To all MCG members
The Jodi Mattes Trust
www.jodiawards.org.uk <http://www.jodiawards.org.uk/>
Contact: Jon Pratty
07739 287392
05/12/2008
Press Release - For immediate use
Kevin Carey of RNIB calls for renewed effort to make UK digital culture
accessible for all at 2008 Jodi Awards
Kevin Carey, Vice Chair of the Royal National Institute of Blind People
(RNIB), called for renewed effort to make UK digital culture accessible for
all at the 2008 Jodi Awards on December 5, 2008, at the British Museum,
London.
In a typically passionate speech Kevin outlined a new reality for culture
creators, publishers and producers. He called for the setting up of a
national Centre for Excellence for Accessible Media funded by the public,
commercial and third sectors.
"If we go on training disadvantaged people, including those with
impairments, in a fragmented accessibility and usability ecology, to acquire
what are called 'basic' skills in accessing and processing information, we
will doom them to be poor."
Kevin's speech preceded the giving of the 2008 Jodi Awards. The awards are
for museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage venues that use
technology to provide access to collections and learning for disabled
people, e.g. websites, interactive objects, audio-guides, PDAs and virtual
reality shows.
The awards, sponsored by RNIB and supported by the Museums, Libraries and
Archives Council, were presented by Kevin Carey and preceded by an
introduction from Andy Minnion, Director of the Rix Centre.
Lord Low, Chair of RNIB, was present at the ceremony, as were
representatives from many shortlisted museums and galleries.
Named in memory of Jodi Mattes (1973-2001), who worked as part of the
British Museum's web team and later at the RNIB, the awards honour Jodi's
efforts to ensure the museum's COMPASS website was as accessible as
possible. Jodi's parents, Harry and Esther Mattes, and sister Sara, attended
the award ceremony.
2008 Jodi Awards - the winners
1. Excellence for people with a learning disability, in association with the
Rix Centre, London.
Outside In Pathways, for their project in which a group of people with
learning disabilities made films using digital technology at the V&A museum,
London.
2. Excellence in accessible digital media
The National Trust, for their virtual tour pilot project. 12 virtual tours
were developed, and four more are in production. All this from a national
charity that involved disabled people in making accessible media that could
genuinely and substantially improve the experiences of disabled visitors.
<http://corvidae.co.uk/panoramas/dunham/>
http://corvidae.co.uk/panoramas/dunham/
3. Excellence with a low budget - Web accessibility
In this category, a COMMENDATION was awarded to the Thackray Museum in
Leeds, and their website redevelopment project. The museum consulted young
visually impaired people from Henshaws College in York and incorporated a
range of their recommendations into the design.
http://www.thackraymuseum.org <http://www.thackraymuseum.org/>
4. Excellence in Web accessibility
Awarded to the British Museum for its BSL Schools Web Project
In this project young deaf people produced signed curriculum resources for
young deaf people, working with Frank Barnes School and media company
Remark.
This outstanding project is well thought out, carefully framed and cleanly
presented, bringing together a creative and appropriate mix of users,
artists and designers with expertise in the area of BSL.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/learning/schools_and_teachers/school_projects/b
sl_project.aspx
5. Excellence in accessible digital media on a low budget
The Jodi judges have decided not to award a prize for accessible digital
media excellence on a low budget this year.
Editor's notes
For more info, contact Jon Pratty, 07739 287392 or [log in to unmask]
The winners in detail
1. Award for excellence for people with a learning disability
Outside In Pathways, for their project at the V&A museum, London.
This inspiring project involved specialists in learning disability working
in a cultural heritage context. A number of visitors with learning
disabilities worked with the project staff using digital cameras and digital
editing equipment to produce a DVD of their thoughts and reactions to the
museum.
"This was a creative and successful example of a project that really used
digital media as a vital catalyst, which can inspire other museums and
galleries, libraries and archives to think about technology not just as a
platform for dissemination or resources, or as a final product, but as a the
context for another kind of interaction and event," said Ross Parry, Chair
of the Jodi judging panel.
It also demonstrates the social impact of museums, as the project gave
participants greater confidence in going out on their own. This is an
important message in the current raging debate of 'excellence versus access'
and 'intrinsic value versus instrumentalism'.
2. Excellence in accessible digital media
National Trust - The Virtual Tour, an example of a national charity taking a
strong and decisive step into producing accessible media to genuinely and
substantially improve the experiences of some of its disabled visitors.
