The iMuse Programme

Programme dates: October 2011 – ongoing
The iMuse programme is managed by the charity, AACT, in partnership with small/modest sized museums and galleries.

It aims to enable everyone, especially those with communication difficulties, to increase their enjoyment of, learn from and interact with museums and other visitors. We are working with museums and visitors to try out various types of mobile device such as smartphones and iPads.

We run projects, testing out methods with museum staff, volunteers and visitors.

Along the way we have made some general discoveries and raised more general questions.

iMuse Projects

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iMuse has its own Twitter stream
You can view our old page and blog here.

Communicating via video

Project dates: January 2011 – March 2012
Ken, our Founder, and four young adult volunteers worked with two special schools to train pupils and their supporters in the use of computer-aided video communication to help them build confidence in communication.

iSay

Project dates: November 2010 – May 2011
AACT was a partner, alongside the Museum of English Rural Life and Reading Voluntary Action, in this small pilot supported by an RSA Fellowship scheme.

It brought together people in the Reading area who have an interest in IT and communication disability. As a result, and through the generosity of Widgit Software Ltd, a student project to implement a social media system was able to use their symbol system designed to help people of all ages who have communication challenges.

This was used in early tests of various IT enabling access to museums. This pilot ran from Autumn 2010 with a project to embed the symbol system taking place over the Summer of 2011. iSay then moved into form the iMuse Programme.

Summer 2010 Project

Project dates: June-August 2010
A generous grant from eaConsulting made it possible for our Founder, Ken, to have additional assistance over the Summer 2010 period.
As well as background research on communications disabilities and on fundraising, this represented an opportunity to make presentations on AACT and selective mutism to both a school and to a group of Chinese teachers during their Summer vacation course at Bulmershe Court.

Virtual Learning Academy

Project dates: 2009-2010
The aim of this one year project, led by the charity Deafax, was to train a group of school-children, with communications difficulties related to hearing impairment, in ICT.

AACT supported this work which involved 45 children, both in schools and in the Virtual Learning Centre based at Bulmershe Court.