Steering Committee

Inclusive New Media Design will draw on The Rix Centre's expertise through the involvement of its director Andy Minnion as a member of the project's steering committee. This committee will convene quarterly to oversee the progress of the project and provide input into its direction. It will also be comprised of Gavin Poynter, Head of SSMCS at UEL and an expert in the field of new technologies and work processes; and Kevin Carey, Director of the charity humanITy: Inclusion in the Information Age, who has extensive experience of campaigning, speaking and publishing on the subject of digital inclusion for disabled people.

Principal Investigator

As well as overseeing the project's intellectual progression and day-to-day activities, Helen Kennedy, the Principal Investigator, will participate in all aspects of the research: literature review, leading the workshops, work-place observations, evaluation and dissemination of findings. She has experience in the management of new media projects, in research into new media work and disability, and has published widely in the areas of new media theory and practice. She will divide her time between running the project and contributing to the research. For more information, visit one of her websites: Helen Kennedy CV or Dr Helen Kennedy - UEL Academic Staff

Consultant Researcher

Simon Evans is one of the country's leading experts on web accessibility and cognitive disability, with 15 years experience of web development, training and consultancy, and new media and disability R&D. He has worked for the DoH and the BBC, developed CD materials and websites such as senteacher.org, Trans-active/, the @pple learning environment and Volco. Since 2002 he has worked with The Rix Centre, currently as technical director. He will play a co-investigator role, drawing up the project's baseline accessibility document; overseeing the development of the project website and being responsible for the management of the technical aspects of the project; providing technical support to participants through the project website; contributing to the design, implementation and evaluation of the workshops, especially regarding technical matters; and contributing to the dissemination of findings.

Research Fellow

A research fellow will be recruited to carry out the bulk of the research. S/he will: carry out a literature review; take responsibility for the recruitment of participants; participate in the workshops; carry out most workplace observations; write up preliminary analyses of both workshops and observations; and participate in the evaluation and dissemination of project findings. The recruited research fellow will be of postdoctoral standing or equivalent, have experience of new media research and either to be an experienced and self-reflexive new media designer with knowledge of web accessibility issues or have expertise in current debates regarding new media design. Ideally, s/he would also have knowledge of disability issues.

Web development team

Staff from The Rix Centre production team will develop and maintain the project's website, which will play a crucial role in recruiting and communicating with participants, demonstrating case studies of good practice and disseminating findings. This will be integrated into The Rix Centre's Big Tree web portal (www.thebigtree.org). They will be responsible for electronic resource creation and liaison with the AHDS and will contribute to the delivery of the workshops. Pat Staples, Web Project Manager, will co-ordinate input to the project from The Rix Centre's production team.

Administrator

An adminstrator (to be recruited) will undertake the project's administrative functions and be responsible for organising the workshops.