Learners with disabilities or learning difficulties could enjoy much greater independence and access in the future. £1m of funding is being made available for two new competitions aimed at technology developers and launched by Jisc TechDis.

Ready, steady, STEM

The first competition is ‘Ready, steady, STEM’. This competition is about opening up access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. These subjects present a range of accessibility issues for some people with disabilities. This includes those who: are print impaired (dyslexic, blind or partially sighted, colour blind); have learning difficulties (including dyscalculia); and those with manual dexterity difficulties. Challenges include having to work with pen and paper, manipulating formulae and symbols, or interacting with diagrams and graphs.

Good to go

The second competition is ‘Good to go’. Disabilities can present barriers to independence in accessing work based technologies and equipment in a variety of industries. In many cases it is time consuming or even impossible to create the real time technical instructions and information needed to mitigate the risks disabled learners may face when working, training or learning in challenging or unfamiliar environments.

Information day

Jisc TechDis is organising an online information day on 25 September 2013. This is an opportunity to hear from the Challenge sponsors and meet potential new collaborators. There will be opportunities for private discussions in addition to open sessions.  It is free to attend but registration is essential. Please email helpdesk@techdis.ac.uk and include SBRI Information Day in the subject line by Monday 23 September 2013 @ 14:00 (BST).

How to apply

Key dates

• Competition opens: 16 September 2013
• Information day: 25 September 2013
• Closing date for applications: 4 November 2013 @ 16.00 (GMT)

For further information or if you have any queries about this competition, please e-mail helpdesk@techdis.ac.uk or contact Research & Income Generation Support at Research & Enterprise.