Learning disc a super spin-off for charity

AN interactive CD-Rom which helps children with special educational needs and adults with learning disabilities to develop computer skills is set to raise £50,000 for charity.

Delph-based company Inclusive Technology Ltd. has teamed with Leonard Cheshire Disability for a two-year initiative that will see all revenue generated by sales of Inclusive’s Switch Skills Champions software donated to the charity.

Switch Skills Champions is part of Inclusive Technology’s range of simple, switch accessible activities for all ages.

The program features five sports that are included in the Olympics or Paralympics. The CD-Rom is an ideal resource for teachers, families and speech and language professionals to help develop the user’s understanding and computer access skills.

The activities are engaging and stimulating, with bright, clear images, animations and sound effects.

They can be configured to suit individual users and accessed in different ways, including switches, alternative keyboards and mice, touch monitors or interactive whiteboards.

Rosanne Lyddon, a project co-ordinator for UCommunicate, a Leonard Cheshire Disability project says: “Switches attached to a computer are an essential aid for children and adults to build up co-ordination skills, improve dexterity and learn new skills in a fun, entertaining way.

“For example, a user who can move only their thumb can get a special switch to enable them to control the game independently, without support from someone else.

“Switch Skills Champions is a great learning tool for children and adults with profound learning disabilities or special educational needs. The difficulty levels of the games, which can be completed by an individual or as part of a team, can be changed for each player.”

Martin Littler, the chairman of Inclusive Technology, said: “Our target is to raise £50,000 by the end of 2012, the year of the London Olympics and Paralympics.

“We set the same target to raise £50,000 for parents’ facilities at the new Manchester Children’s Hospital with SwitchIt! and we beat that deadline by months.