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EQUAL Research Network Workshop

Theme: Vision and Deafness in the Built Environment

Thursday, 21st March 2002, University of Reading, Whiteknights campus
Room 44 Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences

Final Programme

10.00am Arrival and Coffee

                During registration there will be demonstrations of software by: 
                    Keith Bright (ARIADNE and accessibility)
                    Dr Peter Rutherford (Auditory Navigation Beacon)
                    

10.30am Welcome 
                 Professor Peter Lansley, Director EQUAL Network

10.40am Chairman’s Opening Remarks
                  Professor Robert Curnow, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, University of Reading

10.45am Issues faced by people in the environment, at work and in the home

10.45am Hearing loss in the built environment: the experience of older people,
                Dr Bill Davies, Salford University

11.00am Acoustic guidelines & teaching strategies for optimising learning conditions 
                in classrooms for hearing and hearing impaired children,
                Professor Bridget Shield, South Bank University & Professor Julie Dockrell, Institute of Education

11.15pm Development and assessment of a self-administered hearing test for older people
                Dr John Culling, Cardiff University

11.30am Discussion

11.45am Glare disability and its practical consequences in patients with glaucoma
                Dr Patricia Nelson, Heriot-Watt University

12.00pm Improving Design details (Four linked projects)
                       Project Rainbow : Colour selection and visually impaired people
                       Project Crystal : Deafness, design and communication in the built environment
                       Inclusive Transport Environments: colour design, lighting and visual impairment
                       Design of a hospital portal serving patients’ needs for information, communication 
                            and entertainment
                Dr Indra Sinka, Hertfordshire University, Dr Hilary Dalke, South Bank University,
                Keith Bright and Dr Geoff Cook, Reading University

12.25pm Discussion

12.40pm Lunch in the Orange Room
                hosted by the Research Group for Inclusive Environments, University of Reading

                Immediately after lunch and before the commencement of the afternoon session 
                there will be demonstrations of software by: 
                    Keith Bright (ARIADNE and accessibility)
                    Dr Peter Rutherford (Auditory Navigation Beacon)
                    

1.40pm Navigating the Built Environment

1.40pm Chairman’s Opening Remarks
                 Professor Robert Imrie, Professor of Human Geography, Royal Holloway College

1.50pm The development of an auditory navigation beacon for emergency egress from buildings
                Dr Peter Rutherford, Leeds University

2.05pm Auditory location finder (ALF) with emergency call facility for blind, visually impaired people 
                and older people 
                Professor Howard Kirby, Napier University - for more information click here

2.20pm Discussion

2.35pm Issues from Practice – The view of end users and intermediaries – Issues and Needs

2.35pm RNID and its technology initiatives
                Neil Thomas

2.45pm The JMU Access Partnership - its role and priorities
                Katherine Phipps

3.05pm Discussion

3.20pm Further Issues from Research

3.20am Vision, independence and the homes of older people (Pocklington Trust project)
                Dr Julienne Hanson, The Bartlett, UCL

3.50pm Discussion

4.05pm General Forum relating to the theme and to the EQUAL Research Network

4.30pm Round-up

4.45pm Close

Biographies of Presenters

Notes – the titles given against each presenter are those of their research projects or programme but many of the presentations will range more widely.

Registering for the Meeting

To make a definite reservation for the meeting please contact Verity Smith preferably by e-mail with the following information:

--- name, organisation, and any special dietary requirements

Please let us know if you have any other special requirements especially relating to accessibility. The meeting may have the underlying theme of inclusivity, but University campuses are notoriously difficult to navigate and Reading is no exception. Also, please let us know if you are a deaf or hearing impaired person and need a sign language interpreter so that we can make appropriate arrangements. 

If you have not already registered as a member of the EQUAL Network then please go to the  membership link, complete the form and return it. This will ensure that we have your correct details and contact information.

Travel Arrangements

The University is situated on the south east side of Reading within easy reach of the M4, Heathrow Airport and Reading Railway Station. The Whiteknights campus of the University is about 30 minutes brisk walk from Reading town centre and 40 minutes from the station. 

There are frequent trains from London Paddington, the Midlands and the West Country. Journey time from London is less than 30 minutes. 

There is a shuttle bus from the airport to the railway station and frequent buses from the station to the university (but during the rush hour journeys can be slow). For bus and coach links refer to www.reading.ac.uk/Maps/bus_links.htm . 

Taxis from the station cost about £8.00 and take about 10 minutes depending on traffic conditions and there are plenty of buses from the station to the University. Both are to be found to the right on exiting the station entrance.

For maps and plans of Reading and the University please refer to www.reading.ac.uk/Maps/index.htm

For other information about Reading including accommodation please refer to www.readingtourism.org.uk/tic/accommodation/frameset.htm

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