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U Can DO I.T Annual Report for 2001/2002:CoverTitle reads: Our new name is U Can Do I.T, our old name was WAACIS Annual Report 2001 - 2002 We are a registered charity enabling blind, deaf and disabled people in London to learn how to use the Internet in their own homes at a cost they can afford Page 2 Trustees Report(Photo of Trustees) This has been a very good year in which we have confirmed both the need and the viability of the U Can Do I.T. service. The main highlights of the year: We have given 1,583 individual tutorials, which is an increase of 97.6% on the previous year. Our target for next year is 2,375 tutorials - a further increase of 50%. We have given training to 241 student learners. We have changed the name of the charity to describe the opportunity we offer blind, deaf and disabled people and encourage them to participate. We have developed and implemented our Equal Opportunities Policy. For example, 50% of our tutors and a substantial number of our students come from ethnic minority backgrounds, while our tutor team includes people with disabilities. We also comply with Health and Safety Regulations, and we are working towards compliance with Pqasso standards. We have greatly expanded our internal training system for tutors and now have 20 tutors who are able to offer the U Can Do I.T. course to blind and visually impaired people. We have 35 students in this category now on the course. We have successfully completed our SRB partnership with AbilityNet and the Kensington and Chelsea Health Authority to give training and computers to 20 severely disabled students in Paddington. We have begun a pilot scheme project in partnership with the London Central Learning & Skills Council to give learning opportunities to 20 students in Lambeth. We have continued our deaf awareness training and have 3 tutors who are profoundly deaf or severely hearing impaired. We have redefined the U Can Do I.T. course and now cover Module 7 of the European Computer Driving Licence course. We will be seeking accreditation in the coming year. We have been accepted as service providers by both Learndirect and UK Online. The Trustees want to give their sincere thanks to the office staff and tutors whose dedication and hard work has made an essential contribution to the development of the charity. We also want to thank the charitable funds, companies and individuals whose generosity has allowed us to continue to build the charity. Signed Anthony Wigram, Chair of Trustees Page 3 An Essential Service "Successfully increasing the demand for learning will also depend on a continuing drive to improve the flexibility and attractiveness of learning opportunities, including ensuring a very wide availability of 'first step' opportunities to attract into learning those who previously saw it as something not for them. This will demand innovation in approach and delivery" (Secretary of State's Remit Letter to the Learning & Skills Council, para 49). We are a unique pioneering organisation and, indeed, we are the only service available giving blind, deaf and disabled people computer training in their own homes, where they need it most if they are to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Age of the Internet. Many disabled people can only learn at their own pace and in their own time, and they cannot be "shoe-horned" into a structured classroom environment. This is strikingly illustrated by the fact that although we have 141 students currently on the course we, we are only able to deliver on average between 40-50 tutorials each week. This is because illness, or therapy treatment, or holidays, or personal commitments, or other eventualities intervene to interrupt the course. In fact, the drop out rate for voluntary class based learning is in excess of 50%. More important than this, the long-term benefit for students can only be achieved if they go on using their computers after the course is over. They must develop the habit and discipline of work during the course and achieve a real familiarity with the programmes they need and must use. This means plenty of practice and homework while the course is on. We exhort our students to do at least one hour every day, at a time convenient to them, to give themselves a chance to explore the opportunities for the long term "lifetime" learning which is available to them on the Internet. Some studies estimate the total number of disabled people to be between 8-10% of the entire population. Whilst the numbers are uncertain, we do know that a substantial majority of blind, deaf and disabled people are among the most disadvantaged and excluded of all social groups. We also know that 75% of our own students live on very low income (state support) and find it almost impossible to get any form of employment. This is social exclusion at it's most stark. Knowing how to use a personal computer is a massive step forward and offers people with