Is there an Echo in here? Six ways that Alexa can help you be organised and productive

We now have three Amazon Echos in our house and, more and more often, I find myself about to speak to the air in a room where Alexa isn't, and have to stop myself before I look foolish. Here's a round-up of recent episodes from my Dot to Dot podcast which show why smart speakers like the Amazon Echo (AKA Alexa) and Google Home are so useful - and also addictive.

Simpler than a smartphone

Smart speakers really do represent the next significant paradigm shift in computing.

The PC was powerful but also complex. Then came the smartphone which, with its smaller screen, brought simpler content with the same amount of power and much more portability. Throw away your software instructions manuals and antivirus anxieties and enjoy the all-round easier experience. One didn't replace the other, but choice is a good thing - especially when the options are getting easier and easier to use.

Then came these natural-voice focused devices and the simplicity score just shot up several more notches. Again, not intended to replace smartphones or computers, these devices offer huge amounts of useful features nonetheless.

Information, entertainment, services and so much more

Most of us use our phones for so many different things each day that it would be hard to list them all. While smart speakers can't (yet) do all of those things, due to their ease of use and overall usefulness, it's inevitable that having one or more in your house will mean that some of those daily tasks will shift from your phone to the helpful assistant who is ever-listening and ready to help.

A lot of what I cover in Dot to Dot - the daily podcast about all things Alexa - focuses on entertainment, and she is so very good at a wide variety of games. But it's not just about trivia - I recently dedicated a series of episodes to the way Alexa can help with being organised and productive.

Six ways Alexa can help in your daily life

These episodes give you a flavour of Alexa's awesome array of talents. You can click on the links to listen to each one - or you can subscribe in iTunes or by searching for 'Dot to Dot' in your favourite podcast app. 

Dot to Dot - Episode 522 on finding out general information

  • This one's all about getting general information from Alexa - from facts on every possible topic, to detailed weather info, word definitions and synonyms and language translation.

Dot to Dot Episode 523 - on health and cooking

  • From recipes and cooking tips to first aid info and stopping smoking motivation - this one’s all about health. As with all these episodes, we cover Alexa's built-in abilities as well as third-party skills. What are skills? They're basically apps for your Echo.

Dot to Dot Episode 524 - on news, timers and alarms

  • Some of the most useful things you could ever use your Echo for are setting multiple cooking timers and a variety of alarms to make sure you're up in the morning. When you're up, there are a million ways of catching up with the news.

Dot to Dot Episode 525 - on accessing media of all kinds

  • Music, radio stations and podcasts from around the world are available on your Echo and there's a huge amount of educational and informative content to be consumed. The challenge is just where to start.

Dot to Dot Episode 526 - on reminders, connected devices, voice calling and audio and Kindle books

  • This one is chock-full of tips on setting reminders, connecting to smart devices around the home, calling and messaging using your Echo and even listening to your favourite audio or Kindle books read out by Alexa. Oh and buying things by voice from Amazon - nearly forgot that one!

Dot to Dot Episode 527 - on travel info and tips on finding Alexa skills

  • This final episode (and a gold star to everyone who listens to/survives them all) covers a range of travel skills to help you find the best driving route, check the traffic or get train times and the cheapest fares. We also cover how to ask Alexa to help you find out what she can do and how to remember your favourite skills.

Clever, entertaining and useful

I hope you'll agree that smart speakers like Alexa are amazingly useful and entertaining on so many levels. For people with disabilities, the ability to get news and other information by voice and to control your media and environment with a word is a game-changer.

The episodes in this article focus on her non-game skills, but to hear what Alexa can do in the game-department then simply subscribe to Dot to Dot and you'll find out a lot more on a daily basis.

Related articles

Robin Christopherson is head of digital inclusion at AbilityNet. Find more of his blogs here. 
 

Government identifies body to enforce website accessibility - now will they step up to the task?

The UK Government has recently published its response to a consultation process on its plans to implement European accessibility legislation for public sector websites. In it, the Government clearly states who will be monitoring and reporting on websites and apps and who will be enforcing the law - but will proactive enforcement finally become a reality?

Which websites and apps are affected?

