Projects
The Rix Centre’s research and development work has grown around a series of pioneering Projects that explore different technologies with people with learning disabilities and supporters in various learning and social care contexts.
Since 2006 we have established the Rix Living Lab as a specialist focus for our project work and we currently have two significant Projects in process in this unique R&D setting.
Current research projects include:
The Rix Living Lab
At the heart of the Rix Centre’s approach to research and development methodology is the ‘Rix Centre Living Lab’ in which the Rix Centre works with people with learning disabilities, their families and supporters in a project call ’Rix Living Lab’. There are a number of ‘Living Lab’ projects run by different organisations in various parts of the world.
A ‘Living Lab’ is a technology research and development programme that grows directly within in the type of setting that it is designed for, in partnership with a sample of the type of people that the project is intended to serve. In the Rix Living Lab, which is based in East London, we develop and trial software products, training and support with the very people that we aim to help, in their homes, schools and places of work, in other words the ‘real-world’ settings in which we want our work to make a difference.
Find out more about Rix Living Lab.
The Transition Portal Project, is using easy-build Websites with over 40 different small organisations across the London Borough of Newham. Young people with learning disabilities are using these tools to create their own web content to provide information and guidance about life in the community after leaving school for the benefit of other young disabled people. The ‘transition’ into the wider community, the world of work, further education and independence, is an especially difficult experience for young people with learning disabilities.
This Project is exploring the value of web content-generation as a way of establishing accessible and meaningful information through this unique ‘peer education’ approach. The project is a joint initiative with the Social Care Institute for Excellence and will result in the publication of a detailed report about this pioneering approach to supporting young people through transition. Newham Local Authority is also a partner in this project and has seconded a member of staff to work with the Rix Centre for a full year.
Visit the website developed by young people on this project at www.newhameasyread.org
Inclusive New Media Design is an exciting new project which aims to encourage web designers, developers and editors to build websites accessible to people with intellectual disabilities.
The project will explore effective strategies for encouraging new media designers to produce websites that are accessible to people with learning disabilities, through a series of free workshops, interviews and observations with designers.
The project is being led by Dr Helen Kennedy as part of the AHRC/EPSRC Designing for 21st Century initiative.
For more information visit the Inclusive New Media Design website.
The Big Tree: a new online community which is set to revolutionise access to the world wide web for people with a learning disability.
The site is intended to be a ‘practitioners’ site where all those involved with the provision and use of technologies, tools and training can share the same forum. It aims to become the ‘keynote’ vehicle for sharing relevant information and resources.
As its name suggests, The Big Tree hopes to grow organically, with input added by users of the site. It aims to provide a forum linking people with a learning disability to resources and people with similar interests.
To see the Big Tree for yourself go to www.thebigtree.org and find out more.
Interactive Environments
Our ‘Interactive Environments’ Project is in partnership with the young people and staff at the Tower Project in Limehouse. This project is exploring the use of innovative assistive devices with video cameras, microphones and data projectors to forge new channels for communication and social interaction for young people with profound and complex disabilities.
After several months of lab-based work at UEL, we are to set up a dedicated Interactive Zone at the Tower Project’s premises, where we will continue to experiment with ground-breaking technologies that provide new avenues for connecting and interacting with the worlds of young people who are often mistakenly perceived to be incapable of self expression.