disabilities a tangible opportunity for personal achievement, enjoyment, adventure, involvement, learning and employment. Social inclusion is now a possibility. Our task is to make it a reality. Page 4 Head Office ReportDevelopment and Promotion During the time I have been with U Can Do I.T. the flow of student applications has steadily increased. This is good news. The inclusion of blind and deaf students is particularly pleasing and significant, but launching a new service and getting it known to the target group is a big problem for anyone. We knock on the doors of local authorities. We've approached the disability employment advisers, and we contact other charities and groups. We work for service providers like Dial a Ride and Taxi Card and leave information in doctor's surgeries and libraries. We write to individual councillors and MP's. We bombard the media and have plans in hand to form partnerships with doctors and healthcare workers. All these people have access to blind, deaf and disabled people and can help us but, of course, they have their own priorities. We have to fight and we will fight to get to the top of the list. Cliff Docherty, Development & Promotion (photo) Fundraising My first six months as fundraiser has been challenging, exciting and very enjoyable. My thanks to all the staff who have been most helpful and supportive. I am glad to report that we continue to enjoy the confidence and support of many leading charitable trusts to whom we are extremely grateful. Over the next five years we expect to see rapid growth. To sustain that growth it is imperative to attract long-term funding from the government via the Learning & Skills Council, the London Development Agency and the Lottery and other charitable trusts. We will also look to the generosity of individual donors, of previous students, their family and friends. Their contribution is vital if we are to build on what we have achieved, and for what is yet to be achieved. Securing the future of a new charity is a formidable challenge. With your help we can do it. Chris Frederick, Fundraiser (photo) Administration The growth in the number of students over the last year has been very satisfying and it has kept Christine Ritchie and I extremely busy. We process all the application forms and, once returned, obtain references and a doctor's report for each student, and then allocate a tutor. Once a student is on the course we check every lesson report and enter the statistics on our database, just completed by Rachel Sullivan. We prepare detailed weekly figures and, on a monthly basis, check all the tutors' invoices and send out their payments. We also organise the tutors training program and help to give presentations to potential funders. We deal with all the problems if students or tutors are sick or on holiday, or if the computer breaks down, and any misunderstandings or complaints. We are truly very busy, but we love it! Avril Hanning, Administrator (photo) Page 5 Volunteer Group(Photo of volunteer group committee) As students who have graduated from the U Can Do I.T. course, we have recently formed ourselves into a committee to provide help to current students and course graduates, and spread the word about U Can Do I.T. in our boroughs and local communities. The U Can Do I.T. course opens up so many things for people with disabilities, and especially for those who are housebound. Most important is the social contact and access to information it offers. There is the help with daily living, such as being able to do your own shopping, which enables people with disabilities to have more independence. We are looking forward tonworking with U Can Do I.T. and helping to bring the exciting 21st century world of communication and computing to more disabled people than ever. Doreen Nicholas - Chair, Volunteer Group Changes to the Head Office TeamWe are delighted to welcome Christine Ritchie who works for us three days a week providing secretarial support for Avril Hanning. Chris Frederick has also joined us as fundraiser and Rachel Sullivan has been developing our student database. Lastly one of our tutors, Cliff Docherty, who has a disability himself, has succeeded Martin Ball as the Development and Promotion Manager. Accessibility News (Photo of minicom in use) We are committed to accessibility. It's at the very core of what we do, so it should come as no surprise that in the last year we've made great strides in ensuring that we are as accessible as possible, but also the organisation as a whole. Our promotional material is now available in large type, audiotape, and on computer disk, while our website is Bobby approved for accessibility. We also have a minicom, which is a text telephone used by people who are profoundly deaf or unable to use their voice. Please call 020 7730 7766 and use the voice announcer. Page 6 Partnership News (Photo of student Gerry Boulton, courtesy of Paddington People) Kensington & Chelsea Area Health Authority As reported