An illustration of web page design on desktop and mobileAn EU Directive on the accessibility of public sector websites and mobile applications will be implemented in the UK on 23 September and concerns all public sector bodies. There are, however, several notable exemptions including schools and nurseries, public sector broadcasters such as the BBC, some NGOs and some third-party content that appears on public sector websites.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents to the consultation were critical of these proposed exemptions - organisations including AbilityNet, the British Computer Society, Scope and the RNIB. However, the Government has chosen to stand by their original proposal; “Government policy is not to go beyond the minimum requirements of European Directives unless there are exceptional circumstances. In accordance with this policy, we will make use of all exemptions available in the Directive.”

This is, of course, disappointing and not a little concerning. It is also seemingly in contradiction with existing legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 which most definitely requires organisations across all sectors not to discriminate against people who need website and app accessibility to participate in today's digital world.

The Government response does state that a review of the regulations will take place two years after they come into force, which will include examining how exemptions are working and “if these need to be changed.” Let's hope this includes asking those affected about how the inaccessible websites are impacting their lives.

Moreover, deadlines for public sector organisations to comply with the regulations do not come into effect until 2019-2021 (depending on when content was created). This proposed delay also drew criticism in the consultation process and yet has remained unchanged. It has been a legal requirement for websites to be accessible since 2003 so this further 'grace' period seems a little unnecessary…

Enforcement of the law - is now finally the time?

A person with two pieces of paper, one saying 'illegal' the other saying 'legal'OK - enough of focusing on the negative aspects of the outcomes of the consultation process. One aspect that may mean future movement in the long-standing glacial progress of accessibility advancement in the UK - advancement that has seen less than 10% of websites meet the very minimum level of compliance in a decade and a half of legal requirement - is the Government's identification of a body to monitor accessibility and another to enforce it. Will this combination be akin to an accessibility dynamic-duo - fighting crimes against inaccessibility wherever it rears its ugly head - or will things remain all but unchanged in the months and years to come?

The response outlines how the Government Digital Service (GDS) will monitor and record public sector bodies’ compliance with the Directive. This is good news. Up until now I wasn't aware that any government body was actively doing this and, being a public body activity, will be subject to an FOI (freedom of information) request. This means that, even if the reporting they mention remains largely internal, an FOI request will easily enable it to get a much wider press. Oh, that they would extend this activity to report on websites and apps across all sectors - and maybe they will. Fingers crossed.

So, what about enforcement? We've been calling for enforcement of the law in this area for years and now, finally, the Government have specifically named a department who will be responsible for enforcing the EU directive; the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Additionally, the Minister for the Cabinet Office will be given some enforcement powers. The government claims that this approach “makes sure the process for resolving accessibility concerns is robust.” Let's hope it is and that, again, they take it upon themselves to broaden enforcement to all sectors and in a crime-busting, proactive manner. More fingers crossed!

It's not fine to fine, apparently - so what will the sanctions be?

Handcuffs being used to reprimand a personOne area of concern across many of the organisations that responded to the consultation was the lack of detail on a proposed enforcement mechanism. Many suggested, as above, that a published list of non-complying organisations should be used as penalties, but most were in agreement that fining non-compliant organisations is the best way to go. Money is a great motivator and yet, in the Government's final response, they state that there are no plans to introduce ‘new fines’ for organisations failing to comply with the Directive. Hmmm.

This lack of firm financial sanctions is labelled as “disappointing” in the consultation response of Policy Connect – a cross-party think-tank providing support to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology (APPGAT). Policy Connect correctly claims that “Sanctions are a well-established part of effective enforcement mechanisms and should be a part of enforcement of the present regulations.”

We would want to restate our concerns to those of both Policy Connect and the majority of organisations who contributed to the consultation process. What exactly do the EHRC plan to use to force organisations to make their websites and apps accessible? If it's the threat of brand-damage alone then don't forget that 90% of organisations will be along-side them in the firing line and, to that extent, the sting-factor will fade and some feeling of safety in numbers may soften the blow.

Fines for speeding, illegal parking and non-payment of taxes (to mention a very few examples) are common-place and almost inevitable - and yet crucial digital services that impact many millions of users (did you know that there are 12m people with a disability in the UK today?) aren't worth fining because… er… I can't think of a good reason. Let's hope that the EHRC can't either, collectively put on their superhero cape, and leap into action.

