Charities
AbilityNet
By making IT available to everyone Abilitynet is assisting a large number of people, especially those with disabilities, to acquire the sort of independence that had seemed impossible previously. Thier personal support for individuals is an important part of the work Peter Attenborough has witnessed.
As the various volunteering opportunities listed here shows, Rory Field, their Corporate and Development Manager, has plenty of suggestions of work they would like to cover. They are quick to appreciate the difference a Fellow could make.
Their Centres are as follows:
Edinburgh; Liverpool; Newcastle; Worcester; Warwick; London; Weybridge; Thames Valley (Reading); Bristol; Cambridge
| Website: | www.abiltynet.org.uk |
Opportunity
AbilityNet has 11 centres across the country and there are always opportunities in a Centre. There are ten specific opportunities at present as follows:
1 based in Thames Valley Reading: someone to put together the staff handbook and create an unduction-pack under guidance.
2 based in Thames Valley Reading: data captuing for fund raising.
3 based anywhere in UK: access to expertise in data mangement for their own 'Information Management System' project.
4 based anywhere in UK: survey and compare kit sets in each AbilityNet location; identify differences. Why doesn't office A have an X? Why does office B insist on having a Y when others don't? Document facts and recommendations.
5 based anywhere in UK: check computer back-up procedures for all AbilityNet staff. Compare and contrast; identify risks; research and propose solutions.
6 based anywhere: one to one support for 2/5 or more system clients who are relatively new to computing (not techie). Deliver the basic computing help; identify and document the needs encountered and recommendations. +/- 20 days plus 5 to document, over six elapsed months.
7 based anywhere: conduct a structured follow up on assessments. Employees, or individuals or both.
8 based anywhere: offer free 'development officer' role in a residential centre with a computing facilIty that AbilityNet is in contact with.
9 based anywhere: survey, compare and contrast compact keyboards. Write a factsheet on the subject.
10 based anywhere: a number of organisations that have supplied specialist equipment to AbilityNet have decided to position themselves as total single-supplier solution providers to the "market" that exists due to the increasing interest in health and safety at workstations. Some of the type of solutions are for upper limb disorders as well as "reasonable adjustments" for disabled people. The organisations now have much fuller catalogues and websites with more hardware and software on offer. This in turn means that there is more hardware and software out on the market, which AbilityNet really needs to keep up to date with, so enabling them to keep their demonstartion kit relevant to what is on offer. They need someone to research the equipment and, where possible, to source demo models for them to try and then, where necessary, purchase.
| Region: |
UK various in Scotland and England |
| Date: | ongoing |
| Raised by: | Peter Attenborough on 3rd May 2004 |