last year, we were successful in our bid, in conjunction with AbilityNet, for £30,000 of funding under the New Life for Paddington Scheme, which allowed us to provide tuition to 17 people in Westminster The project is now virtually complete and has been a major success for U Can Do I.T, recently featuring in Paddington People magazine. This would not have been possible without the support of Paul Crooks at Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea Health Authority, Glynnis Joffe at Westminster City Council and Nuala Davis at AbilityNet. For more information on the New Life for Paddington scheme visit www.4paddington.com. Central London Learning & Skills Council (Photo of student Kouko Gakpo at his computer) One of the most exciting developments during the year was a pilot project in Lambeth to provide computers and Internet skills tuition to 20 people. The pilot project has been a tremendous success, with a very enthusiastic response from the Central London Learning and Skills Council who provided the funding. We are now working hard to secure further funding so that we can expand the project to the remaining London boroughs. If our bid is successful it will provide much needed resources for more than 3000 tutorials over the coming year. We are grateful to Don McBean at the Learning & Skills Council, Energy Watch, Accessible Computer Solutions and Lambeth Council for their support. You can find out more about the Learning and Skills Council at www.lsc.gov.uk. Page 7 Partnership News London Dial a Ride (Photo of Dial a Ride bus) Dial-a-Ride is a service providing local transportation for people with physical disabilities. In South London Dial-a-Ride have displayed our posters in their buses and have been mailing out our details to their new users each month. Elsewhere, in North East London, our information has been sent to 7,500 local service users, while later this year we will be reaching even more when we feature in the new Dial-a-Ride users magazine, which will be going out to some 100,000 people with disabilities throughout the London area, giving us vital publicity. Dial a Ride is on the web at www.dial-a-ride.org.uk Action for Blind People (Photo of student Keith Clancy and tutor Patricia Webb) U Can Do I.T. has established a formal partnership with Action for Blind People to provide training to their clients. Not only are we receiving a steady stream of referrals from the charity, but also we are able to tap into an extensive network of contacts and teaching resources. As one of several partners, we have had a valuable opportunity to work with other organisations and see how we can learn from their experiences, while Action for Blind People have been able to offer specialist training to our tutors. We are grateful to Mike Webster and Leslie Muscat for their support in this continuing project. Action for Blind People's website is at www.afbp.org Page 8 Our Students In 2001/02 we almost doubled the number of tutorials we carried out with an increase of 782 lessons, bringing the total to 1583 for the year. Our learners come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and range from complete beginners to people with computing experience but little idea about how to use the Internet. Here are some of their stories. Bill Shand Kydd features on the cover of this Annual Report. This is his story. (Photo of Bill Shand Kydd in profile) I broke my neck in a riding accident and was very fortunate to survive. I only did so because there was an ambulance on the spot. I am paralysed from the neck down and need a machine for breathing, but I count my blessings everyday. I'm lucky to be alive. In a few years time I'm sure new discoveries will greatly improve my situation, but in the meantime my computer is the centre of my life, and in this department U Can Do I.T have been absolutely invaluable by giving proper training at home where I need it, enabling me to get the best out of this fabulous new world - thank you to U Can Do I.T and my tutor Patricia Webb. Hazel's Story (Photo of Student Hazel Sheppard sharing a joke with tutor Mary Sullivan) My name is Hazel Sheppard. I am confined to a wheelchair, with cerebral palsy, meaning that I can only use my left hand. Last September my life changed, and now I have a much more independent and exciting lifestyle, because I have a computer all set up for my disability. I managed to save up over two years for this computer, and with the great help of U Can Do I.T. my dream has come true because, at the age of 45, and with the good and patient tuition I had from U Can Do I.T's tutor, Mary Sullivan, I can now e-mail and go on the Internet to do my own banking, shopping and so on. It's built up my confidence and independence, which I am really thankful for. Bless them all....... Our Students Page 9 Jack's Story (Photo of Jack Netherstreet with tutor Tracey Fawthrop) I'm 80 and ten years ago I was registered blind. I was able to obtain a computer in October 