Find out more

Read the UK Government's response in full

Read the response from Policy Connect

Here's how Government can help disabled people in a digital world

Open letter to Government: Please ensure websites and apps comply with legal accessibility requirements

Award-winning app could transform customer services for disabled people

An award-winning app that is transforming the lives of blind and visually impaired people across the planet is set to boost customer services in the public and private sector. Be My Eyes is used by almost 100,000 blind people in 150 countries around the world – connecting them with a network of 1.5 million volunteers who can help them with anything from checking food sell-by dates to choosing clothes or catching the right bus. And now they can connect directly with customer services teams in Microsoft – offering a new way for any customer-facing service to connect with its customers.  

Setting up wifi, changing settings on the TV or using online banking can be frustrating for any customer, but for someone without sight such tasks can be impossible. Users of Be My Eyes can now speak directly with sighted customer service staff at banks, tech companies and other organisations - via their phone camera. 

 

The first business to sign up is Microsoft. Since February, Be My Eyes users have been able to connect to a sighted person on the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for advice on tasks such as setting up new programmes or using the accessibility features within Microsoft programmes.  

Understanding the needs of disabled customers

Since launching four years ago a common theme for Be My Eyes has been calls from people who need help with higher level technical tasks or who need help from companies directly, which prompted the creation of the new service known as ‘Specialized Help’. 

“The world is very badly designed for people with visual impairment,” says Alexander Hauerslev Jensen, community director at Be My Eyes. “We also know that many companies want to improve the customer support they offer people with disabilities. It’s good for customers to talk to those who know a lot about a specific product or service, ie the relevant company themselves.”

“Close your eyes and try to set up wifi in a new place,” adds Jensen, “It’s more or less impossible. Live video just makes the interaction so much faster.

“If someone from the company can see the problem in real time, issues with their products or service could be resolved more efficiently," he adds. "Each call represents something that’s poorly designed from an accessibility standpoint. It will mean companies will get very unique knowledge and then can change things - whether that’s identifying bugs or making packaging which is more accessible.”

Improving customer services for disabled people

Many businesses or services do not conduct user testing with people of different abilities and are unaware of the accessibility barriers they face when using their services or products. As well as legal risks they are potentially turning away millions of valuable customers. 

Microsoft has been able to reduce the time taken on calls to the answer desk by 30% since it started using the app. “They’re receiving a significant number of calls through the app and agents have been able to identify problems immediately using the camera,” explains Jensen.

The app won the AbilityNet Accessibility Award at the Tech4Good Awards 2018 – with judges particularly impressed by its plans to improve the support that organisations can offer its customers, so that no one is left out in the digital age. It can offer a simple way of delivering support to anyone who could potentially become excluded and an easy way to remove some of the barriers to technology and digital services.

Find out more about the Tech4Good Awards.

Summer time and now reading is even easier

JK Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter series of books once said “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” That's good advice from someone who has sold millions of books. But what about people who'd love to be able to read but haven't found 'the right way to read the right book'? 

They might have conditions such as dyslexia or ADHD, or have had a stroke and can't hold a book in the way they once could. Technology can allow you to experience the joy of reading, even if it's not following the conventional way you 'read' the book. 

Read anywhere with an e-book

Amazon Kindle with coffee cup and chocolatesYou can read books anywhere; on your commute, on your lunch hour or even on the beach. There are many different ways to enjoy a book; you could pop into your local bookshop and buy a book in print or if you have a smartphone or tablet you could use one of the many different e-book apps to read the latest thrillers or biographies (along with the usual classic titles).  

If you are visually impaired you could connect to the EasyReader software. There are some readers who have dedicated e-book readers such as the Nook - I'm one of them! 

It is interesting to look at how popular e-books are as opposed to physical books. Earlier this decade e-books were more popular than printed books,  but now it seems to be the other way round, with paperback book sales outperforming digital titles. I must admit that I'm currently reading an e-book but my home is full of physical books and in my spare time I can be found in charity shops looking for (more) second-hand books.

Reading on your smartphone

To me, both ways of reading are pretty useful. Of course, because the smartphone is now so small we don't think twice about popping it into our pockets whereas a book, especially a many-paged book, can be quite heavy. Smartphones have changed the way that we read just as they've changed the way we stream music.

