MOLLY WATTCAMP DIGITAL 2016

FIRSTLY

INTRODUCTION

ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING MY CONDITION/ PRESENTATION

▸ I will happily answer these at the end.

LIFE HAS BEEN A CONSTANT BATTLE FOR ACCESSIBILITY

▸ Education

▸ Hearing aids gave me access to people/+ communication

▸ 2002 - I went digital

THINGS WERE NOT GETTING EASIER

▸ However, with my eyes progressively worsening this wasn't enough.

▸ I felt 'deafer.'

▸ I needed more to access my education

START OF MY TECHNOLOGY JOURNEY

PROVISION / PREFERENCE

▸ I was provided with a Dell laptop with Jaws. I didn't get on with this;

▸ Firstly this wasn't inclusive in a classroom - I stuck out.

▸ A friend introduced me to Mac...

APPLE IS ME

▸ I massively benefited from the built in Accessibility features in a Mac.

▸ It was from the age of 13 [year after diagnosis] I had gone 'Apple.'

▸ I could manually adjust exam papers, power points, spreadsheets- anything on this Mac screen so I could personally access my education.

AS MY VISUAL WORLD GOT SMALLER

▸ My apple collection grew...

▸ I've used iPhones, again their built in accessibility features enabled me to access all things my friends could.

▸ Of course it was only natural to get an iPad.

▸ All this and I got good GCSEs, and even A Levels

THE 'REAL WORLD'▸ Teacher aspirations

▸ I worked incredibly hard to get into university

▸ To get onto a teaching degrees you have to do Skills tests (maths and English) alongside a levels

▸ these skill tests were to be taken via a government website....

▸ They had a set up for the deaf/ special needs - (extra time) however was inaccessible to get as you had to contact over the phone to get book it. Lots of deaf people cannot use the telephone.

▸ And because it was done online, the whole paper was inaccessible to the blind.

▸ At that time, I could not hear on the phone- had to rely on my parents and college to again find a way forward. Independent tests were set for me that college would execute.

THOUGH I STUDIED HARD

▸ The tests were inaccessible to the deaf blind.

▸ However I made it

▸ Even though I passed and eventually got myself into a university that is supposedly top 3 in England for teaching....

IGNORANCE AND LACK OF ACCESS

▸ After battling for a long 5 months, I withdrew.

▸ The system let me down.

▸ My tools weren't enough

▸ I do believe to this day I would have made a great teacher

MOLLY WATT TRUST (AMBASSADOR FOR SENSE) 2011.

THE ONLY WAY IS UP

▸ Having withdrawn I altered focus back to my charity and started blogging.

▸ A lot to do with access.

▸ Back to Apple...

WWW.MOLLYWATT.COM

'MY APPLE WATCH AFTER 5 DAYS'

SHOCKER

A GIMMICK TO SOME, A GATE TO INDEPENDENCE TO OTHERS

▸ As a charity we have also been able to provide watches to those with Usher syndrome who have fed back some amazing confidence and independence building stories.

▸ They have been blogged about on my trust website.

▸ Independence > confidence > acceptance > inclusion

PASSION FOR ACCESSIBILITY

THIS BLOG TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT ACCESS

▸ Made aware of ReSound hearing aids

▸ Bluetooth connectivity > iPhone AND Apple Watch.

▸ Even more independence.

▸ Eg. Answering a phone call, listening to music.

SIDE NOTE.

ONE OBSTACLE MANY FACE WITH USHER SYNDROME?

▸ Ignorance

▸ The struggle for employment.

▸ Something to take away from this? A member of the public, or an employer....

RECOGNISE THE CAPABILITIES OF THOSE WITH SENSORY IMPAIRMENT WITH THE USE OF ACCESSIBLE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

WE HAVE AN UNIQUE SKILL SET, OFTEN WAITING TO BE UNLOCKED!

Q&ATHANK YOU