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<html><head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("http://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("https://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/work-and-pensions-committee/assistive-technology/written/77163.html","20240719003012","http://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1721349012"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css"><title>AST0010 - Evidence on Assistive technology</title></head><body><div>Written evidence from Jisc (AST0010)<h2 style="font-weight:normal; margin:2pt 0pt 0pt; page-break-after:avoid; page-break-inside:avoid"><a name="_Toc479838828">About Jisc</a></h2><a name="_GoBack"></a> 1.       Jisc is the UK's digital body for post-18 education and research. Since our foundation in the early 1990s, we have played a pivotal role in the adoption of information technology by UK universities and colleges, supporting them to improve learning, teaching, the student experience and institutional efficiency, as well as enabling more powerful research.  2.       We operate shared digital infrastructure services, collaboration platforms and digital tools for the Higher Education (HE), Further Education (FE), skills and research sectors. This includes the Janet Network – a unique asset and a real competitive advantage for the UK’s education and research base. As one of the biggest National Research and Education Networks (NREN) in the world, the Janet Network provides universities and colleges with access to very high speed, reliable connectivity and cybersecurity.  3.       We also negotiate sector-wide deals with IT vendors and commercial publishers and deliverprofessional support and advice across areas including technology enhancedlearning, digital capabilities of staff and students, and sharing best practice between providers.  For more information please contact Liam O’Shea, public affairs officer, Jisc: liam.oshea@jisc.ac.uk; 07468 724 003  <a name="_Hlk503513624">Executive summary</a>1.       Jisc welcomes the committee’s inquiry on this important issue. We believe that effective use of assistive technology in education can be crucial in supporting disabled people move from education into work. Of relevance to this inquiry, we deliver professional support and advice to UK HE, FE and skills providers across a variety of areas, including how to utilise assistive technologies to support learners with special educational needs.  2.       In this response, we outline some of the barriers to effective use of assistive technologies to support disabled learner and how Government can intervene to address some of those barriers.  Recommendationsa)       For Government to support the development of assistive technology awareness, use and innovation by encouraging a cultural change that recognises assistive technology as part of the spectrum of productivity toolsb)       For government to ensure that funding projects related to digital literacy are conditional upon training covering the full range of accessibility features in the tools covered, and includes information on specific assistive technologies where appropriatec)       For Government to evaluate the targeted support of existing projects such as the Natspec, Karten Network and Jisc joint venture ‘TechAbility’ d)       For Government to assist with the development of the ‘assistive technologist’ professional grouping by providing funding support to universities that are developing the professional training frameworks on the use of assistive technologiese)       For Government to consider a minimal digital skills entitlement for all students that includes accessibility features and assistive technologies Substantive responseWhat role can assistive technology play in removing barriers to work and helping disabled people stay in work?3.       Assistive technology can be transformative in removing barriers and helping disabled people stay in work. However, the stage prior to work - the final phase of education - is critical. In the vitally important education arena, there are currently inequalities in the: »        assessment and identification of appropriate technologies»        technology options available»        training offered to students, particularly in relation to its›         timeliness – it is often only available as a block of training when the technology arrives. This can be overwhelming and often results in inefficient use of the technology ›         context – training is often based around the mechanics of the software rather than the learning/employment purpose for which it is a potential solution  4.       There are also potentially serious issues in the digital capabilities of staff and students in regard to inbuilt accessibility features of mainstream tools and software. This ‘awareness’ gap is self-perpetuating since training and induction programmes rarely go into the accessibility features of everyday tools. This means subsequent generations of trainers perpetuate their blind spots through their own practice. Recent research on the use of assistive technologies for GCSE exams found ony 21% of staff and 24% of students were confident in the use of the technology.<a name="_ftnref1"></a><a href="#_ftn1">[1]</a> 5.       Learning providers do not always take advantage of assistive technology – this can be for several reasons including lack of specific assistive technology support skills.<a name="_ftnref2"></a><a href="#_ftn2">[2]</a> The uptake of assistive technology in education is also compromised by the inconsistent support from awarding bodies for digital exams in accessible formats. This issue has been resolved in Scotland but is still a bone of contention with English awarding bodies, despite UKAAF recommendations and guidance dating back several years.  