Disabled on Line
The Trowbridge Internet Cafe for Disabled People

The Trowbridge Internet Cafe for Disabled People aims to support Disabled People and help them to gain I.T. skills thereby increasing their confidence, empowering them, increasing their social skills and improving their employment prospects.

It acts as a social setting to decrease the isolation of Disabled People and provides a forum in which Disabled People can support each other by sharing information and experiences.

The Internet Café introduces Disabled People to specialist equipment (e.g. Text to speech interpreters) which helps to remove barriers to employment and offers support on all aspects of computer work, often on a one-to-one basis using systems and software specifically tailored to individual needs.

The Internet Café takes people referred by Health and Social Care Staff and who have been referred from a number of other sources. It combines a 'Drop In' and a pre-booking system so that people are able to choose to commit to regular sessions or come in when the wish.

The Internet Cafe enables Disabled People to communicate by e-mail, research topics on the Internet and sometimes simply to enjoy playing games to increase their keyboard and mouse skills in a supported environment

During the past year more people than ever have benefited from the services on offer.

The project has seen 60 people get more than 2300 hours of computer training and experience. In fact we have filled 81% of the total available hours, which inevitably meant that there were times when people were waiting for others to finish. However that in itself is not such a bad thing. Providing people don't have to wait too long they can chat amongst themselves. Part of the idea of theInternet Café is that it is a social venue.

The project helps people with all types of disabilities. The analysis of the figures for last year showed that the breakdown of the number of computer hours used was 25% for people with learning difficulties, 28% for people who are visually impaired, 2% for people who have a hearing impairment, 24% for people with mental health problems and 21% for people who are physically disabled.

At least two of the people who have learned to use computers at the Internet Café have gone on to get full time employment in which computer skills were required, while a number of others are in part time paid and unpaid work. Many others having had an introduction to computing have now got the confidence to have their own computers at home.

Disabled people can train in a variety of computer skills including MS word, PowerPoint and Web Site building to help in seeking employment.

We currently have people attending who's confidence has increased to the point that they are now considering that they might be able to do a job.

The Internet Cafe helps to remove barriers to employment by introducing Disabled People to specialist equipment to help them in any future employment