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Best Use of Technology

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CancerBACUP's online development manger, Lucy Ashman receives the award from APT Solutions' managing director, Stuart Shepherd and the awards' host, Dominic Holland
 
WINNER: CancerBACUP

CancerBACUP has an extensive website with over 4,000 pages. The challenge was to extend the reach of this service to hospitals through touch screen 'kiosks', allowing patients, and their families and friends, to access this information. Particular difficulties were experienced in redesigning the information so that elements could be easily accessed and usability maintained, and adapting the software to be used across a wide range of different kiosks. However, all the issues were overcome, and the first kiosks are now being piloted in four private London clinics.

 
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Inspire Wellbeing Through Arts
The Funky Flamingo project began in 2000, and stemmed from a consultation project between Cross Border Arts and a group of adults and young people with learning and physical disabilities who indicated that they would like access to club culture. Regular club nights and associated events have now been running for some time, and technology is used in an innovative manner to allow full participation. For example, disabled people can trigger audio and visual clips by breaking an invisible laser beam, video packages such as VJamm have been modified so that both recorded and live feeds can be mixed and projected onto screen during events, and digital technology is used to allow individuals who might not be physically able to play instruments to compose and express themselves creatively.
 
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Z/Yen and Charityshare
Charityshare is a joint venture from NSPCC and The Children's Society to share IT services, including helpdesks, training, purchasing and technical support. With 2,830 desktops to service, the charities targeted increased quality and reduced costs, with an estimated savings of 25% in three years - equal to £800,000 per annum.
 
SHORTLIST: Action for Blind People and Fisk Brett
In collaboration with Fisk Brett, Action for Blind People created a system that allows visually impaired staff to use its fundraising database. The charity had searched for an existing solution, but finding none, it jointly developed one, with particular emphasis on intuitive navigation and shortcuts that negate the need for a mouse. Additional amendments were also required to prevent the screen reader from voicing irrelevant labels. After extensive testing the final version went live in January, and the system is now used by impaired and fully sighted users side-by-side.
 
SHORTLIST: Advocacy Online
Your Votes is an Internet-based system that helped campaigners and parliamentary candidates communicate effectively in the run up to the last general election. Allowing campaigning organisations to collect pledges of support from candidates and understand their position, while also letting those candidates better understand the policies of the organisations, the system is also designed to make the experience of writing to candidates interesting and easy. Over 830 candidates used the system, and 10,000 campaigners were connected to candidates from 8 voluntary organisations.

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