Visit iMuse in the RG spaces tent at East Reading Festival Sunday 14 June Palmer Park to play Splat Medusa on our iPads. Fun for all (warning – children are normally faster than adults!). Highest scores of the day win prizes. All entries put into a draw for extra prizes too. Art work by Addington School, Woodley, as part of the Ure Discovery project, 2012-13.
Visit RG spaces at East Reading Festival 14 June Palmer Park 12-6
Have fun trying out our iPads with interesting stuff that’s right here in East Reading – an artist in the Harris Garden, London Road Campus Heritage Trail, Greek wax tablet, a Ladybird book.
Learn how iMuse worked with local museums and schools to create these ‘miniapps’ and join iOpener to make your own trails.
iMuse & iOpener move to RG spaces
The iMuse and iOpener programmes run by the charity Access-Ability Communications Technology (AACT) are moving to RG spaces in Summer 2015. iMuse works with museums and galleries locally to seek lowcost ways of using mobile phones and tablets to make visits more fun and accessible for everyone. iOpener is experimenting with making online trails and encouraging people to make their own around Reading.
iOpener at #OpenForArt
iOpener is taking part alongside our sister project, iMuse, in the 4-6 July 2014 OpenForArt pop-up artist exhibition and events.
We’ll be trialling making a trail around 5 iconic Reading landmarks using our mobile phones and tablets like iPads. Meet us in the Oracle, old Crabtree and Evelyn shop, HolyBrook entrance.
Ure Move Launch 14 June 2014
It is with great pleasure that the curators and student panel of the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology invite you to attend the Grand Opening of Ure Move, an exciting project and exhibition we have developed with the charity Access-Ability Communication Technology (AACT) as part of Universities Week 2014.
We take this opportunity to celebrate the invaluable work of our University students and the pupils of 3 local schools (Addington School, Kendrick School and Maiden Erlegh School) who together created this original exhibition. The Grand Opening will include a private preview of the exhibition, which shows the Ure collection through new eyes. Guests will also have the opportunity to look around the collection, play with the interactive iPad application or have a go at making their own short stop motion animations. Activities should enthuse people of all ages and abilities.
Saturday 14th June starting at 4.30 pm.
Please RSVP at ure.education@reading.ac.uk.
Run 10K for AACT!
We have 3 places left in the British 10K Run, central London, 13 July 2014. Contact info@aact.org.uk and see link on our British 10K Run page
AACT/iMuse iPad webapp in Ure Museum for everyone to enjoy
Just come along during opening hours and ask to use an iPad – or you can go to the Library to see the material created by young people and use the iPad ‘wax tablet’- watch the animations and follow your guide, Sophie, Athena’s owl.
Another artist’s text-free mini-app planned
iMuse is working with artist, Jenny Halstead, to produce a low-cost mini-app for an in-exhibition iPad.
Jenny recently spent a year as Artist in Residence in the Harris Garden at the University of Reading, painting and drawing as the seasons changed. Her exhibition in the Museum of English Rural Life, Reading, runs from 24 May to 30 June 2013.
Jenny has recorded her thoughts on each painting. Visitors will be able to see each painting both for real and on our iPad, where they can blow it up to look at detail down to the brushstroke, and tap to hear Jenny describing her reactions to each scene and her painting methods.
AACT’s special interest is in showing how such relatively simply implemented techniques can enhance an exhibition for everyone, particularly by communicating its meaning to those with sight impairment or who find reading text on labels difficult.
Though the iPad will be tethered on a cord for security, visitors will be able to pick it up to share what they find with companions, and it is hoped that this will further encourage communication between them.
Launch date for Ure Discovery exhibition set!
The Ure Discovery Arts Council England Project, in which AACT/iMuse is a partner alongside 2 mainstream schools and one special school, will have its exhibition officially launched on 15th June.
All will be welcome to this family-centred event, with an Greek-pot activity in aid of AACT, talks by the animator, Steve Simons, and the pupils who created the exhibition. And of course, the iMuse iPad trail led by Sophie the Owl!
Accessible version of YouTube launched
This looks most interesting, especially given AACT/iMuse experience with young people in museums, where video ‘explanation’ of objects seems popular.
News Release [from JISC]
14 February 2013
Henshaws College and Jisc launch an accessible YouTube website
Henshaws College has launched an accessible version of YouTube, which was funded by Jisc through Jisc Advance. It allows people with learning difficulties and disabilities to use this mainstream technology independently.
ACCESS: YouTube simplifies the standard You Tube site making it easier to search and play videos, and allows the use of assistive technologies. It is now publicly available so everyone can benefit from this accessible method.
