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AbilityNet projects
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New and current projects
Access Materials
Written material both on screen and on the printed page needs to be accessible in order for individuals to be able to extract information they require from the text.
Word processing and desktop publishing packages allow us to create eye catching content which can be often inaccessible to many readers due to over design, over use of colours and typefaces. But content can both look great and be accessible, by creating documents with a clear structure and layout and using a clear typeface, we can produce documents that will not just be eye catching but much more readable.
The aim of this project is to highlight some of the issues that can prevent text and online content from being accessible.
Sustaining Switched On Communities
Sustaining Switched on Communities is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and aims to reach Voluntary and Community Organisations in the North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and London with accessibility kit, training, ongoing support and a loan bank of accessible ICT.
Working with appointed Community Partners in each region the project will be supporting one hundred and thirty two organisations in the four regions.
Play AT ICT Northern Ireland
Play AT ICT Northern Ireland project is funded by the Roald Dahl Foundation working with five regional Education and library boards in Northern Ireland and supporting 26 Nursery Schools, providing training and assessments and a loan bank of assistive technology for those participating in this project.
This project is aimed at increasing the utilisation and awareness of the value of accessible technology with pre-school education.
Contact – preschool@abilitynet.org.uk.
APSIS4all
APSIS4all is a European project aimed at personalising Public Digital Terminals for all. It also overcomes the existing accessibility barriers faced by people unfamiliar with ICT, people with disabilities and older people when interacting with Public Digital Terminals, such as ATMs and Ticket Vending Machines.
APSIS4all will increase user satisfaction, regardless of disability, age or digital literacy, by providing new, customised interaction modes, including adaptive interfaces and interaction through the user’s mobile, thus offering users a truly personalised service adapted to their needs and preferences.
Partially funded by the European Commission, APSIS4all is a three-year project bringing together 12 partners from all over Europe. The accessible, usable and personalised services will be deployed by 2013 in real-life settings in 65 ATMs in Barcelona (Spain), and in 24 TVMs in Paderborn (Germany).
ATIS4all
Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All
ATIS4all is a European Thematic Network which main objective seeks to facilitate everyone's access to the most suitable AT or accessibility device and service according to their needs, preferences and contextual characteristics (e.g. ICT solution, environment constraints, user device, language, etc.). For this purpose, ATIS4all will start and maintain an open, collaborative portal offering reliable information on AT and inclusive products and services, and cutting-edge technological trends. ATIS4all will contain Web 2.0 participation tools in order to encourage online discussion exchange of knowledge and expertise, and sharing of information among key actors and end users.
Sense-Park
European project to establish a more personalised but objective system of measuring and monitoring Parkinson’s.
This will have major implications for both the on-going management and wellbeing for people living with the condition, as well as ensuring the relevance and accuracy of the assessment of people with Parkinson’s in clinical trials. Current assessment scales do not take into account that the symptoms of Parkinson’s are different in everyone. They are reliant on subjective snapshots of the condition and often have no application or relevance to the individual nature of the condition or the priorities of the person involved.
The Sense-Park project presents an opportunity to introduce a means of measuring Parkinson’s from the perspective of the individual living with the illness. It will do this with reference to the use of the most up-to-date technology and methodology to ensure the retention of as much scientific integrity and application as possible.
The resulting product will provide a new assessment tool or device for Parkinson’s which is both accessible and engaging to people with Parkinson’s. The device will be characterised by its capture of continuous and wide-ranging data which is personal to the individual thereby improving the treatment of Parkinson’s in the following ways:
- A means of allowing people with Parkinson’s to record and analyse the patterns and traits of their own condition and take greater control over their sense of wellbeing.
- Allows for more relevant and personalised discussion between a person with Parkinson’s and their clinicians. Improvements in this communication will enable better overall management and tailoring of a treatment plan.
- The personalisation capabilities of the measurement tool will make the case for outcome measures in clinical trials to become more patient orientated and therefore arguably more accurate and relevant.
For further information visit The Cure Parkinson's Trust or Parkinson's Movement websites.