Posted in All posts, What We're Up To
Hi, I’m Alan Pollard, DU Tutor in Salisbury. I cover an area of Wiltshire south of the Salisbury Plain and into East Dorset and West Hampshire.
For the past year, I’ve been President of the British Computer Society (BCS). During my year I adopted a theme called BCS In the Community in which I encouraged all our members and Branches to do something in their local area by way of voluntary service using their IT skills.
I set a President’s Challenge with a prize for the best entry. The winner was Isle of Man BCS, where members have created a computer drop in centre primarily for people with disabilities at the Leonard Cheshire Disability Centre in Onchan, I.o.M., so that they can offer the access to the IT facilities we take for granted.
BCS Members, worked with Keith Fitton, Service Manager of Leonard Cheshire to ensure that the critical items were secured for the drop in centre.
BCS Members Nick Smith from Phoenix IT, John Cannell from RBS, Tracy Kinrade from Central Software and Peter Jackson from Open Systems Management worked together to plan, source and install all the IT requirements needed for 4 disabled users at the centre.
The idea of the computer drop in centre is to meet three requirements:
- Provide a facility where disabled people can simply come along for an element of social activity while they surf the internet or check their e-mail and perhaps do their shopping on line.
- Offer an opportunity to develop completely new skills for people who have not used computers before
- Enable the process of supporting disabled people along the path either to further education or employment.
Other local Manx companies have supported the scheme to enable the project team to get the centre up and running these include Cains Advocates who purchased flexible computer desks which can be adjusted to allow wheel chair users to seat comfortably while working on the computer. Gary Shilling from Wi Manx has donated a router and provided adsl internet access. Timberland flooring who have transformed the centre by donating a new floor which is more wheel chair friendly. Games Master of Ramsey donated a Wii game station.
Tracy Kinrade from Central Software commented ’New technology has great potential to overcome barriers in education, the workplace and social life for disabled and older people’. The project team were all delighted to be involved with this project and excited that this facility will provide its many users with the facilities and access to the world which we all take for granted!’
The centre was opened by The Island’s Department of Health and Social Security chief executive David Killip, who said: ‘It’s clearly going to be a wonderful facility.’
October 19th, 2009 bobholmes |
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