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| This is a list of useful links - if you feel that your organisation is omitted or should be included please email feedback@abilitywise.co.uk and we will include you in the next update. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is an independent body, established by Act of Parliament to eliminate discrimination against disabled people and promote equality of opportunity. Disabled people face massive discrimination and exclusion. For example, disabled people of working age are twice as likely as non-disabled people to be out of work and claiming benefits. And disabled people are twice as likely to have no qualifications. This can and must change. To achieve this, we have set ourselves the goal of “a society where all disabled people can participate fully as equal citizens”. The Coalition provides peer support in working together with disabled people to enable them to access the services and information they require. Seeks to encourage independence, empowerment and respect in order that choices can be exercised in improving the quality of life of their choice. They are an independent organisation, staff includes employed personnel and volunteers who provide assistance and co-ordinate services. Area of operation: is Torbay, Teignbridge and the South Hams. Donations are welcome to enable the Coalition to improve the services offered to clients. The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) supports further and higher education by providing strategic guidance, advice and opportunities to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to support teaching, learning, research and administration. JISC is funded by all the UK post-16 and higher education funding councils. http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) describes itself as ”the voice of dyslexic people. We aim to influence government and other institutions to promote a dyslexia-friendly society. The BDA promotes early identification and support in schools to ensure opportunity to learn for dyslexic learners. We want to represent the needs of dyslexic people on leaving school, in higher education and in work.” Action for Blind People, is a dynamic national charity founded in 1857. It is the third largest charity in the UK working with blind and partially sighted people to enable them to transform their lives. Our mission is to inspire change and create opportunities to enable blind and partially sighted people to have equal voice and equal choice. Every year we provide direct support for more than 20,000 people. The Disabled Workers Co-operative is a not-for-profit organisation that helps disabled people to help themselves. Their aim is twofold - to raise the independence of disabled people (for those that want it) by enabling them to take an active role in the economy and achieve a greater sense of self-worth and also to raise awareness of the contribution that disabled people can make to society. The sole aim of CLARITY - Employment for Blind People is to promote the welfare of blind people by providing employment in normal factory conditions. When blind people find it difficult to compete for open employment, we can, through our factories, train and employ them so that they are able to make a full and useful contribution to society as is their right. Deafblind UK is a national charity which provides a range of support services to deafblind adults and their carers. It also campaigns on behalf of deafblind people. Electronic Aids for the Blind is a national charity that helps people with sight loss to communicate through the use of specialised or specially adapted technology. We are funded entirely by charitable donations and provide related equipment, advice and information to visually impaired people, their carers, families and others involved in helping people to access the printed word. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association shapes its services to meet the needs of its community. Whilst guide dogs are central to our work, we also provide practical living skills training such as reading and writing as well as other forms of mobility for example long cane training – often in partnership with local authorities. Guide Dogs funds work into ophthalmic and canine research, investing in new technology that could enhance the lives of the UK’s blind and partially sighted population. Guide Dogs is also one of the country’s largest trainers of professionals working in the field of visual impairment and is one of the founder members of the International Federation of Guide Dogs Schools. The National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom was established in 1947 by blind and partially sighted people who wanted to campaign for a better standard of service for all blind and partially sighted people to enable them to take their place as full citizens, have a say in the provision of special services which are designed to meet their needs and enable them to obtain independence with dignity. The Federation is represented on many agencies serving the blind, including the World Blind Union, the European Blind Union and other official bodies. We are regularly consulted by central and local government as well as other organisations on issues of concern to blind and partially sighted people. http://www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk The Dyslexia Institute (DI) is an educational charity, founded in 1972, for the assessment and teaching of people with dyslexia and for the training of specialist teachers. It has grown to become the only national dyslexia teaching organisation in the world. The DI puts a high priority on research into ways of improving the effectiveness of its teaching and training, and on the development of specialist teaching materials. The DI Guild is the DI’s professional body, with open membership. It welcomes individuals with an interest in dyslexia. UK’s leading charity offering information, support and advice to over two million people with sight problems. “The Royal London Society for the Blind is committed to empowering people with a visual impairment to lead independent lives through the provision of high quality education, training and employment services.” AbilityNet is the UK’s leading charity bringing the benefits of computer technology to adults and children with disabilities.
The Disabled Living Foundation has been working as a charity in support of people with disabilities and older people for over thirty years. Our goal is to enhance opportunities for people to achieve greater mobility and independence and to confront barriers excluding them from doing so. The Talking Newspaper Association of the UK (TNAUK) is the UK’s leading charity providing national and local newspapers and magazines on audio tape, computer disk, e-mail, internet download and CD-ROM for visually impaired and disabled people who find reading a strain. TNAUK, through its network of local talking newspapers and the National Talking Newspapers and Magazines, has been providing newspapers and magazines in alternative formats for many years by transcribing a multitude of magazines and papers onto tape and, more recently, into digital e-text. It remains a uniquely British institution, with no other country in the world offering quite the same comprehensive and speedy service. Talking Newspapers are run almost exclusively by volunteers with just a few paid employees brought in to manage the busy National Talking Newspapers and Magazines. TNAUK serves the role of newsagent for those unable to read printed matter. It is an invaluable service. Most sighted people would be quick to complain were their newspapers, magazines, periodicals and other sources of information so important for ordinary day-to-day living suddenly withdrawn. There is no reason, therefore, why those without sight should have to make do without reading material available to others. TNAUK aims to ensure that they have access to that material - in another format. The JISC TechDis service aims to improve provision for disabled staff and students in higher and further education through technology. Achieving this takes several routes. TechDis provides an advice and information resource via extensive web-based databases and an email helpdesk. These resources should be the first port of call for anyone in education who has a question relating to disability and technology. The TechDis staff also pursue outreach into the community by delivering presentations and facilitating workshops at cross-institutional events. Staff development workshops are held monthly on a range of issues relating to disability and technology in education. TechDis are also developing standalone staff development resources on a range of themes to enable particular issues to be discussed in more detail within institutions and departments. |
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