Mike Thrussell, assistive technology coordinator, explains the challenges facing many of his students when trying to use the standard YouTube website: “Students at Henshaws College have a range of needs from visual impairments to additional learning difficulties and disabilities. Our students love YouTube, but the standard site contains a lot of extra content such as adverts, comments and links which can be distracting. This makes the site difficult to navigate using assistive technologies such as screen-readers and as a result some students require support to use it.”
Mike has spent the last 18 months developing ACCESS: YouTube to try and overcome these issues, and allow students to use the site more independently: “I have used large fonts, visual cues and a logical layout to improve access using assistive technologies. By simplifying the site and removing content such as adverts and comments, the website is more accessible to screen readers.” For Henshaws students, this means they can independently control their leisure time without the need for support. Staff can also be confident that students will be kept safe as the site automatically filters out any inappropriate material.
Nigel Ecclesfield, programme manager at Jisc Advance says: “We are delighted to have provided the funding for the development of this wonderful tool that opens up the world of YouTube to those with visual difficulties. YouTube provides access to many exceptional educational resources and we are proud to be associated with a project that will make a real difference to the lives of many learners as they can now access these materials independently.
“For example, twenty one year old Billy is severely sight impaired and has cerebral palsy which affects his movement. He uses two large switches and scrolls through the simplified menu to navigate ACCESS: YouTube. Screen reader software then reads out each option for him so that he can select or search for videos he wants to listen to.”
Billy explains: “When I first started, I didn’t know how to use it, but now I can play videos without help. I have made my own playlists for my favourite videos including Take That and Kylie Minogue. I can use the site out of college sessions. It’s great to have the freedom to do this.”
Chris Surtees, from the North East Autism Society says: “ACCESS: YouTube is minimalistic, clean and allows a learner with additional support needs to increase their independence whilst accessing a form of media which appeals to them.”
Henshaws hopes the technology will have a positive impact even beyond the specialist education sector, as Mike explains: “ACCESS: YouTube is just the first in a whole suite of accessible websites which we are developing at Henshaws College thanks to funding from Jisc service – Jisc Advance. The launch of similar accessible websites later in the year will allow users of assistive technology to search for images online, to give honest independent evaluations using a feedback tool and to access personal email accounts. These sites have huge potential to make browsing the internet easier for a whole range of people.”
The developments come at an exciting time for Henshaws as they coincide with the college’s new Media and IT Centre which is due to open this spring. Facilities will include an IT suite, two recording studios and a print centre which will be fully accessible to students and local community groups. The building of this new facility was made possible by the generosity of Henshaws supporters. Henshaws thank the trusts, businesses, individuals and students who made this happen.
Henshaws welcome any comments or feedback on the ACCESS: YouTube website. mike.thrussell@henshaws.org.uk
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Contact: Charlie Covington, press officer, Jisc, c.covington@jisc.ac.uk, 07841951296.
Notes to editors
Henshaws Society for Blind People (registered charity no. 221888) is a specialist charity providing expert support, advice and training to anyone affected by sight loss. We also work with people with other disabilities, and because sight loss and disability affects family, friends and colleagues, we work with them too.
Henshaws is one of the oldest charities in the UK, opening in Manchester in 1837. This year we Our services support children and babies, their families, young and older people by providing reassurance, practical support and in some cases simply companionship.
We work throughout the North of England, with centres and communities in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Manchester, Merseyside and Newcastle.
Henshaws College, our further education college in Harrogate, specialises in visual impairment and caters for students with disabilities aged between 16 and 25. The college enables every student to reach his or her maximum level of independence, gain vocational skills and supports the transition into adult life.
Each of our centres offers different services and programmes – but they all have a common goal: to enable the people who use our services to live an independent and fulfilling life.
Henshaws College, Bogs Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 4ED
Tel: 01423 886451 www.henshaws.org.uk
Jisc
Jisc is an independent education charity, owned by AoC, GuildHE and UUK. It provides UK higher education, further education and skills sectors support on the use of digital technologies. It provides advice and guidance through Jisc Advance and owns a subsidiary company, Jisc Collections and Janet Limited, which provides an academic telecommunications network infrastructure and content services for over 18 million users across the UK.
Jisc’s vision is to make the UK the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world. Jisc’s mission is to enable the education sector in the UK to perform at the forefront of international practice by exploiting fully the possibilities of modern digital empowerment, content and connectivity.
Find out more at www.jisc.ac.uk or contact Charlie Covington of the Jisc press office on c.covington@jisc.ac.uk, 07841951296 or press@jisc.ac.uk.
Assistive technology is specialist equipment or software, including screen readers, switches or eye gaze systems, which allow people with disabilities to use computers and other devices which would otherwise be inaccessible to them.