I hope you enjoy the articles in our summer issue. In this edition we have a great mix of news from Karten Centres, details of products from Assistive Technology suppliers and resources that I thought would be of interest to you.
The Karten team has had a busy few months visiting Karten Centres, supporting Centres with applications for additional equipment, supporting the work of Special Interest Groups, attending and exhibiting Assistive Technology events, developing our website functionality and much, much more!
We continue to work with TechAbility who deliver a programme of consultancy visits, webinars & events and develop AT specific resources. TechAbility activity is delivered specifically to develop capacity, confidence and staff skills in Assistive Technology in order to raise standards and improve outcomes for the people you support. All resources and most of the events and support can be accessed by Karten Centres free of charge. Check out the website https://www.techability.org.uk/ Access all webinar recordings on demand on the TechAbility YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlQNUqK0ICK7tEd8rGaBmFUF5Lu4yyH-p
There will be a session on the programme just for Karten Centres providing you with the opportunity to Network with staff working in other centres. Save the date!
Finally, may I wish you all the very best for a lovely summer.
Dawn Green
Karten Network and Development Co-ordinator
One of the strengths of the Karten Network, lies in the name – a network of people doing some incredible, innovative and inspiring work. Through this network we can collaborate, exchange knowledge and support each other. One way we try to facilitate this is through our website. I have recently invested a lot of time and effort into improving and upgrading the website. A lot of this work was focused behind the scenes. This work has resulted in an improved search facility – content previously omitted is now being included in the search index.
Additional
meta data has been added to the Karten Centre Pages. These include information
on technology specialisms, service provision, disability, age groups and centre
setting (e.g. education, social care, etc.) This was done in an effort make the information
already contained on the centre pages more useful. It is now possible to click
on one of the meta data items and get a list of Karten Centres with similar areas
of interest.
A new feature
has been added too, the “Karten Centre Search”. This allows you to create very
specific searches based on a host of easily selectable criteria, including only
showing centres within a certain number of miles of your or a specified location.
This means it would be possible to search for all centres doing printing within
a 30 mile radius of Manchester for example.
Centre pages now display the centres location on a map. While this feature existed elsewhere on the website it had, until now not been included on centre pages. Centres now also feature the option to upload your logo, with the option to upload photos to the page coming soon.
My hope
is that these improvements and upgrades (with more coming soon)
will make the website more useful to you. However, for all these features to truly
work, we need your help. If you are a Karten Centre manager, please logon to your
centre page and update the information.
To do this (once logged in), navigate to your centre page, and click on
the “Edit Centre
Information” link below the page title. This will take you to form where you
can update and add information.
Should you require any assistance, have questions or suggestions please feel to contact me.
Newsletter
As
some of you may have noticed we have changed the format of the newsletter – we hope
you like it. The changes however, go beyond mere formatting. Newsletter
articles are now available as individual items too, meaning they are not longer
confined to a newsletter. This makes it possible for a list of all news letter
articles to appear on your centre page. Currently, only articles from this and
the previous edition of the newsletter are in this format. However, I hope to
port some of the old articles to this format too soon.
WWDC 2019
Apple’s
annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) took place at the beginning of
June. WWDC gives thousands of developers from around the world a chance to meet
up with Apple engineers and attend workshops, it is also where traditionally
Apple makes major announces of what is new and what is to come. Some of these
were updated versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. All of which gain new
features and capabilities. As well as the introduction of iPadOS, a separate version
of iOS specifically for the iPad.
iOS
13, expected later this year, is the next iteration of Apple’s mobile device
operating system. iOS13 has had a major overhaul making it faster and more
efficient. It is reported that these improvements make Face ID 30 percent, and apps
launches 50 percent faster. App update times have also been improved as well as
reducing app download sizes.
A new systemwide
Dark Mode option has been added. This changes the entire look of the
operating system from light to dark. You have the option to have Dark mode permanently
enabled or come on at sunset or on a custom schedule.
Apple’s Photos
app has been improved with a new photo library feature in an attempt to intelligently
organise your photos and videos. Editing tools have been revamped too.
A new “Sign In with Apple” feature has been added, allowing a convenient way to log into apps and websites. While this is a similar feature to those offered by Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter it is reported that the enhanced privacy feature means that your logins won’t be tracked, unlike other services. Your Apple ID will be used to authenticate your account via Touch ID or Face ID, and developers will see a unique random ID rather than your real information. Apple are able to even generate single-use randomized email addresses, so you never have to use your real email address. Two-factor authentication has also built into this feature to give you even more security.