If you have an Amazon Echo device you can have books read aloud to you through technology accessed via the Kindle store and now there is a technology called WhisperSynch which will start reading exactly from where you finished off reading the last time. Let's face it, there's nothing quite as annoying as not being able to find exactly where in a book you finished listening up to last time, is there?  Currently Echo devices will also read Audible books, but not books from the Overdrive store.

Ask Alexa

Oh and if you are lucky enough to have an Echo you could always ask Alexa what books she'd suggest and she will come back to you with some recommendations. More and more skills relating to books are appearing on the Alexa skills list all of the time. If you have a Google Home device you aren't left out either - you can download books via the Play Books store on your Android phone. 

So as we've seen, you can now read on a number of different devices. Whether you're off on holiday or having a staycation or just reading on the way home from work - you've now got even more ways of escaping into a good book!


How can we help?

AbilityNet helps disabled people use computers and the internet at work, at home and in education. There are a few ways that we can help:

  • Call our free helpline on 0800 269 545 - our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. Our free helpline is staffed Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
  • Arrange a home visit - we have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone/remotely.
  • Download our factsheets - these share in detail the many ways technology might be able to help you, and can be downloaded for free. 
  • Use My Computer My Way - this shares hints and tips that you can use to make your time on the computer that bit easier.

AbilityNet appoints new CEO

The Trustees of AbilityNet announced the appointment of Gary Moore as Chief Executive. Gary brings strong sales, marketing and leadership expertise from senior management roles in major technology enterprises including BT, O2 and Colt Technologies. He is a trustee of the WCIT Charity, and has extensive experience of assisting charities with information technology.

 

Alan Brooks, Chairman of Trustees, noted: “We are delighted to welcome Gary as our new CEO. Technology is rapidly changing, and the need for AbilityNet’s services is greater than ever. We are convinced that Gary will steer the charity to greater success in this fast-moving environment.”

 

Gary Moore commented: “AbilityNet helps thousands of users with disabilities every year to get the best from technology. I have been very impressed with the staff, with the services offered, and with the attentive engagement of the Trustees. I look forward to leading the team to delivering ever greater impact and benefit”.

 

Gary takes up his new permanent position from 01 August 2018.

 

Three positive habit forming apps

How do we break our bad habits and form good ones?

Summer is well and truly here and it’s a good time for students to be building momentum for the new academic year. For all of us working, it’s a good time to refelct on how we might better manage our time so we can enjoy those precious moments of time out. Let’s face it when we’ve been in education or work life for years it’s easy to assume we’ve formed some habits that would be better off booted out of our regimes. Good habits can help us be more productive, prioritise our do-to lists and remember our important tasks. You can feel satisfied too by tracking your progress through small, manageable goal posts.

Kicking bad habits or establishing new ones is not a piece of cake, but we believe you can make these changes. Plus it can be fun with the help of some handy apps.

image: 2 pieces of paper saying bad and good. A hand is picking up the one that says good

It can take between 2 weeks to 2 months to form new life habits

According to research by brainingpickings.org, it can take 66 days to form a habit. If you can commit to something as easy as drinking a glass of water after breakfast this habit could form in as little as 21 days. If we can make these small changes over a period of time it's more likely that we'll be able to stick with these traits well, forever. Imagine how much more we could achieve!

We set our experts on the case to track down the right apps that may well help you make these positive changes and keep you motivated.

  1. HabitBull: (Free – iOS and Android) is described as ‘perfect for people who have flexible habit-building goals’such as walking to work or university three times a week instead of everyday. The app doesn't limit you to one daily reminder and you can customise alerts for certain days and times of the week. The app allows you to track your habits with a number so if, for example, the desired habit is to take a break and think for 15 minutes every day, you can just enter "10 minutes" when that is completed and you’ll still feel like you're working towards your goals. You really can visualise your habits in a variety of ways, track streaks, look at a calendar, and even discuss habits with other users. You may need some patience to learn the interface quirks but, HabitBull is a great app with a lot of data available for you. 
  2. LifeTracker: (Android and web app) Achieving goals can be simple, it’s down to knowing when to do the right things at the right time. LifeTracker is built to know when to remind you about them. Get reminders about your most important activities when the time and place is right. Achieve more, remember important purchases, stay foucsed on your goals and feel a sense of achievement everyday. 
  3. Google Goals: (web app) Trying google goals for a few weeks can lead to some positive small changes that can really benefit all of us. Some people have reported being better hydrated, being able to meditate more frequently and achieving better sleep. But how does it work?
  • Open the Google Calendar app
  • In the bottom right, tap Create
  • Tap Goal
  • Choose a category, for instance Family & friends or Exercise 
  • Follow the directions on your screen to set up your goal such as ‘take a break’
  • Tap Done
  • Sessions will be automatically added to your calendar, starting with the first four weeks

