Sunday 17th July is Disability Awareness Day. If you’re up near Warrington you might like to take part in the world’s largest ‘not for profit’ voluntary-led disability exhibition, held annually in a huge tented village within the grounds of Walton Hall Gardens in Warrington. As well as lots of interesting exhibitors, there’s a sports zone, an arts area and family entertainment.
Assuming that most of you will be at home in Sussex, you might, instead, like to check out some useful resources designed to help both individuals and organisations access different technology such as phones, computers and smart devices.
One fantastically useful resource is SSW’s very own tech team. They are on hand to help you with any tech issues you might have. Perhaps you want to learn to use the accessibility settings on your phone better? Or maybe set your smart speaker up so you can use it for what you’ll find helpful on a daily basis. The team can either send you help sheets, talk to you on the phone, see you at the Centre or even visit you in your own home. Give them a call on 01903 235782.
You also might like to take a browse of this interesting resource: it’s a set of device ‘how to’ guides from AbilityNet (a charity that believes technology should be equally available to all) . Type in what it is you want to change on your device, and it will give you a choice of guides, for example a short guide, step-by-step and video. You can enlarge the size of your mouse pointer on your computer, learn how to use VoiceOver on your phone, find out how to use Google Assistant and loads more (there are several hundred guides available!). Take a look here to see exactly what this comprehensive resource offers.
If you work in a organisation and would like to improve how your computers and other digital technologies can help people with different conditions and impairments, AbilityNet provide a series of factsheets. Written by their specialist team of assessors and accessibility consultants they give detailed information on a wide range of assistive technology, services and related organisations. Head to their website to have a browse and find the guide that will help you make your computers accessible for the people in your organisation. There are other resources as well as training available if you want to explore further.
As well as helping individuals with their devices, our tech team can visit your organisation and talk to a team about how to be more disability aware. Sometimes asking the right questions and just making small tweaks to processes or equipment can make the world of difference to an individual’s experience at work or as a customer of yours.
If you’ve any questions about how to make the best use of technology – whether at home or in the workplace – please do give our brilliant tech team a call on 01903 235782.
