Eleven students from The Glasgow School of Art will be
taking part in a student challenge organised by The Scottish Institute
for Enterprise as part
of the two-day TechShare Europe conference being held in
the Glasgow Science Centre today and tomorrow.
taking part in a student challenge organised by The Scottish Institute
for Enterprise as part
of the two-day TechShare Europe conference being held in
the Glasgow Science Centre today and tomorrow.
Organised
by the charity RNIB, the TechShare Europe event is bringing together global
players including Microsoft, Google and Apple to explore how new technology can transform the
aids and adaptations that people with sight loss use for everyday living.
by the charity RNIB, the TechShare Europe event is bringing together global
players including Microsoft, Google and Apple to explore how new technology can transform the
aids and adaptations that people with sight loss use for everyday living.
Seven
GSA Product Design students – Rhona
McNicol, Holly Bates, Ross McIntosh, Diane Hammerton, Marwa Ebrahim, Bethany
Chayne and Eve
McCann; two MSc Product Design Engineering
students – Ryan Oakey and Annabel
Mansell; Textile Design student Aileen Alexander, and Architecture student Fraser
Stewart will be joining with students from across the Higher Education sector
in Scotland at the event.
GSA Product Design students – Rhona
McNicol, Holly Bates, Ross McIntosh, Diane Hammerton, Marwa Ebrahim, Bethany
Chayne and Eve
McCann; two MSc Product Design Engineering
students – Ryan Oakey and Annabel
Mansell; Textile Design student Aileen Alexander, and Architecture student Fraser
Stewart will be joining with students from across the Higher Education sector
in Scotland at the event.
The
students will sit in on conference sessions and talk to blind and partially
sighted people attending to hear what obstacles they face at home and outside. They
will then brainstorm ideas among themselves and pitch solutions to some of the
problems identified at the end of the conference.
students will sit in on conference sessions and talk to blind and partially
sighted people attending to hear what obstacles they face at home and outside. They
will then brainstorm ideas among themselves and pitch solutions to some of the
problems identified at the end of the conference.
Full text of the Royal
National Institute of blind People Scotland / The Scottish Institute for Enterprise press
release below.
National Institute of blind People Scotland / The Scottish Institute for Enterprise press
release below.
Ends
Further
information on the GSA
information on the GSA
Lesley Booth
0779 941
4474
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@GSofAMedia
Royal
National Institute of blind People Scotland
National Institute of blind People Scotland
PRESS
RELEASE
RELEASE
Design
and technology students from Scottish universities and colleges will take up a
unique challenge on Thursday [September 15th] – come up with solutions to some
of the day to day problems that blind and partially sighted people face.
and technology students from Scottish universities and colleges will take up a
unique challenge on Thursday [September 15th] – come up with solutions to some
of the day to day problems that blind and partially sighted people face.
The
students are taking part in the two-day TechShare Europe conference being held in
the Glasgow Science Centre.
students are taking part in the two-day TechShare Europe conference being held in
the Glasgow Science Centre.
Organised
by the charity RNIB, the event is bringing together such global players as
Microsoft, Google and Apple to explore how new technology can transform the
aids and adaptations that people with sight loss use for everyday living.
by the charity RNIB, the event is bringing together such global players as
Microsoft, Google and Apple to explore how new technology can transform the
aids and adaptations that people with sight loss use for everyday living.
The
students will form teams that will sit in on conference sessions and talk to
blind and partially sighted people attending to hear what obstacles they face
at home and outside.
students will form teams that will sit in on conference sessions and talk to
blind and partially sighted people attending to hear what obstacles they face
at home and outside.
They
will then brainstorm ideas among themselves and pitch solutions to some of the
problems identified at the end of the conference next day.
will then brainstorm ideas among themselves and pitch solutions to some of the
problems identified at the end of the conference next day.
The student challenge is
being organised by the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, which helps students
develop enterprise skills, discover their entrepreneurial talent and start up
their own ventures.
being organised by the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, which helps students
develop enterprise skills, discover their entrepreneurial talent and start up
their own ventures.
Ann Davidson, SIE enterprise
programme director, said: “We are very excited about this challenge, which will
bring together students from a number of different disciplines. All of the
teams will receive support from our business advisors and RNIB.
programme director, said: “We are very excited about this challenge, which will
bring together students from a number of different disciplines. All of the
teams will receive support from our business advisors and RNIB.
