’ has been implemented for all textual content in the learning object.
www.techdis.ac.uk/getxerte
Supporting Accessible Learning
Thank you for listening
Any Questions?
www.techdis.ac.uk
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