6.       Ofqual’s reluctance to require exam papers to be available in accessible digital formats is in contrast to SQA’s approach which has had this requirement for over 6 years, with a consequent surge in the use of assistive technologies in exams north of the border.  How should the Government support the development of this technology, and are there any particular innovations it should look to support? Recommendation a) For Government to support the development of assistive technology awareness, use and innovation by encouraging a cultural change that recognises assistive technology as part of the spectrum of productivity tools  7.        This needs to be built in throughout the education system, from primary through to higher education. Many assistive technologies like voice recognition and text-to-speech can benefit all users. This is evident in the way in which they are becoming increasingly mainstream, for example Amazon’s voice-controlled Alexa or the iPad’s speech options.  Recommendation b) For government to ensure that funding projects related to digital literacy are conditional upon training covering the full range of accessibility features in the tools covered, and includes information on specific assistive technologies where appropriate 8.       Rather than funding ‘challenge prizes’ or other competitions to develop new products, we would emphasise that training for staff in education, social care and other contexts that support disabled people should be prioritised. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for assistive technology<a name="_ftnref3"></a><a href="#_ftn3">[3]</a> has noted that the UK assistive technology industry is innovative and already produces a wide range of hardware and software products.  9.       It is our considered view that much of the workforce that support disabled people in education, employment and social care contexts do not know how to use these existing solutions to best effect (to support young people to achieve the maximum possible level of independence and employability). If staff are equipped to train disabled people to use assistive technology in order to access the curriculum at a higher level than would otherwise be possible, then disabled young people’s education outcomes will improve, whatever their level of qualification.  10.    This can logically lead us to the conclusion that with a higher quality use of assistive technology in education and training contexts, more disabled young people will be supported to develop the employability skills to successfully enter the workforce.  11.    To develop this capacity, a significant investment in training is required. Government (and specifically the Department for Education) could evaluate the targeted support of existing projects such as the <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20240719003012/https://natspec.org.uk/">Natspec</a>, Karten Network<a name="_ftnref4"></a><a href="#_ftn4">[4]</a> and Jisc joint venture ‘TechAbility’<a name="_ftnref5"></a><a href="#_ftn5">[5]</a> which aims to provide an assistive technology (AT) and information technology (IT) support service to the specialist sector and beyond. The project was designed to fill a gap in training and support for IT services who deliver and maintain Assistive Technology to ‘high needs’ students in specialist and mainstream education. Without the appropriate provisioning and support of high quality IT environments it is not possible to provide a high quality AT service to students and staff.Recommendation c) For Government to evaluate the targeted support of existing projects such as the Natspec, Karten Network and Jisc joint venture ‘TechAbility’  12.    Government could also assist with the development of the ‘assistive technologist’ professional grouping. At present, only a handful of universities are working on training, development and accreditation frameworks relating to assistive technologies. These professional training frameworks will be important in enabling a new generation of assistive technologists to be trained.  13.    Part of this work focusses on the needs based assessment methodology that is platform and vendor agnostic, and seeks to identify the most appropriate solution for a given individual. Professor Annalu Waller<a name="_ftnref6"></a><a href="#_ftn6">[6]</a> is currently developing an MSc programme in Assistive Technology as part of her work in the Dundee University AAC Group. Some of the MSc programme modules will be repackaged as professional development opportunities for teachers, therapists and social care staff. It is also planned that some entry level courses will be offered to teaching assistants, social care staff and the supporters or family members of disabled people in order to ensure that disabled young people are able to access assistive technology in a variety of learning and work contexts.  14.    We note there is currently no equivalent to the ‘Royal College of Physiotherapists’ for assistive technologists. However, this is potentially a more pervasive (and growing) field where appropriate career paths are vital to retain and professionalise services.  Recommendation d) For Government to assist with the development of the ‘assistive technologist’ professional grouping by providing funding support to universities that are developing professional training frameworks on the use of assistive technologies 15.    