 

AbilityNet is a UK charity that helps provide information on technology and disability, if you’d like to know how technology may benefit you, you can call us on 0800 269 545 or email enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk

 

Can Alexa improve your health?

AbilityNet Accessibility consultant Adi Latif has contributed to a UK government video demonstrating the value of digital tech for people with specific needs. The video sets out specific goals for the NHS to invest in tech such as Amazon Echo (Alexa) and VoiceOver, showing how accessible technology can deliver health benefits and provide greater independence for people with disabilities.

AbilityNet's Adi Latif spoke at the BMA Conference in June 2018 about the role of tech in helping disabled people with their health care

Adi is an Accessibility & Usability Consultant at AbilityNet. He has a visual impairment and he uses a wide range of tech including VoiceOver on iPhone, Alexa, laptop with screenreader, Be My Eyes app, Seeing AI app, iWatch and a Braille display. 

Adi spoke at the British Medical Association's Annual Conference in June 2018 - sharing his insights about how medical healthcare could be improved in terms of accessibility. He has now worked with officials from the Department of Health to discuss the potential benefits of accessible tech in meeting people's health needs.

He says that accessible health-related apps and websites would give him control over this vital aspect in life: 

‘I can book train tickets. Send and receive emails from my phone or manage my finances through my banking apps, but I can’t manage my medical healthcare. This is a great opportunity for the Government to take a lead in ensuring that NHS services meet the highest standards of accessibility for all patients.'

He sees lots of opportunities for using Alexa to communicate with the NHS and suggested some ideas for the future: 

  • Asking Alexa for basic medical advice  - for example 'Alexa, I’ve cut my finger, what should I do?’
  • Asking Alexa to tell him test results or when his next hospital appointment is as at the moment, so he wouldn’t need to rely on paper.
  • Using a video camera (for example on Amazon Show) to connect with an NHS GP to avoid travelling to the surgery.
  • The camera would also allow him to show the NHS GP any physical symptoms which he may not be able to see for himself.

Adi believes that voice interfaces such as Alexa are potentially easier for people, especially for older people, as they may find smart phones or computers hard to operate.  Using your is almost like having a conversation, and so can be more natural.

The video showing Adi’s experience was posted on the Department of Health & Social Care Twitter page after an introductory speech by Matt Hancock his new role as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Matt Hancock is tech-savvy and wants the NHS to use tech to become more productive and accessible for people with disabilities. 

Useful information

Eight things I learned at the 2018 AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards Ceremony

Profile photo of Marta ValleI was present at the 8th annual AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards Ceremony, which took place just 10 days after I joined AbilityNet as an Accessibility and Usability Consultant - so a great opportunity to meet some of my colleagues from different locations and attend one of our major events!

The event was very successful and it was a pleasure to hear about the people and projects that are using digital technology to improve the lives of others and make the world a better place. In this post I've shared eight things I learned at the 2018 AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards Ceremony:

1. Technology is changing lives

Liz Williams from BT mentioned this idea at the beginning of the ceremony. Reading the stories of the 35 amazing finalists on the Tech4Good Awards website convinced me that this is an amazing truth: technology is making life easier, safer and better for all of us. Finalists like Be My Eyes or TapSOS deserved a prize, and so I was pleased when they won, but as Liz said "...all our finalists are winners".

