In 2008 our tutor, David Brown, won the British Computer Society “IT Trainer of the Year” award. David lost his sight and right hand in a terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia in December 2000. He spent 3 years rehabilitating and once again learning how to use a computer before becoming a trainer for UCanDoIT. David’s experience shows how IT skills can create opportunity and independence.
This year we have achieved a record 6,316 individual computer learning sessions. We have built up our remote tuition facility satisfactorily; we have won and managed significant contracts from the Big Lottery Fund and from the Learning & Skills Council in partnership with the RLSB and the RNID. We have achieved our financial targets.
All this is good news, but we cannot be complacent. There are at least 150,000 disabled people in the UK who, like David Brown, could benefit from our services.We remain determined that all people living with a disability in the UK should benefit from having a computer and training at home. I believe that this is a job for government.
To extend our service throughout the UK would cost £4 million a year. As a charity we have to struggle to raise £500,000. We will continue our battle to convince the government that this money would be well spent because many people with disabilities will be able to come off benefits and get jobs.
I have great pleasure in sincerely thanking our dedicated tutors for their hard work, much of which is done on a voluntary basis and also our splendid team at Head Office.
Anthony Wigram
