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An online diary to gather informationon sport and leisure activities for disabled children and young people in leeds. Leeds City Council Working in partnership With Leeds Metropolitan University and Leeds Learning Network |
The aim of the project is to help provide an “audit” of leisure and sport activities for strategic planners and service providers from the statutory and voluntary sector. To show gaps in service provision or to highlight access issues and perhaps more importantly, to begin a process of participation whereby the young people can comment positively or negatively on services and to express their aspirations for the future.
Members of the University involved are, Usability Services who are assisting in the design, development and evaluation of “My Week”, and the Carnegie Faculty, who are involved in the analysis and dissemination of the results.
Since October 2005, we have been recruiting and visiting a group of special educational needs (SEN) pupils, working with the pupils in small groups or individually, to gathering information about their accessibility requirements and evaluating prototype designs. We have 17 pupils taking part in the pilot study, from West Oaks, Boston Spar (North East Silc), Milestones or Farnley park High school ( West Silc ). We also have a group of Year 11 pupils at prince Henry’s Grammar School, Otley, who will also be evaluating the prototype design. We are also consulting with teachers, parents and service providers in Leeds .
The innovative feature of the project will be the use and development of web based technology to design, “My Week”. This will overcome some of the difficulties of paper-based surveys. Firstly, the data is fed directly into a database management system and secondly help and direction in completing the online diary will be given through the use of stimulating and interactive elements e.g. computer-based communication symbols, animations and audi. Accessibility is key to the design of "My Week" due to the nature of the proposed user group. We will ensure that the online diary is compliant with the Accessibility W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Also the stakeholder participation in these early stages of the design process will help shape this development. In the early phases of the design process we will engage the pupils and their parents and teachers to fully understand and capture their needs and requirements. We will, wherever possible, encourage the young people to participate in the actual design process and evaluate the prototype designs.
As of now the “My Week” task consists of recording online the activities throughout the course of one week - “my week”, using computer-based communication symbols and text). "My Week" can supplement curriculum activities i.e. to develop IT skills, writing, communication and listening skills.
If you have any questions please contact:
Elizabeth Allgar Usability Service, School of Computing, Leeds Metropolitan University, Headingley Campus Tel: 01132832600 ext 5378
Or
Ian Green, Early Years Service, Merrion House, Tel: 01132475942