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ClickStart project for people with learning disabilities gets the green light

Thursday 11 December 2008

Over 5,000 young people with learning disabilities in North East London will get vital help with their transition to a more independent life from the ClickStart project starting this week at UEL’s Rix Centre.

ClickStart will build 500 easily-accessible websites in 10 London boroughs including Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets. ClickStart is the largest project ever used to help people with learning disabilities access websites to help them make the important transition to life in the community after school.

Andy Minnion, Director of the Rix Centre said: "We are delighted ClickStart has begun. It will bring direct benefit to thousands in the community as a result of our research and development efforts – that’s not only those with learning disabilities, but also their families and carers."

A central part of ClickStart is the involvement of people with learning disabilities. The Editorial Team with learning disabilities include Jason Wilkinson, Lee Cornwell and Vivek Pillai. They work at the Rix Centre helping to develop the websites and test the software and come from Ellingham Employment Services, a not for profit vocational-guidance training and supported employment service for people with learning disabilities.

The team have impressed borough representatives by developing an audio, photo and text website during a short briefing session. They also have laptops, cameras and audio recorders handy for their work.

ClickStart is aimed at 14- to 25-year-olds with learning disabilities making the transition to an independent adult life. Easily accessible multi-media websites can help them do this. ClickStart will build a portal website for each borough fed by satellite sites created by the learning disability communities in those boroughs.

The project will be completed by the end of March 2009.

The Rix Centre is a charitable R&D centre at UEL committed to realising the benefits of new media technology to transform the lives of people with learning disabilities.

Ends
UEL Press Office contacts Hana Esselink 020 8223 6239/ 07595 056245 or Patrick Wilson 07951 797975

For further information about the Rix Centre contact Andy Minnion, Director of the Rix Centre on 020 8223 7561 or visit www.rixcentre.org

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.

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