Apple’s Maps have received another upgrade and now also include
a “Look Around” feature similar to Google’s
Street View.
Siri has been given a new, more natual sounding voice. Siri Shortcuts have also been improved with the new “Suggested Automations” feature that suggests personalised shortcuts you might want to create.
Accessibility has been improved and expanded with a new Voice Control option that enables you to operate your iPhone or iPad entirely with your voice. There is also a new swipe-based QuickPath keyboard option for quicker text entry.
I have only touched on some of the long list of
changes and new features and there are even more reported for the iOS 13 version
for iPad, iPadOS.
iPadOS has been primarily designed with extra features specifically for the iPad’s larger display. iPadOS will be supported by, All iPad Pros, iPad (5th & 6 generation), iPad mini (5th generation), iPad mini 4, iPad Air (3rd generation) and iPad Air 2.
Amongst a whole host of improvements and
new features, perhaps one of the more exciting additions is mouse support. For the first time you will be able to connect
a USB mouse to an iPad. This has the protentional to open up another set of
access options. Mouse support is currently considered an accessibility feature
and will need to be enabled within the Accessibility settings.
Google IO
Google’s
developer conference, Google IO which took place in May also feature a host of
announcemts, including the new version of Android, Android Q. As well as the
new Google Pixel phones and new Nest Hub Max; improvements to Google Search, Google
Lens, Google Duplex, Google Assistant and more.
Perhaps
the most intriguing was Project Euphoria. This project aims to use Google
technologies to give people with speech impairments their voice back. It is
reported that this new software suite and features, powered by machine learning
will coming to Android. It is not clear yet when, how or even if this will
happen, but it’s certainly going to be interesting to see what develops
As always, I am interested to hear about how you are using mobile and
other smart technology in your centre. I am also available to support and help
where I can.
Martin Pistorius Karten Network Mobile Technology Advisor
Often the basics get overlooked when purchasing PCs so I’ve put together a short guide of what needs to be considered when purchasing PCs. If a user can’t even turn a PC on, how can we expect them to be independent?!
This might be something you to consider when ordering new PCs.
Built in Technology Resource is a fabulous FREE resource which TechAbility’s Fil McIntyre has produced for the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).
The resource comprises approximately 20 short videos designed to show the people we support (and staff) how to get the best out of the built-in settings on devices they already own or use.
EyeControl is a social innovation company, founded to improve the quality of life
for locked-in individuals in home and hospital settings. The EyeControl is the first wearable, simple to
use, and screenless assistive communication device, enabling communication anytime
and anywhere.
AI-powered, eye tracking technology enables
locked-in individuals, such as those suffering from ALS/MND, brain injury or
stroke, as well as ventilated patients, to communicate solely using eye
movements. The EyeControl device can be worn overnight, upon waking, while in
the bathroom and during travel. Restoring the ability to communicate socially
and/or for emergency purposes is life-altering.
EyeControl has a growing base of customers, is
CE marked, FDA listed, ISO certified and is included in the Israeli “Health
Basket” and the UK NHS Supply Chain. The device has also been granted reimbursement
codes for Medicare/Medicaid in the USA.
Tania Suares,
EyeControl’s VP of Operations and Product recently relocated to the UK to
support the product and first users in the region. She has met with 19 Augmentative
and Assistive Communication hubs throughout the UK and demonstrated the
device at innovation and research centres, as well as with actual users. “The
most rewarding part of my work here,” says Tania, “is the opportunity to interact
directly with individuals that benefit from the EyeControl and witness how the
ability to communicate can make a huge difference.”
The EyeControl device for hospital and medical
facility use, is currently undergoing clinical trial at Israel’s Sourasky Medical
Center ICU and is scheduled for an expanded trial at Emory Hospital in the US. The
EyeControl will revolutionize the way locked-in patients communicate inside ICU
departments.
“The company founders
all have personal experience with locked-in loved ones,” says Or Retzkin, CEO
and Co-Founder of EyeControl. “It is deeply moving to help people in the same
situation communicate with those dear to them, who benefit from our work”.
The EyeControl is currently
being sold in the UK and Israel, and will soon be available in other regions as
well. For more information, please contact us: hello@eyecontrol.co.il and/or register to receive our monthly
newsletter and stay updated on our progress: https://www.eyecontrol.co.il/contact.