“The emphasis will
be on technical solutions, not just apps. We expect to see innovations in areas
like wearable technology, for example. We are giving the students space to be creative,
to understand their customers, and come up with something that is really desirable.”
be on technical solutions, not just apps. We expect to see innovations in areas
like wearable technology, for example. We are giving the students space to be creative,
to understand their customers, and come up with something that is really desirable.”
By the end of the
conference, each team will be expected to produce a rough prototype that will
have a life beyond the event with a clear idea of what problem it is solving
and why it is worthy of further exploration and support.
conference, each team will be expected to produce a rough prototype that will
have a life beyond the event with a clear idea of what problem it is solving
and why it is worthy of further exploration and support.
“There will be a
clear framework that we will guide them through to get them to that position and
give them the motivation to take their idea forward,” said Ann.
“Innovation and industry experts will be on hand to mentor and coach them
through the process.”
clear framework that we will guide them through to get them to that position and
give them the motivation to take their idea forward,” said Ann.
“Innovation and industry experts will be on hand to mentor and coach them
through the process.”
RNIB Scotland director Campbell
Chalmers said modern technology has the potential to revolutionise the
independence of people with low or no vision. “We want to ensure that the
Digital Age opens up the same exciting possibilities for visually impaired
people as it does for the sighted population,” he said. “That’s why this
student challenge is very exciting.”
Chalmers said modern technology has the potential to revolutionise the
independence of people with low or no vision. “We want to ensure that the
Digital Age opens up the same exciting possibilities for visually impaired
people as it does for the sighted population,” he said. “That’s why this
student challenge is very exciting.”
Around 188,000 people in
Scotland are blind or have significant sight loss; around two million across
the UK. At least 280 million people worldwide are visually impaired, of whom 39
million are blind.
Scotland are blind or have significant sight loss; around two million across
the UK. At least 280 million people worldwide are visually impaired, of whom 39
million are blind.
ENDS
For further information,
please contact Ian Brown at RNIB Scotland on 07918 053 852.
please contact Ian Brown at RNIB Scotland on 07918 053 852.
Notes for Editors:
1) The
Scottish Institute for Enterprise is the national organisation for the
promotion and support of enterprise and entrepreneurship in Scotland’s
students. SIE works with Universities and Colleges to champion enterprise
education and help their students start new innovative businesses. SIE provides
free one-to-to advice, enterprise workshops and business competitions supported
by a national team of student interns and business advisors. SIE is supported
by the Scottish Founding Council and Scottish Enterprise and is part of the
Scotland CAN DO framework.
Scottish Institute for Enterprise is the national organisation for the
promotion and support of enterprise and entrepreneurship in Scotland’s
students. SIE works with Universities and Colleges to champion enterprise
education and help their students start new innovative businesses. SIE provides
free one-to-to advice, enterprise workshops and business competitions supported
by a national team of student interns and business advisors. SIE is supported
by the Scottish Founding Council and Scottish Enterprise and is part of the
Scotland CAN DO framework.
2) Students
taking part in the challenge organised by SIE are coming from the following institutions:
taking part in the challenge organised by SIE are coming from the following institutions:
Edinburgh
College
College
Edinburgh
College of Art
College of Art
Edinburgh
Napier University
Napier University
Edinburgh
University
University
Glasgow
Caledonian University
Caledonian University
Glasgow
School of Art
School of Art
Edinburgh
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
University
of Aberdeen
of Aberdeen
University
of Edinburgh
of Edinburgh
University
of Glasgow
of Glasgow
University
of Strathclyde
of Strathclyde
University
of the West of Scotland (UWS)
of the West of Scotland (UWS)
3)
RNIB Scotland is the country’s leading sight loss charity. We help blind and
partially sighted people of all ages to live as fully and independently as
possible. We provide advice, support, training, equipment and transcribe books
and other materials. We also campaign to improve sight loss prevention.
RNIB Scotland is the country’s leading sight loss charity. We help blind and
partially sighted people of all ages to live as fully and independently as
possible. We provide advice, support, training, equipment and transcribe books
and other materials. We also campaign to improve sight loss prevention.
4) For more
information on Techshare Europe 2015: https://www.rnib.org.uk/techshare-europe-2016-accessible-technology-form
information on Techshare Europe 2015: https://www.rnib.org.uk/techshare-europe-2016-accessible-technology-form