In response to your e-mail of 14th November, I would like to ask for some
further info. I am carrying out research into self advocacy for people with
learning difficulties at Sheffield University's Education Department. Would
it be possible for you to provide me with further info about;
a. your organisation
b. the conference on 3rd December. I wouldn't be able to attend but if a
report is to be produced I would be very interested in seeing it
c. the videos mentioned in your e-mail
d. a list of your publications. 

Thanks for your help. 

Linda Laurie. 

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From: Ann Wade <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: HEAR Project
Date: 24 November 1998 16:14

Colleagues,

The HEAR Project facilitates the Disability Education and 
Training Strategy, a European Social Fund project based at 
the University of Liverpool. As we are approaching the end 
of our funding year we would like to share some of the 
initiatives of our project:

1. The Merseyside Dyslexia Network, formed as part of the 
strategy, has recently launched two sets of guidance notes 
for tutors and students - "Enabling dyslexic students to 
succeed".  These were formulated and agreed by 
representatives of all FE and HE institutions on 
Merseyside.  The feedback so far has been very positive.  
The demand for copies has already meant going to reprint, 
but we have kept a number of copies for dissemination, and 
we will be happy to provide copies to colleagues on 
dis-forum.

2. Thank you to all colleagues who have expressed an 
interest in our Staff Development Pilot project.  We plan 
to hold two sessions in February. The underlying aims of 
these sessions will be to address staff fears of teaching/ 
meeting disabled students, and an explanation of the social 
model to illustrate that accessibility is an issue of equity 
and not welfare provision. The training is being designed 
with, and delivered by a BCODP registered disability 
equality trainer.
We expect the main problem to be attendance, and so we are 
preceding the sessions with publicity, and research 
questionnaires (based very much on the model developed by 
The University of Hull Project - Responding Effectively to 
the Mental Health Needs Of Students - A big THANKS to 
Nicky) in the hope of creating a demand.
We will keep Colleagues informed as to the progress of the 
training, and we make the model for the sessions available 
once it has been finalised.

3. The HEAR Us Advocacy Group, in partnership with Ideas in 
Motion - an action group of disabled people- are hosting a 
one day conference exploring advocacy and self-advocacy.
To be held on International Disabled People's Day the 
underlying aim of the conference is to empower disabled 
people to expect and ask for equity, and to build further 
the network of disabled people involved in the Disability 
Education and Training Strategy.  The conference has 
already attracted a great deal of attention - not only from 
disabled people but also from other important offices - 
including a personal letter of support from Tony Blair.  
The practical outcome of the conference will be a statement 
of advocacy formulated by the conference delegates, which 
will be widely circulated to the 'movers and skakers' in 
Government, Education, Transport, Employment, Media and 
anywhere else we can think of. 

4. The Student Perspectives project now has 6 student 
profiles of their experience of education on video. Most of 
these are five minute shorts, although one is much more 
in-depth (shown at Innsbruck in July). We are also producing 
written and audio tape profiles, and hope to have at least 
12 profiles to use as a resource for staff development, and 
for motivational sessions for disabled students (to state 
the obvious - with the consent of the students profiled).  
We would like to share this resource, and we can have video 
tapes copied at a small charge (£10 approx). However not to 
overwhelm our television service with orders, we would ask 
any one interested to contact us first in order for us to 
assess demand, and to give any one interested a trial loan.

5. The Ideas in Motion Creative Writers Groups have 
recently published their fifth book 'The times of Our 
Lives'. To quote the preface from their previous 
publication "this unusual group of writers have not got a 
history of using words. Schooling was for most minimal, and 
for one member nonexistent. In the past words have been 
used by others to organise and control things but through 
the power of writing the members of the group are exploring 
their own lives, through their own words. A powerful 
business!"  Copies of this book are available, and the 
group would be really interested in making contacts with 
any other group doing similar work.

We hope to secure funding to continue the development of 
our strategy for next year, however we are happy that much 
of our work now stands alone and important networks such as 
the Merseyside Dyslexia Network, and the Merseyside 
Technology forum will continue without us.  Thank you for 
your patience with this lengthy e-mail, if any one wants 
further details please do not hesitate to contact us either 
via dis-forum, or direct at University of Liverpool
HEAR Project, Victoria Building Liverpool L69 3BX. Tel 0151 
794 4489/ 4497.
Hope to see many of you at SKILL Conference in Manchester 
next week.
Ann and Eileen



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