2. Young talent is mind-blowing

I was surprised to see young people in the reception area before the Awards Ceremony started. Before the event I had read about the finalists in the BT Young Pioneer Award category, but I hadn’t realised the finalists were THAT young. When the Awards Ceremony started I realised that these young people have extraordinary minds. I think it’s fair to say that we were all moved by Lewis Hine's story - the teenager that founded Friend Finder to bring together students that miss school due to long-term health conditions or disability. The team that won the 2018 BT Young Pioneer Award, Water Watcher, impressed us all from the stage when speaking about their project to reduce water wastage worldwide.

Kate Russell, Mark Walker and the 2018 BT Young Pioneer Award winners - Water Watcher

3. It’s not easy to be a judge

No thank you, I don’t want to be a part of the judging for next year. How can you choose the best project from each category, when all the finalists are so good? The Digital Volunteer of the Year Award and the Comic Relief Tech4Good for Africa Award are just two examples of extremely challenging categories to choose a stand-out winner from.

4. You can vote for your favourite by waving a glowstick

When I first saw them, I thought they were candies. ‘How unusual...’ I thought. But no, they were glowsticks and we used them to choose who we wanted to receive the Winner of Winners Award. We all enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the voting and there was much laughter.

5. You can win a trophy and give it away

Related to my previous point, Christian Erfurt from Be My Eyes won the Winner of Winners Award and surprised us all with an admirable gesture: he gave the trophy to Lewis Hine ‘for his important work with Friend Finder.’

6. ‘Rings don’t fall off to the floor’ at AbilityNet

I’m not sure if there’s an equivalent expression to this crazy Spanish idiom. If your rings don’t fall to the floor it means that you’re happy to do any task that might be considered minor, whatever your seniority. I didn’t see a single ring on the floor during all the event. Everybody was working with Mark Walker, the event organiser and also the Head of Marketing and Communications at AbilityNet, to make sure the event ran as smoothly as possible. Everyone pitched in, no matter the seniority, no matter the task. I’m pleased to work in such a collaborative environment.

The team representing AbilityNet at the 2018 Tech4Good Awards

7. Networking is better around a chocolate fountain

Gary Moore, the CEO of AbilityNet, mentioned the chocolate fountain whilst on stage, and in my opinion it was truly the star of the delicious catering that was on offer after the event. There’s no better way to start a conversation than by sharing your thoughts about the perfect fruit combination to dip into chocolate.

8. It’s such an amazing time!

Kate Russell, who hosted the awards alongside Mark Walker, said it's not often we hear a genuine good-news story about technology. On the day of the Awards Ceremony we heard not one, but thirty-five good-news stories about technology. Big names like Facebook and Microsoft are using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve accessibility for all users. Robotics is going to change the world, like the amazing Small Robot Company in the agri-tech industry. Digital skills are reaching people that had little access to technology before. The future is promising, and we’ll get another opportunity to reflect on this again as we follow our 10 winners post-win and look forward to the next AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards in 2019. Are you ready?

The 2018 AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards winners alongside presenters and judges

Find out more:

For more information about the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards and this year's winners read the official AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards winners announcement on our website.

You can read more about our 2018 winners and finalists in a feature on the Guardian website.

For other details about the Awards visit the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards website.

If you're feeling inspired to use your digital skills to transform the lives of other people then check out our current vacancies and volunteer opportunities.

Winners Announced for AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2018

The power of technology to transform the lives disabled people was as a key theme as the winners of the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2018 were announced at the eighth annual awards ceremony in BT Centre, London.

This year’s winners included Be My Eyes, an accessibility app that uses a smartphone to connect blind people with sighted volunteers, TapSOS an app originally designed for the Deaf community that provides a non-verbal way of contacting the Emergency Services and WaytoB a navigation aid for people with learning disabilities.

the winners of the tech4good awrads 2018 were announced at a glittering ceremony at BT Centre in July 2018

The Tech4Good Awards are organised by AbilityNet and sponsored by BT and supported by charities and businesses including Lloyds Banking Group, Microsoft and Tech Trust. The judging panel includes experts from the BBC, tech industry, charity and government. These are the only awards to highlight the amazing people from charities, business and volunteers across who use digital technology to make the world a better place. Entry is free and open to any business, charity, individual or public body in the UK. 