Sight and Sound Technology’s latest Getting AT Ready event was a great success with a keynote from University College Dublin, a panel discussion featuring the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and workshops from Industry experts that encouraged thought provoking, engaging dialogue from the Higher and Further Education delegate audience.
This year the event was run in conjunction with the Karten Network and Strathclyde University – two organisations who champion best practice in the world of disability.
Feedback from the day was enormously positive and we were excited to hear how inspired people had felt, being able to match the many practical solutions on show at the AT exhibition, to what our speakers had to say. To see the full line-up, workshop leaders’ presentations and much more please go to www.atready.co.uk for more information.
Scanning pens are neat and effective devices to support people who have reading difficulties or dyslexia. They help people to access text discretely and are exam-legal.
Ayrshire College has three campuses across the councils that make up Ayrshire; East Ayrshire, Kilmarnock campus, South Ayrshire, Ayr campus and North Ayrshire, Kilwinning campus. This college has students ranging from 16 to mature students of any age. We also have school students who attend twice a week.
As an Inclusive Learning Officer at Ayrshire College I am always trying to keep abreast of any assistive technologies that can help students with various learning difficulties. I came across the reader pen, specifically the exam reader at an Assistive Technology event at the Golden Jubilee Hotel in Glasgow on the 15th June 2017 and was immediately excited about how it could be used to assist students. Many students with difficulties with processing information and students with dyslexiacan sometimes misread questions during exams. This can lead them to write a great answer to the wrong question.
On returning back to Ayrshire campus I brought this technology to the attention of my team leader who spoke to the Head of Inclusive Learning. They both agreed that this technology was something that the college should invest in. Now, at the end of 2018, the three campuses that make up Ayrshire College have at least half a dozen of these devices, both exam reader and the reader pen each. These devices are very popular with the students.
I am now presenting AT workshops across the campuses to different classes to inform all students, not just those with needs assessments, of the assistive technologies that are available. One of the most popular items during these presentations is the reader pen. Students like the compact size and how it can be set up for left and right-handed users. Additionally, the fact that it is quite discreet and can be used with headphones was something the students commented on.
Student A, studying IMI Motor Vehicle at the Kilmarnock campus, uses the exam reader. This student said this technology was a ’miracle’. They added it also boosted their confidence because they knew they would not get the words mixed up, so knew they were answering the question asked.
Student B, studying HNC Coaching & Developing Sport at the Kilmarnock campus,thought it ‘really helped’. They said it made answering set questions clearer as they knew they would not misinterpret the information. This student also liked the fact they could sit in the class with their peers and do the assessment without being taken out due to the headphones.
This equipment could be adapted in various ways but one that students have brought up is they would like to be able to use it on their laptop or desk top screens. I don’t know how viable this would be.
I find this assistive technology a great learning tool and would definitely recommend it to other schools and colleges. We are always looking at ways to make students more independent learners and this technology definitely helps them to achieve this.
FitzRoy’s first Assistive Technology Week went off with a bang! FitzRoy’s Assistive Technologist Carrie Sant organised three TechForGood roadshows for FitzRoy staff in Norfolk, Hampshire and Birmingham, which really brought assistive technology (AT) alive, with the opportunity to hear from AT suppliers and view their products. Feedback from staff was really positive, including: “It’s amazing how much AT there is for everyday needs” and “mind opener, something for everyone”.
Carrie said: “It’s been really fantastic, everyone has been really engaged, had lots of questions and lots of ideas of how they can use the AT they’ve seen today back at their service. I hope they all go back to their service and talk to their colleagues and the people we support about AT and all the different ways it can help.”
Carrie’s role is to work with FitzRoy services to identify AT solutions for the people we support. Carrie said: “AT is anything that helps people live more independently, more safely or achieve their goals – anything from a smartphone or a tablet to a pendant alarm.”
One of the issues raised at the roadshows was cost. Some AT products are expensive, but Carrie can help services access the various grants available. She is also building up a library of AT items so services can check out products before committing to buying them.
86 FitzRoy staff attended the roadshows, and all were grateful to the tech companies who attended: Inclusive Tech, Possum, MedPage, Amazon Echo, DH2, Abilia and Smartbox. Being able to discuss and handle the products and get advice from the suppliers was invaluable . Carrie said: “A huge thank you to all the suppliers who took the time to come along to our roadshows, we couldn’t have done it without them.” She is already plotting for FitzRoy’s AT week in 2020 – with more suppliers, more people and more tech
Langdon
College is home to LC Print formerly known as the Karten Centre. All the students of the College get together
to manage LC Print. We all work on
different things individually and have chosen jobs on either the creative or
finance side of the business. We make and sell coasters, tea towels, mugs,
satchel bags, tote bags, cards and tea towels.
