Latest Projects
For information on all of our research projects visit www.thebigtree.org/
SYMBOL SURFING - Started in September 2009 this exciting year long project, funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, aims to research & develop ways in which cutting edge symbol recognition technologies can help people with profound learning disabilities access, control and surf the internet using hand held flash cards to control their computers.
TOWER HAMLETS SIX LIVES PROJECT - This project was commissioned by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in response to the Government’s ’Six Lives’ Report. The Rix Centre ran a series of workshops across the region using the Multimedia Advocacy approach and an inclusive video production team to enable participants with learning disabilities to voice their experiences of healthcare in the borough. The stories were captured on DVD and presented to the Tower Hamlets Six Lives Panel by the projects’ participants with learning disabilities in November 2009.
CLICK START - This project, in partnership with Ellingham Employment Services and funded by the Learning Skills Council, started in 2008. In the first phase an ’easy build’ software package was developed, enabling staff and service users across ten London Boroughs to quickly and easily create highly accessible ’Wiki’ websites. The ’Wikis’ provide useful information & peer advice to young people with learning disabilites about local services and opportunities related to the transtition to independent living. Over 200 Wiki sites were created. Phase two of the project began in October 2009 and will see the refinement and further development of the software package, as well as a programme of training and collaborative research with people with learning disabilities and their supporters from the ten participating East London Boroughs. Click Start aims to establish a robust, successful model for running Click Start in any local borough by Spring 2010.
NEWHAM SCHOOLS INCLUSION PROJECT - The London Borough of Newham and the North London SEN Regional Hub have commissioned the Rix Centre to carry out a research project called ’What constitutes good progress for children with Special Educational Needs?’. Using the Multimedia Advocacy methodology the Rix Centre is carrying out research at schools in Newham during winter 2009, working with children to make Multimedia Advocacy portfolios and investigate the ideas and perceptions that they have about their own learning progression.
MULTIMEDIA ADVOCACY FOR MENTAL CAPACITY - This project which began in September 2009 was commissioned by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) to support the effective implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 through the application of Multimedia for accessible information and advocacy. The Rix Centre will working with people who have been deemed to have ’lacked mental capacity’ at some time in their lives alongside their key supporters to examine the communication issues that arise as the Act is implemented. The project aims to identify practical, inclusive and effective ways of using multimedia to tackle these issues and bring together useful, accessible information for all those involved in mental capacity diagnosis, evidencing, support and advocacy.
IN-FOLIO - Commissioned by Jisc TechDis, with funding from the LSC, and developed in partnership with staff and students from six of the UK’s leading specialist colleges, the Rix Centre has created In-Folio, a uniquely accessible e-portfolio for students with learning difficulties and disabilities. In-Folio has been produced as open source software and is supported by an online user community and online ’blog’.