2001. I've been learning how to use a screen reader called JAWS, and this allows me to not only hear the onscreen text spoken, but also tells me about the menus so that I can navigate the programmes I am using by means of keystrokes, rather than a mouse. I'm a member of the campaigns committee of the Royal National Institute of the Blind, and also active on the Kent Association of the Blind's forum group, so I've been using the computer for my campaigning and lobbying activities. It's made an enormous difference. Although it's taken a bit of time to become familiar with how to use the computer and software, by my fifth lesson the doors suddenly opened and I found I could easily send emails. I've had a marvellous tutor, and she's been very patient. I really look forward to each lesson. Naomi's story I am a 46-year-old quadriplegic woman living in West Kensington. I received excellent tuition enabling me to use my computer by voice alone, because I am unable to use a keyboard or mouse. As I am on benefits I was charged a minimal fee and had a regular tutor come to my house to teach me. She was excellent, friendly and patient. Now I am able to write my own letters, read books and newspapers, communicate with friends all around the world and use the Internet to explore all manner of interests. By using my voice alone I can do this independently and with privacy, which I did not have the luxury of before. I am extremely grateful and strongly recommend to anyone who has a disability large or small, who thinks they cannot use a computer, to know from my experience that it really is possible, and you do not have to be the brain of Britain to do so! Want to Become a U Can Do I.T. Student? We're currently accepting applications for tuition from people living in the London area. If you have a computer and would like to learn how to use it to get online and discover the Internet simply call or write to us at the address on the cover. Page 10 The Tutor Team Our team of professional freelance I.T. tutors, who cover the whole of London, come from a diverse range of backgrounds, but the one thing they all have in common is a range of excellent I.T. skills, together with a commitment to open up the Internet for people with disabilities. As one of our tutors, Mary Sullivan, puts it; "It's so rewarding to start with a student who says that they are useless with their computer and end up with a person who can now order groceries, do their banking and chat to their friends." The tutors are somewhat representative of the students they teach in that several have disabilities themselves, whilst others are members of the various ethnic communities in London. This diversity is invaluable in helping us to reach potential students and reflects the charity's commitment to equal opportunities for all. Although the tutors are extremely competent, we have an ongoing tutor development programme so that tutors can learn how to use specialist software and improve their knowledge of specific disabilities. If you think you have the skills to become a U Can Do I.T. tutor why not visit our website at www.ucandoit.org.uk and download an application form. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities. A big thank you to the 35 tutors who worked so hard for us during the year: Adefemi Adedapo, Letwin Adekoya, Sina Adekoya, John Adepoju, Shofi Ahmed, Chris Baker, Deborah Brixey, Xenia Coventry, Michelle Delgado, Cliff Docherty, Tracey Fawthrop, Sally Fonseca, Kevin Frost, Gabriella Gatward, Daniel Gilson, Boyko Grigorov, Rosemary Hancock, Syed Hassan, John Howlett, Fitwi Kebede, Gillian Kearney, Mohammed Khan, Natasha Murray, Paul Oamen, Ademola Olayinka, Keith Penrose, Shahab Reza, Selvaratnam Ramesh, Amjad Rehman, Shangara Singh, Simon Smith, Mary Sullivan, David Somerset, Terry Soper, Patricia Webb. (Photo of five of our tutors at a recent function; Adefemi Adedapo, Xenia Coventry, John Howlett, Mary Sullivan and Boyko Grigorov) Page 11 Accounts for the Year 2001/02 Figures showing healthy state of our finances. Advisers: Auditors: Solicitors: Donors: Abbey National PLC Albert Hunt Trust The Band Trust Bridge House Estates Cable & Wireless Coutts Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust The Freemasons Grand Charity Henry Smith’s Charity Ian Karten Charitable Trust Lambeth Endowed Charities Lazard Charitable Trust Lionel Wigram Memorial Trust RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Robert Hiscox Foundation Sobell Foundation Back Cover A snapshot showing the age, disability and origin of 141 students on the U Can Do I.T course on April 5th 2002. A detailed spreadsheet showing the breakdown of the above appears here. If you would like printed copies copies of this annual report, or a cassette version, please contact the office on 020 7730 7766 |
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U Can Do I.T., Highfield House, 4 Woodfall Street, London, SW3 4DJ. |
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