University of East London Homepage

My New Media Life - UEL conference set to showcase use of new media to improve lives of people with learning difficulties

Thursday 25 September 2008

A unique University of East London (UEL) conference showcasing the ways in which multimedia technology is transforming the lives of people with learning disabilities throughout the UK will take place at the British Museum on Wednesday 1 October.

My New Media Life is organised by the Rix Centre of innovation for learning disability at UEL. There are at least 1.5 million people in the UK with a learning disability; the Rix Centre aims to improve their lives through the development of new media technologies.

The conference is sponsored by the Social Care Institute for Excellence and will be opened by Lord Rix, Chancellor of the University of East London and a former Chairman of Mencap.

Other key speakers include Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, Andy Minnion, Director of the Rix Centre, Allan Bowman, Chair of the Department of Health's Social Care Institute for Health, and a range of ‘new media champions’ – people with learning disabilities who have already used multimedia tools to help change their lives for the better.

Andy Minnion said: “My New Media Life will offer a unique opportunity to probe the ethical issues and sketch the road ahead in the use of new media to enrich the lives of millions of people with learning disabilities.

”Many are already using computers, digital cameras and sound and video recorders for advocacy, support and social inclusion. At My New Media Life, some will demonstrate, with the support of the practitioners they work with, the tools and practices that are currently revolutionizing support for the learning disabilities community."

My New Media Life will highlight how multimedia technology has helped people with learning disabilities at a range of social care establishments, including East London Media Advocacy, the Swansea Community Living Network, and the Glasgow “Common Knowledge” independent living project. These and other examples will be used to inform directors and managers of social care across the UK.

The first ever national guide map of multimedia for social care for people with learning disabilities will also be launched at the conference, offering case studies to address the implications of new media on the Mental Health Act, organisational budgets, self-directed services and the roles of advocates and brokers.

My New Media Life will take place at the British Museum Conference Centre on Wednesday 1 October. Exhibitions will demonstrate model practice, and delegates will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of new media technology and browse through the tools available. For further information and booking, visit www.rixcentre.org/events or call 020 8223 7561.

The Rix Centre at UEL is a charity and Research & Development Centre dedicated to the exploration of the uses of new media technology for the benefit of the learning disability community. Based at the Docklands campus, the Centre has developed technologies and courses to support those with learning disabilities and their carers. For further information, visit www.rixcentre.org.

For further details and photos contact Hana Esselink, Press Officer, University of East London, 020 8223 2194 / 07595 056 245

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Information for screenreader users:

For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link: Link to general description

For further information on this web site’s accessibility features please follow this link: Link to accessibility information