Students get together to think up designs that will then be used on our products.
We chose a flower design and included a slogan, ‘We are all different flowers
from the same garden,’ which enables us to give over the message about embracing
difference.
We have a
mug press with which we make individualised mugs with photos on them and also
our own designs can be put on mugs. We
have a heat press for making t-shirts, bags, tea-towels and coasters. The computer is used to make images to go on
cards and we have a sublimation printer to print all the designs for the stock.
We have sold
our products at events such Arden College’s Party in the Park event, the Nicky
Alliance Nursing Home, The Friendship Circle Fashion Show and Sale Theatre
Footloose production.
Langdon College
works over two sites and this term, are now starting to collaborate using the
LC Print equipment.
I am part of
the LC Print Finance Team and our income from sales in this academic year has
been £470.51.
Written by
Chana Rus, full time student at Langdon College and Account Manager
The short documentary we called The Extraordinary Lives of Stephanie and Joe came about by chance. At the end of
2018, a friend asked me to forward the link to the Oska Bright Film Festival to
my son, Oscar, who has NVLD (Non-Verbal Learning Disability) and is a
film-maker in his final year at college. The festival, produced by Carousel, a
Brighton-based arts charity, challenges and supports the film industry to
change, and to be more inclusive and representative of the society it serves.
There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK and we see a
variety of people every day in the real world, so why isn’t that reflected on
screen?
The Oska Bright Film
Festival is a disabled-led event that puts people with learning disabilities at
the heart of the work. The intention was
that Norwood would enter this short film in the festival and I was clear that I
wanted the film to provide a glimpse into the lives of the sort of people that Norwood
supports. This was not a promotional
film for Norwood, but rather an opportunity to tell the stories of individuals
connected to the charity and so indirectly highlight the ethos and care for
everyone who comes into contact with Norwood.
This film and Norwood’s involvement in the Oska Bright Film Festival offered
a powerful opportunity to communicate
the work that Norwood does. The overall message was that Norwood is a 21st
century organisation and part of the disability-led narrative. People underestimate those with learning
disabilities and Norwood wants to enable people to attain their full potential.
This film is part of that public attempt to reach out and engage directly with
the learning disabled world in a totally different way; one that embraces
creativity and imagination while celebrating the individual.
I knew that I had my film-maker and editor in Oscar. The film would be fun, uplifting and show how
Stephanie and Joe, two young adults, live their lives to the full with the help
of Assistive Technology. By the end of
the film audiences would see the individuals and not the wheelchairs. Dr
Beverley Jacobson, the CEO of Norwood, gave the go-ahead and the planning
began.
Oscar and I visited
Stephanie and Joe many times, spending time with them and asking them to help
us understand how they use AT. They demonstrated opening and closing doors,
using Eye Gaze, playing Xbox , playing games and so much more. We met with and
spoke to parents and support staff and by the end of the filming period – which
took place over February and March – we knew that we had something very
special. The film was shot on a hand-held camera, documentary style, and Oscar
filmed and edited the footage to 14:33 minutes. We had our film!
The next step was to plan a celebratory premiere with a
screening in a Central London cinema, with full-size posters plastered all
round and goodie bags for everyone. We
achieved all of that and more, as you can see from the picture of Stephanie and
Joe in front of the poster.
The panellists were
an inspiring collection of individuals selected to fit in with and facilitate the
conversations the film prompted. David
Banes runs Access.org, which includes all aspects of access and inclusion
through disability. Ross Atkin is a designer and engineer
and is particularly interested in older and disabled people, digital technology
and public spaces and works on a variety of projects that combine at least
two of these areas. Jessi Parrott is
a writer, performer and PhD student who has cerebral palsy and
campaigns for equality and inclusion for disabled people. Jenny Sealey is CEO of Graeae Theatre Company, an integrated
dis/abled theatre company, who told the audience: “What
Graeae does is make theatre that matters and challenges audiences perceptions:
they ‘fall into’ the play so they stop judging. It stops being about disability,
and becomes about talent.” Cassie
Gurling is Musical Inclusion Practitioner & Manager for Drake Music,
which believes that everyone
has the right to express themselves creatively through music and uses new
technologies and ideas to open up access to music for all. Their vision is a
world where disabled and non-disabled musicians work together as equals.
