OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Empowering disabled people to achieve their aims through the power of technology

"They are so good. No matter what your disability, they will find a way to help you work with a computer. They don't see a problem as a problem."

ABOUT US

Opportunities Through Technology is a unique client-centred provider of services to people with impairments, which may be sensory, mobility, cognitive or a combination of these.

We are experts in enabling technologies. Our clients know what they wish to do with their live in terms of education, employment and importantly, independent living. In this situation the true expert will always be the client.

This means that in everything we do training and assessment are done simultaneously. The direction of training will change as the client recognizes the extended possibilities that Opportunities Through Technology provides.

Our services include:

* 18 session once per week courses in a wide variety of subjects
* Drop-in and workshop provision for exploring technologies further
* Peripatetic pastoral support for clients unable to attend the OTT sessions
* Sessions within a 40 mile radius of Colchester at various venues
* Technical support for clients´ equipment

CONTRACTS

We have had successful contracts with the following. Actually, we have not had any unsuccessful contracts.

• Colchester Institute: we have provided CI with courses, accredited by Open College Network (of which we are a Centre). We supply CI with services for disabled staff and students.
  CI supplies us with space, heating, and other services as well as our staff costs for these services, and we are very grateful.
• We have bben working with the Lapwing organisation in Suffolk for 2 years, and are at the beginning of a contract to supply services to their clients.
• We are in the third year of a Big Lottery contract to provide services in a 40 mile radius of our CI site. Our first two reports have been well received by the Big Lottery.
• We have had a successful EU contract funded through Essex County Council's ExDra organisation
• We have had successful contracts with Essex Communittee Foundation

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

In the autumn of 1993 a group of three people in Colchester were enthused with the idea and vision of setting up a centre which would provide a distinctively client centred programme to enable people with physical and sensory disabilities to realise their life and career ambitions utilising the growing opportunities being created by new technologies.

An initial meeting was convened involving disabled people, local businesses, organisations for the disabled, Social Services, Essex County and Colchester Borough Councillors, and the church: the meeting was chaired by the Bishop of Colchester. The idea was warmly endorsed; a working group formed which reported to a further public meeting in the Spring of 1994. This meeting was chaired by the then Mayor of Colchester, addressed by Geoff Busby of the British Computer Society, Disability Section, a constitution approved, officers and executive committee appointed. Opportunities Through Technology (OTT) had been created.

The ensuing period was one of frustration being caught between needing money to acquire equipment and premises, but needing to have equipment, premises and a live operation to acquire money. The breakthrough came with the establishment of the partnership with the Colchester Institute (OTT in CI) in 1999 and a grant from Social Services for the purchase of computers and software, this enabled a pilot programme to take place. Subsequent successful bids with Colchester Institute to the Essex TEC have enabled the further development and establishment of the programme.

In 2005, we became members of a group of charities under the umbrella of WorkSkills Essex, to successfully bid for a series of European Social Fund Contracts. This funding enabled us to work with clients primarily for access to employment. We were able to expand our remit from Tendring to Maldon, Harwich and Braintree. As knowledge of our services grew, we acquired clients from Suffolk as well. We are very proud of this work. This funding came to an end in June 2007.

The aims of OTT were expanded to embrace an education dimension and now include:

  1) To promote through the use of technology the training and enabling of disabled people, particularly but not exclusively above the age of 19 who are unable to obtain employment and / or education commensurate with their skills and abilities.
  2) To provide opportunities for employment, further education, and the empowerment of independent living

In 2007 we won a Big Lottery grant to enable us to expand our work with organizations in the communities around us.

Also in that year we were awarded centre status by the Open College Network. Those of our clients who require qualifications use OCN accreditation. The courses are either existing OCN modueles modified by us, or new ones written by us.

In the Autumn of 2000 OTT achieved charity status.