Support for disabled students in education is not always built around a model of independence nurtured through technology. Many disability support teams have wide knowledge of disabilities but less confidence in the use of technology. There may also be fears that assistive technology will be implemented in a way to reduce staffing levels, rather than to improve service quality. Support is not a binary issue pitting human support against technology – both are needed – but it is vital that the digital capabilities of disability support teams are prioritised; specifically, the skills relating to the accessibility features in every day technology, as well as specific assistive technologies.  16.    There is also a polarisation of opinion on how best to support disabled students. In an authentic attempt to avoid patronising disabled students, there is often an uncritical acceptance that the student “is the expert” on dealing with their disability. However, this is not always the case. The student may have limited digital capabilities or confidence. They may have never been exposed to assistive technologies or may have been matched inappropriately or trained badly.  17.     For many students, further and higher education represent the last opportunity to acquire the technical skills that will enable them to be independent and employable. However, institutions are often reluctant to oppose the student’s preferences or challenge the student when they declare they don’t want to work with technology. A fear of being challenged for not making reasonable adjustments to accommodate a student could mean organisations are more likely to take the route of least resistance than the route of greatest benefit for the learner. To address this issue, the government could consider a minimal digital skills entitlement for all students that would include accessibility features and assistive technologies.  Recommendation e) For Government to consider a minimal digital skills entitlement for all students that includes accessibility features and assistive technologies Is Access to Work the most effective means of providing access to assistive technology? Should other funding models be considered?  18.    Our expertise is in education. It is therefore difficult for us to comment on this other than reiterating that employability is strongly related to what happens in the last years of education. Any government funding that can raise awareness of accessibility and assistive technology as a fundamental part of digital literacy would be very welcome.  19.    Access to Work can, in some cases, result in a set of ‘one size fits all’ or ‘copy and paste’ assessment outcomes that ‘proscribe a given set of solutions’ to mitigate a particular impairment. These are often based on the familiarity of the assessor with particular products and their knowledge and awareness may be influenced by the marketing skills of suppliers rather than the best fit of solutions.  20.    As noted above, the development of the ‘assistive technologist’ professional grouping can only help address this concern as the value of ‘needs-based’ and ‘person-centred assessment’ for assistive technology is recognised. We note that post-assessment training, support and review is required in order to enable disabled people to actually make use of any assistive technology solutions that are provided. Assessment is a process and not an event, so support should be longitudinal and not based on a single ‘point in time’ assessment event.  21.    Finally, education staff, social care staff, employers and assistive technology suppliers take time to build expertise – the skills needed to support the most complex needs are few and far between. As the UK population ages, the need for a strong and experienced assistive technology industry will only grow. Ensuring assistive technologies are a cultural norm in digital literacy programmes will help suppliers maintain their markets and deepen the skills on which employers and disabled employees will depend. It will also future-proof the wider population in terms of long term independence into old age.  January 2018 </div><hr style="width:33%; height:1px; text-align:left"><a name="_ftn1"></a><a href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> James,A., Hipkiss, A., & Woods, K. (Submitted) Teacher views on the use and scope of assistive technologies for GCSE examinations. <a name="_ftn2"></a><a href="#_ftnref2">[2]</a> Jisc and <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20240719003012/https://natspec.org.uk/">Natspec’s</a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20240719003012/https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/conference-session/2014-dart-project">DART project</a> sought to address this in a project focused on both Specialist and mainstream General Further Education Colleges (see: <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20240719003012/https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/conference-session/2014-dart-project">https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/conference-session/2014-dart-project</a>). Further information on the nature and wide-ranging impact of this project is available from: https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/cmjournals/cmj_vol_29_no_2_3fx.pdf <a name="_ftn3"></a><a href="#_ftnref3">[3]</a> http://www.policyconnect.org.uk/appgat/home<a name="_ftn4"></a><a href="#_ftnref4">[4]</a> http://karten-network.org.uk/<a name="_ftn5"></a><a href="#_ftnref5">[5]</a> http://www.techability.org.uk/<a name="_ftn6"></a><a href="#_ftnref6">[6]</a> http://staff.computing.dundee.ac.uk/awaller/<script>(function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'8a5699ff9fbc9f1a',t:'MTcyMTM0OTAxMi4wMDAwMDA='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.nonce='';a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();</script></body></html>