The screening took place on 13 June 2019 at the Curzon
Cinema, Mayfair and, thanks to the generosity of supporters and sponsors, we
all had a truly extraordinary night at the cinema with Stephanie and Joe.
The Karten Project here at Vision North Somerset has been a
great example of partnership working between The Karten Trust, the Royal
National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and ourselves for the past six years. Blind and partially sighted people have
benefitted from one to one tuition with volunteers to enable them to use
computers, tablets and iphones and it has changed their lives.
However, we know there are lots of people in rural North
Somerset that simply cannot get to our centre in Weston super Mare because they
cannot drive and are not able to use public transport due to their loss of
sight or other health issues.
At our recent Open Day, Vision North Somerset launched four
new lottery projects including a Digital Outreach Service to enable isolated,
lonely people with sight loss to take advantage of all that IT has to
offer. By taking our Karten Project out
to people, we can ensure that they have the opportunity to be part of on line
communities, stay in touch with family and friends by email, shop on line, use specialist apps
which guide or support blind people or indeed, any of the other options that we
all take for granted.
Jo Healy is our new
Digital Outreach Worker, her part time post is entirely funded by the National
Lottery. Jo said “I can’t believe how
busy we were at the Open Day, people were really keen to know what was on offer
and how they could be involved.” Jo has
previously volunteered as a Tutor with our Karten project and has an extensive
knowledge of the options available to support blind and partially sighted
people. “I am visually impaired myself so I know just how isolating it can be – it’s great
to be able to offer people such a great opportunity, especially people who
don’t find it easy to get out and about, because they are the people that
benefit most.”
Chief Executive Celia Henshall explained: “The Digital
Outreach project works with Connect ME, Buddy Volunteering and a rural Outreach
Service to help us reach people, connect people and involve them in our local
communities. All options link in and
interact to ensure that blind and partially sighted people can be involved in
whatever way they choose”.
Staff and students at RNIB College can occasionally be a
little reluctant to take part in songs, films and performances. But not this year.
We had our Christmas show in December and all students took part in at least one performance. For the first time we had a lot of films and the students and staff enjoyed making their films. The Media Hub team were on hand to provide support, or to do the filming. The team identified that not all students and staff knew how to make a film, so we showed them how to film (see photo of student in Christmas hat). We also started making How To Guides (eg How to film using an iPad) for staff and students in order to improve the quality of films.
The team also finished making the
Emergency Services and Autism film which was requested by the Leicestershire
Police for their Autism Awareness event (see photo of a character from the
Autism film). Students and staff learned
how to make simple animations for this film.
In May we held our Eurovision
event. Each Enterprise worked on their
own project for their allocated country.
The Media Hub created a short Travelogue film for Croatia and some of
the other performances were films, including the Hardest Karaoke Song in the
World from Iceland by
the Speech and Language Therapy groups (see photo of two students
dressed for Icelandic weather in front of a lovely Icelandic scene). It proved to be the catchiest tune of the day
(and we are still singing it months later).
The film was made using iPads against a greenscreen.
For
the final term students and staff chose to do the Friends song and the Friends
theme. This theme captured students’ imagination
and we used a lot of media technology to make the finished product. We recorded the students and staff singing
and took photos of the students and staff with their friends. The Friends background was then added in
post-production using editing software (see photo showing staff at RNIB college
in front of the Central Perk café).
During our Celebration Event
parents and visitors with their families and the students were invited to have
their own photos taken in front of the green screen. Photos were then edited instantly to create
the Friends themed backgrounds and printed off for the parents as a souvenir of
the day.
The new sound system in the
Arts Centre worked perfectly for the Leavers’ presentation, and the parents and
visitors were impressed with the amount of technology that had been used in College
in the films, photo-stories and presentations throughout the year.
The use of technology has had
an impact on students in College, and this is what some of the them said:
“I am going to miss media.
I can make films on my iPad at home now and I learned how to edit my
films.” (LC)
“I can lead the Media group and I know what to do.” (LS)
“My mum has bought me a tablet and I can use it to take
photos and film things like my mum sneezing.” (ER)
I also asked a couple of staff
members about what was the most challenging when working in Media Hub. The answer was unanimous – putting away the
collapsible green screen was the most challenging piece of equipment.
We have already started
planning for next year and have an awful lot of work to do – we have had a few
film requests from external customers already, and our new Media Hub trainer
started this month with a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm for all things Media
and we are also moving to a bigger room.
I am sure that our second year as a Karten Network Centre will be even
better than the first.
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