Week Commencing 19th May
U Can Do I.T. Storms Westminster!As part of an on-going programme to raise our profile and promote our services, U Can Do I.T. arranged a major presentation at the House of Commons which was sponsored by local MP Michael Portillo. What a "do" it turned out to be! As Maria Eagle, Minister for Disabled People pointed out, "it is not easy to fill the Attlee Suite..." but full to capacity it was with 151 attendees from a huge range of organisations from social services through to the employment service, national charities through to local community groups, tutors and most importantly of all, a number of our students.
Michael Portillo introduced a video presentation with the theme of accessibility
"U Can Do I.T. is dedicated to the principle that everybody should have access to information technology, and in the most practicable way has set out to make that happen."
In her address following the video Maria Eagle spoke of the future
"There were some profound things said by the tutors and some of the students. It is absolutely clear that the future is in I.T. and it is absolutely clear that in the future if people cannot use I.T. it will be like people being unable to read."
Anthony Wigram, the charity"s chairman, concluded the formal presentations remarking that he was pleased with the way in which the charity had grown, but that this hid the obstacles to finding students due, among other things, to data protection issues. Nevertheless the aim remained to take U Can Do I.T."s unique service to the rest of the country.
Awards were made to Sophie Herbert, who is profoundly deaf, for being the recipient of the 5000th tutorial since the charity was formed, and to Henry Tunney who, in spite of immense physical problems caused by his cerebral palsy, recently graduated from the U Can Do I.T. course.
After the formal presentation was over there was an informal reception and everyone made the most of this opportunity to socialise and make those all important contacts which are the lifeblood of any charity. Everyone was very supportive of what we are trying to achieve and this was perhaps best summed up by Mary McCartney from BECTA who said;
"What amazing work you do. The film shows just how empowering I.T. is and what a massive difference it makes to lives".