The awards ceremony took place on 17 July at BT Centre, London, where more than 200 people came together to discover who won this year's Awards:

  • AbilityNet Accessibility Award: Be My Eyes
  • BT Connected Society Award: Small Robot Company
  • BT Young Pioneer Award: Water Watcher
  • Comic Relief Tech4Good for Africa Award: Unlocking Talent Through Technology
  • Community Impact Award: Mind of My Own (MOMO)
  • Digital Health Award: TapSOS
  • Digital Skills Award: Generation Code
  • Tech Volunteer of the Year Award: Anna Holland Smith
  • Tech4Good People’s Award: WaytoB
  • Tech4Good Special Award: Lewis Hine of Friend Finder
  • Winner of Winners Award: Be My Eyes

The Awards are organised by Mark Walker at AbilityNet, who is pictured below with BBC Click presenter Kate Russell, who hosts the event, Ian Caveney of BT and Ben Scott Robinson of the Small Robot Company, winners of the BT Connected Society Award 2018.

Small Robot Company won the BT Connected Society Award at AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2018

Mark said everyone was still buzzing after another amazing event:

“We've had another fantastic year, with so many inspiring stories from people who are using tech to make the world a better place. We had over 200 high-quality entries and our 35 finalists included big tech names such as Microsoft and Facebook, along with small charities, startups and lots of volunteers. 

"Our judging panel includes tech, charity and business experts from a huge range of organisations, including the BBC, BT, Comic Relief and Government. The standard was much higher than usual so they had a really tough time choosing the winners. 

“The Award Ceremony is such an uplifting event - it's wonderful to meet so many amazing people who are using their passion for technology to change the lives of other people. It's such a privilege to celebrate their success and help them share their stories to inspire others. Everyone at AbilityNet is so proud of the way the Tech4Good Awards has grown over the past eight years - and so grateful for the support we get from BT and all the other partners and supporters."

More details

Smartwatch app which helps people with a learning disability travel more independently makes finals of Tech4Good Awards

Tech4Good Accessibility Award finalist waytoB, founded by two students, has integrated a smartphone and smartwatch platform to help people with a learning disability navigate their environment more independently. It's currently being trialled in Ireland and is a finalist in this year's Tech4Good Awards, which celebrate the amazing people who use tech to help make the world a better place.

waytoB has been created so that a carer, friend or family member can add safe routes via a smartphone platform for a person with a learning disability. That person adds the routes with their smartphone and is then able to track the location, heart rate and battery life of the person with the learning disability. They also get notified of key journey events (e.g getting lost, stopping for longer than expected, showing high levels of anxiety, etc.).

The person who has a learning disability follows icon-based instructions on their watch to better navigate their environment, with the watch vibrating when there's a new instruction.

Universal Design principles

WaytoB has been designed to be as flexible and inclusive as possible, providing independence to everyone: people with learning disabilities including autism, the elderly, and people with physical, cognitive, visual and hearing impairments. The project started in 2014 as part of an innovation module in user-centered design at Trinity College, Dublin. From the very beginning, students Talita Holzer Saad and Robbie Fryers developed their solution with the principles of Universal Design in mind, to ensure it is accessible to every type of user. 

In 2015, Public Health England estimated that there were more than one million people with a learning disability in England alone. Often people with a learning disability rely on others for transport and assistance to access their community, so WaytoB has the potential to open up independence.

A spokesperson for WaytoB said: “A study conducted by IDS-TILDA (at Trinity College) found that the majority of people with a learning disability over the age of 40 that it spoke to are dependent upon others for transportation and access options - and that the need for such assistance was the greatest barrier to successfully participating in social activities."

Standard navigation apps not safe for everyone

waytoB ’s research has also shown tthat popular smartphone apps for wayfinding are not suitable for those with learning disabilities - both from a cognitive perspective, and from a safety aspect, ie walking while trying to follow a smartphone screen presents risks from traffic, crime, and others.

Robin Christopherson, head of digital inclusion for AbilityNet adds: “waytoB is a really innovative take on the satnav, that all-important guide most of us use every day. By combining smartphone and smartwatch features this is navigation with a twist – specifically designed to provide that extra help needed by users with a learning difficulty or disability.”

  • You can vote for waytoB in the AbilityNet Tech4Good People's Award here - which closes on 9 July.
  • Winners of the 8th AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards will be announced on 17 July in London.  
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