RIX Research, University of East London – UEL
Country: UK
Role: Partner
Website: www.rixresearchandmedia.org
Contact person: Kanchan Kerai, Ten adres pocztowy jest chroniony przed spamowaniem. Aby go zobaczyć, konieczne jest włączenie w przeglądarce obsługi JavaScript.
RIX Research and Media is a research and development centre based at the University of East London (UEL) that is dedicated to developing innovative applications of new media for the benefit of people with intellectual disabilities.
RIX Research works with people with disabilities alongside their teachers and supporters to explore innovative, inclusive approaches to education, health and care. We use a ‘Living Lab’ model, whereby prototype software and models of training and support are developed and piloted in collaboration with users in the community. RIX works with local and national government, service provider and advocacy organisations that vary in scale from international groups such as Inclusion Europe, to Specialist Schools in the UK and adult learning Centres in our local East London neighbourhood.
At the heart of RIX work is an approach we have developed called ‘Multimedia Advocacy’ that uses photos, video and audio clips with basic text to capture and share an individual’s preferences and views. The Multimedia Advocacy approach is built upon the principles and values of person centred practice and applies software and multimedia production tools to help people with intellectual disabilities communicate more effectively and so take greater control over their own lives, gaining independence and social inclusion. An individual’s Multimedia Advocacy portfolio provides a focus for people with intellectual and communication disabilities to guide families, friends and professional supporters to work effectively together in a continuous process of listening and learning to realise life goals.
As part of our research around Multimedia Advocacy we have developed an online tool called the ‘RIX Wiki’. Our numerous trials and pilot studies have shown the RIX Wiki to be a valuable tool for person centred planning and the sharing of accessible information. RIX Media is a not-for-profit social business that has been established to make the RIX Wiki available across the intellectual disability community in the UK and internationally, with a package of training and support to enable the effective implementation of this innovative solution for social inclusion.