We are looking for new team members! Please take a look at the Human Resources pages in Aberdeen:

• Research Fellow;
• Research Assistant.

We managed to secure funding for another 18 months! Our project proposal was accepted for the Digital Economy Call "Research in the Wild".

Explore the impact of the Digital Economy Programme research at www.impactworld.org.uk.

We also feature in the latest "Impact" newsletter: View the email on the web here or download the EPSRC pdf version)

We have been accepted with our talk about the latest results of the project.

You can download the abstract here: Rolf Black, Annalu Waller, Ehud Reiter and Ross Turner: "How was School Today…?", Evaluating the Personal-Narrative-Telling Prototype: Preliminary Results

Our project is featured in the EPSRC annual report. Quote: "The ‘Digital Economy’ encapsulates research and development that delivers novel design or use of technologies to help transform the lives of individuals [... and] may lead to many life-changing breakthroughs from projects such as: [...] - A computer tool incorporating GPS and barcode scanners to help children who cannot speak create a story about their day at school." (download an extract of the report here or see the full report at EPSRC)

Capability's magazine Choice features an article about the project at their school. Quote from one of the participants: "It made me feel really good about myself and I would definitely like to use it again."

(download an extract from the issue here or the whole issue (pdf, 18MB) directly from Capability (Choice website)

A revolutionary software system which enables children with communication difficulties to take control of conversation has been unveiled at Capability’s Corsford School. Please download the press release here: Pioneering Scottish Technology Empowers Disabled Children (PDF) or take a look at the colaborators' pages: University of Dundee, Press Area, Capability Scotland, Press Area or University of Aberdeen, Media Releases

Some of the press coverage, including radio and television:

• BBC News: National coverage on Radio 2 and 3, Television: BBC 1, Reporting Scotland New software helps children speak (BBC News, Health: Video report shown throughout the day including the 10 o'clock news.), Software 'gives children a voice' (BBC News, News Frontpage)
• STV news at Six - Central edition (6pm):
  
  
  
  
• The Times: in print on Friday, 5 June 2009 and online: TimesOnline: How was school today? Now disabled pupils can tell the story
• The Guardian: guardian.co.uk: Device offers hope to children with communication problems
• The Herald: in print on Friday, 5 June 2009, and online: Web Issue: Scientists’ new device gives gift of speech to children unable to talk
• The Press and Journal: System developed to help children communicate

For more information please look at our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) or contact Dr Ehud Reiter (technical questions) and Dr Annalu Waller (assistive technology and disability issues).

As part of their NLG Platform Grant at the Department of Computing Science, University of Aberdeen, we will be looking into a more long term use of our personal narrative telling prototype

Our project is featured on the EPSRC introduction page to the Digital Economy Programme: Introduction to Digital Economy Programme

We have been accepted with our paper on the project.

As part of this project there will be an AAC STUDY DAY in collaboration with Communication Matters and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in early 2009 titled:

”Guess What Happened Today!”
Enabling Children with Complex Communication Needs to Tell Stories

It is going to be a valuable study day on the role of story telling within language development, and how story telling can be encouraged and facilitated.

Presenters will be: Nicola Grove, Annalu Waller and Rolf Black.

The study day will be held on three days in different parts of the UK which should allow everyone interested to participate:

London, 27 Janurary 2009
Manchester, 28 January 2009
Edinburgh, 3 February 2009

We have been accepted with our talk about the project. Additionally there will be a workshop on personal narrative.

You can download the abstracts here: Annalu Waller, Rolf Black, Ehud Reiter and Ross Turner: Tell me your story – a story telling workshop and Rolf Black, Annalu Waller, Ehud Reiter and Ross Turner: Tell me about your day - Creating novel access to personal narrative