The 12 Virtual Tours are not only successful resources in themselves but the
methodology and specification that produced them is now a scalable and
migrate-able shell that could be used in many of the National Trust's sites.
Judges felt the National Trust was outstanding in the way they worked with
(and received constructive criticism from) our on-site accessibility
testers, and have exhibited a genuine institutional and informed commitment
to this project and the values at its core.
The standardised layout of the interactive Virtual Tours enable a consistent
and reliable experience for disabled people anywhere it is available. The
project has outstanding potential for national rollout and is
cost-effective.
<http://corvidae.co.uk/panoramas/dunham/>
http://corvidae.co.uk/panoramas/dunham/
3. Excellence with a low budget - Web accessibility
In this category, a COMMENDATION was awarded to the Thackray Museum in Leeds
and their website redevelopment project.
This is an example of a small museum on a limited budget taking an inspiring
leap - a commitment to more accessible media and resources. The judges felt
the museum's approach to the redesign should be held up as an inspiration to
other museums on a low budget of what changes in attitude and institutional
commitment can take place, and how an organisation's online offer can be set
on a new trajectory of accessibility measured by a new set of criteria and
aspirations.
http://www.thackraymuseum.org <http://www.thackraymuseum.org/>
4. Excellence in Web accessibility
Awarded to the British Museum for its BSL Schools Web Project
The judges thought this was an outstanding project; a well thought out
initiative, carefully framed and cleanly presented. The project was
evidently managed in a focused and informed way, bringing together a
creative and appropriate mix of users, artists and designers with expertise
in the area of BSL (from multimedia producers Remark.)
The final product may only be small, a fraction of the BM's huge site, but
it represents a high profile international museum setting new standards for
itself (and perhaps, consequently, the sector) in the what should routinely
be in place in our online sectoral provision, and what can be achieved
through clarity of thought and of purpose.
The judges were impressed by the way this site centred attention on
participating children from Frank Barnes School; it is the BSL users
themselves that confidently sit at the heart of this resource. The BM have
also in the project produced classroom resources that can now be used by
pupils who are some of the most excluded in the education system.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/learning/schools_and_teachers/school_projects/b
sl_project.aspx
5. The Jodi judges have decided not to award a prize for accessible digital
media excellence on a low budget this year.
More about the Jodi Awards can be found on the website:
www.jodiawards.org.uk <http://www.jodiawards.org.uk/>
2008 Judges
Dr. Ross Parry (chair of judges)
Senior Lecturer
Department of Museum Studies
University of Leicester
Rebecca McGinnis
Museum Educator, Access Coordination
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Jon Pratty
Journalist, digital publishing consultant
http://machineculture.wordpress.com
Edwina Smart
Branch Librarian Pontypridd
Rhondda Cynon Taff Borough Council
Robin Urquhart
Online Resources Archivist
The National Archives of Scotland
Funding
Funding for the awards comes from the Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA) and RNIB.
Support was also received from CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales,
Museums Galleries Scotland, Scottish Archive Network and the Scottish
Libraries and Information Council.
Support in kind came from Culture24; the British Museum, the Museums
Computer Group, and the University of Leicester.
The Jodi Mattes Trust
The awards are co-ordinated by a charitable body, The Jodi Mattes Trust, set
up specially in 2008 to make sure the awards continue to grow and sustain
the memory of Jodi's work in years to come.
MLA - our major sponsors
Leading strategically, the MLA promotes best practice in museums, libraries
and archives, to inspire innovative, integrated and sustainable services for
all. www.mla.gov.uk <http://www.mla.gov.uk/>
RNIB - Jodi Awards ceremony sponsors
RNIB is the UK's leading charity offering information, support and advice to
over two million people with sight loss. RNIB's pioneering work helps anyone
with a sight problem - not just with
<http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_
braille.hcsp> braille and
<http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_
talkingbooks.hcsp> Talking Books, but with imaginative and practical
solutions to everyday challenges.
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/code/public_rnib001950
.hcsp
Testing
To select winning websites, the judges were supported by the results of
automated and, for shortlisted sites, user testing undertaken by the
University of York. The user panel included blind, partially sighted,
dyslexic and deaf people. Disabled assessors visited in-gallery interactives
shortlisted for an Award.
Jon Pratty
Journalism: arts, heritage, technology and society
Digital publishing consultant to the cultural sector
[log in to unmask] <blocked::blocked::mailto:[log in to unmask]>
http://machineculture.wordpress.com <http://machineculture.wordpress.com/>
Terrestrial: 01273 277396
Mobile: 07739 287392
Twitter: sometimes
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