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Back to: Student Feedback page
 Project News:
Student Feedback:
 Ability magazine article on former WAACIS students:
Going on-line:
Edna Stark lives in Richmond. She is an active user of the internet and receives between 30 and 40 e-mails a day from friends all over the world. She also does her banking online, checking statements and direct debits. Registered as an online shopper with both Marks & Spencer and Tesco means that she doesn't have to go down to the shops every time she needs to buy anything. Letters from Stark come on her own computer-generated personalised stationery. Nothing unusual in that you may say, for a woman of the modern age. But Stark is 86 years old, and is largely housebound with arthritis and angina.
She was given a personal computer for Christmas last year by her son, an advertising executive. Her own career was primarily in teaching until she retired at the grand age of 72. Once enrolled on the WAACIS course, she quickly acquired and built up the skills and confidence to 'get in the driving seat' on the machine and has gone on to develop her interest in email through "Worldwide Friends" and "Global Connections". Describing what the WAACIS course has meant to her, Stark said: 'I now have some technical knowledge and the confidence to use new skills. I feel in control, rather than the machine being in control of me'.
Keeping In Touch:
Barry Potter graduated from Birmingham University with a BSc in chemical engineering in 1959, and went on to a successful career, spanning some 35 years, in the oil industry overseas. In 1993 he suffered a stroke, which left him with a slight speech impediment and reduced movement on his right side. "I saw the advert for WAACIS, in Stroke News. My primary interest in doing the training was to keep in touch with my children and friends overseas, and to use the internet for searching and online shopping."
His tutor tailored the course to his particular needs, which covered advanced aspects of email as well as surfing, news-groups, Windows Explorer and downloading. Some basic training in Word and Excel was also included. And how has he benefited? Potter explains: "I have built a large email address book for keeping in touch with all my overseas friends, family and ex-colleagues. I now keep track of my financial investments using Excel rather than manually. I am currently searching web sites to buy a property for my daughter who is abroad in Zambia and, for my next project, I plan to use the internet to research my family tree".
It's Good To Talk:
Alfred Tingley has muscular dystrophy and is confined to a wheelchair. Until recently his main hobby was watercolour painting, but that was before he discovered the internet. Now, not only do he and his wife have a shared hobby, but it is one that they devote about 50 per cent of their time to, using the chat-rooms and newsgroups.
Tingley was the first student to successfully complete the new version of the course. "I am not over-keen on sitting and reading books, but I'll sit and read about Beethoven's life story on the computer, because I'm involved. I get a lot of pleasure out of it. Even if do go wrong, OK, it's no big deal and I try again".
What difference has it made? "Before I couldn't use the chat lines, newsgroups, search engines, or address books or things like that very well. Now I save an enormous amount of time".
Alfred Tingley was also interviewed by his WAACIS Tutor, Mary Bautista-Harman to find out his opinion of the WAACIS course. You can read that interview here.
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