HC Deb 11 May 1983 vol 42 cc313-5W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will list the projects being undertaken and

Project Description Location Comments
Home Work Units Systems analysis Examinations Administration Lowestoft, Suffolk DOI set up and fund IT equipment to enable disabled people to work from home. Further units are planned throughout the United Kingdom
Staff records, scheduling and costing Horsham, Sussex
Hotels data-base management Taplow, Bucks
Group unit, mainly computer programming, viewdata editing and word processing Papworth Cambridge
Word processing and viewdata editing Leatherhead, Surrey
Entering and updating of records on computer Bridlington, North Humberside
Programming Slough
Accounts, word processing and administration work Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Update database, word processing Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Providing estimates for plumbing services Southampton
Software applications Woking, Surrey
Computer programming and processing London
Training in computer techniques Aylesbury, Bucks.
Maintaining mailing list, accounts etc. London
Updating database system London
Offset Office Services sheltered workshop Office services bureau employing disabled people Deptford, London SE DOI funding capital equipment costs. Opening in Spring with 10 employees
Visicom Tests relative merits of telephone/electronic mail for the deaf Various Run by the deaf community themselves
Computer access for the blind Software which gives blind pupils access to a range of computing facilities 8 schools within United Kingdom Run by Open University
Oak Lodge School Work experience for children with learning difficulties East Finchley
Chorleywood College for the blind Concerns problems of converting braille into print Herts.
Eye movement control Production of devices allowing control of computer via eye movement alone St. George's Hospital, Lincoln
Database Lists research in progress on non-medical projects for disabled Newcastle Run by Handicapped Persons Research Unit (HPRU)
Travelling exhibition Exhibition of IT products for disabled Leeds, Bristol, London, Birmingham, Edinburgh 1 week each in Autumn 1983
Helpmate Communication aid Manufactured in Redcar; various distribution
Environmental control Provide total micro-controlled environment for 2 year olds Great Ormond Street Hospital, London 3 year project
Database Information system on aids for employment PERA Melton-Mowbury
Linco-Bennett cradle Deaf-testing equipment for the new-born Hillingdon Hospital +8 to be placed
Word processing for blind Development of word processing for blind RNIB London W1
Microwriters Hand held electronic writer Distributed by RNIB 50 being distributed to blind people
Viewscan Portable visual display rreading aid for the partially sighted Distributed by RNIB 10 being distributed
Computed based training for disabled Stoke Manderville Hospital

assisted by his Department in relation to the use of information technology by disabled people, including the whereabouts of each project.

Mr. Butcher

The location and nature of the projects assisted by the Department of Industry in relation to the use of information technology by disabled people are as follows:

Project Description Location Comments
Community computer centre Provision of IT equipment The Heathcote School Stevenage To enable disabled children and adults to have access to IT equipment
Turtle Microprocessor controlled device to assist mental development of handicapped children Manufactured in E London 25 distributed throughout United Kingdom — mainly in special schools
Concept Keyboard Adaptable keyboard with inter-changeable overlays Manufactured in Winchester 100 distributed to special schools
Sound Bubble Micro-electronic play-aid for handicapped children Manufactured in Newcastle 100 distributed to special schools
Fricative training aid Visual display to aid speech development for deaf Manufactured in Ware, Herts. 50 distributed to special schools and speech therapy units
Hearing aid tester RNID central London
Adventure keyboard General teaching aid Manufactured in Walsall 100 distributed to special schools
Horse riding aid Tests therapeutic effects of horse-riding on mentally handicapped Kidderminster and Great Ormond St. Hospital
Environmental aid Communication and environmental control for severely handicapped Gateshead
Communication aid Helps speech handicapped Bristol University
Braille output Development of digitally controlled soft copy Braille output Bristol University
Micros in Hospital/day centres DOI to fund installation of 11 BBC 2 micros at 7 locations for the use of occupational therapists with long stay patients and to provide training for the OT's Hospitals at: Odstock (Salisbury), Norfolk and Norwich, Royal Nat. Orthopaedic, The london Hospital. Day centres at: The units are provided to familiarise long stay patients with the micro and programming technique and to assist OT's in assessing patient co-ordination and response
Croydon, Hillingdon and The Maudsley
CAD/CAM for the disabled engineering draughtman Introduces trainees for new technology Queen Elizabeth's Training College, Leatherhead, Surrey
Audio graph plotter Aid for blind students Manufactured in Bradford 40 units to be distributed
Alphavision Close-circuit TV reading aid Manufactured in Bucks. 6 prototypes for evaluation
MATE II Computerised environmental control for the disabled Based at Essex University Funds provided to exhibit MATE II

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