 T ECHDIS AMBASSADORS
LAUNCHED……...………1
Na tSpe c Co nfe r en ce
March 2014
 HAVE YOU HEARD?...
T ECHDIS T IDBITS……...2
 £1M FUNDING FOR DISABILITY
PROJECTS……………..….....2
 T ECHNOLOGY ADVISORY
GROUP (TAG)…...........2
Jisc TechDis
update
INDEPENDENT SPECIALIST COLLEGES AND
JISC TECHDIS —WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP.
TechDis Ambassadors
Programme
Sharing stories and celebrating technology, independence
and individual achievement
A Jisc TechDis Ambassador is someone with a disability who
shares and celebrates their use of technology in learning or work. We are encouraging disabled staff and learners (who are 16 or
over) to send in their stories telling us who they are, what
technology they are using, what it does and how it helps them.
These short personal stories may be a video, an audio file or a
written document. We aim to be inclusive; this is not a competition
and the technology need not be new or innovative. It simply needs
to have helped the individual to become a more independent
learner.
Ambassadors are champions of technology. They are not
representatives of TechDis nor do they need to ‘do’ anything for
us.
Each will receive an official letter and certificate from TechDis for
their portfolios. In addition, their story will be published on the Jisc
TechDis blog.
The programme was launched on the 20th of March which was
World Storytelling Day. We hope we get enough Ambassador
stories so that we can share one a day throughout May which is
National Share a Story Month.
The website has more information, guidance and examples as
well as an application form.
If you know of any potential TechDis Ambassadors, please do
encourage them to apply.
jisctechdis.ac.uk/techdis/learnersandstudents/ambassadors
Have you heard...
...TechDis Titbits
InBook
InBook is a joint project
developed between TechDis
and Beaumont College. InBook
is a secure social networking
system that provides a
protected space for learners to
practice safe and responsible
online behaviour. The project
team have developed a range of
activities for students to explore
during InBook sessions around
the 5 e-Safe Ts.
Recognising and
Recording Progress and
Achievement (RARPA)
TechDis are delighted to have
been on the advisory group for
the Natspec-led RARPA
projects. We worked with a wide
range of professionals and had
the opportunity to comment on
and discuss the excellent work
that was undertaken.
T ECHNOLOGY
A DVISORY
GROUP
Special Educational Needs
or Disability (SEND) reforms
Techdis are starting a significant
piece of work on the SEND
reforms with London Councils
which co-ordinates work across
all 32 London Boroughs.
The work will involve themed
projects with local authorities,
health services and education
providers to accelerate the
development of processes to
implement the SEND reforms.
£1M funding for
disability projects
Funding has been awarded to eight innovative projects that will make a
real difference to people with disabilities. There were two competitions with
four successful bids for each.
‘Ready steady STEM' is about opening up access to science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects for disabled learners.
1. STEMReader: hearing maths through technology - ECS Partners
Limited, University of Southampton.
2. Accessible Chemical Diagrams - The University of Birmingham.
3. EQUS (Enhacing the Quality and Usability of Spreadsheets) - Sheffield
Hallam University Enterprises Ltd.
4. OSLO: Opening STEM Learning to Everyone - Plextex Limited, Essex
The second competition, called ‘Good to go’, is about increasing
independence in unfamiliar or challenging environments by giving people
easy access to the information they need when they need it.
1. Work Buddy - Serious Games Institute, Coventry University.
2. Virtual Assistance for Independent Performance in a Changing
Working Environment (VirtuAssist) - Fundosa Technosite S.A., Spain.
3. Flycatcher - National Star College, Cheltenham.
4. Spatial Memories Framework – EDINA, University of Edinburgh.
This is the second time that Jisc TechDis has promoted and managed
SBRI competitions specifically aimed at exploring and developing assistive
technologies to support independent learning, working and living.
The Technology Advisory
Group (TAG) for
Specialist Colleges was
set up following the ISC
Strategic Technologies
event in June 2013.
It replaced the Specialist
Colleges Advisory Group
(SCAG) and has a more
strategic focus. It aims to
ensure that the sector
uses technology to add
value to the experience of
students with learning
difficulties and/or
disabilities.
There is also a technical
sub-group of network
managers to offer support
and advice. We have
recently created a jiscmail
list to share the work of
the technical sub-group to
all network managers in
the sector.
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/ISCTECHNICAL
Make sure your network
manager joins the list!
Contact Jisc TechDis • Tel: +44 (0)1904 717580 • helpdesk@techdis.ac.uk • www.jisctechdis.ac.uk
Jisc TechDis c/o The Higher Education Academy, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales no. 04931031.
Registered charity, England and Wales 1101607. Registered charity Scotland, SC043946. VAT Registered no. GB 152 1219 50