Using accessible virtual environments to help autistic adults develop digital, social and workplace skills
Project: Stockport Autism Capital Fund initiative
Period: 2015
Public authority: Stockport Council
Programme: Autism Capital Fund
Local authority allocation: £18,500
Delivery organisations: Pure Innovations and Stockport Advocacy
Technology: 3DNovations collaborative 3D software and laptops supplied by Hao2.eu
3DNovations contribution: Accessible virtual environment for developing digital skills and practising social and workplace situations
Focus: Autism, digital skills, confidence, employment preparation and community participation
Independent evidence: UK Government, Progress Report on Think Autism
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80ea7fed915d74e62312bc/Think_Autism_CONTRAST.pdf
In 2015, Stockport Council used part of its £18,500 Autism Capital Fund allocation to introduce 3DNovations technology as part of a wider programme supporting autistic adults to develop skills, confidence and greater independence.
The initiative brought together Stockport Council, Pure Innovations and Stockport Advocacy, combining accessible technology with media training, social opportunities and community support.
The project was subsequently highlighted by the UK Government in its Progress Report on Think Autism as an example of how local authorities were using capital funding and innovative technology to improve services for autistic adults.
The challenge
Stockport Council wanted its Autism Capital Fund investment to achieve more than the purchase of equipment.
Following consultation, the Council identified three priorities. Projects should add value to existing activity, encourage local organisations to work collaboratively, and develop social and communication skills that could help autistic people find and retain employment.
The resulting programme therefore combined several routes through which participants could develop confidence and skills at a pace suited to them.
For some people, participating immediately in conventional training, employment or social environments could present significant barriers. The partners wanted to provide intermediate opportunities through which people could gain experience, interact with others and gradually progress towards wider participation.
3DNovations platform
Part of the Autism Capital Fund was used to purchase 3DNovations software and laptops from Hao2.eu.
The Government report described the technology as software designed by autistic people for autistic people.
Participants were supported to use collaborative 3D environments in which they could develop practical digital skills while interacting through personalised avatars.
The environment could be used to practise situations associated with everyday social interaction and employment without requiring users to enter the equivalent physical situation immediately.
Developing social and workplace confidence
The Government report identified two principal benefits from the technology.
Participants could develop valuable 3D technology skills, while avatars provided a means of beginning to develop confidence in dealing with a range of social and workplace situations.
Participants were trained and supported in using both the software and the laptops provided through the programme.
Importantly, use of the virtual environment was not treated as an isolated digital activity. It formed one part of a wider progression model involving local organisations and opportunities.
A gradual route into wider participation
Stockport Council, Pure Innovations and Stockport Advocacy developed an approach that allowed autistic people to move between different activities according to their confidence, interests and individual circumstances.
Someone could begin by using the 3DNovations software at home.
They could then progress to using it alongside other people.
From there, they might participate in media training, join social activities in Stockport town centre or begin developing relationships with professionals and other people active within their community.
The objective was not to prescribe the same route for everyone.
Instead, the participating organisations sought to create a range of connected opportunities through which people could develop skills and relationships at their own pace.
Working alongside Pure Innovations and Stockport Advocacy
The wider Autism Capital Fund programme also supported complementary activity delivered by Pure Innovations and Stockport Advocacy.
Pure Innovations expanded its facilities so that its National Open College Network accredited Media Work Skills course could accommodate people with high functioning autism. The course was designed to develop transferable communication skills and improve employment prospects.
Stockport Advocacy used funding to develop an autism friendly space within its new premises. Autistic young adults were involved in designing the space, which included both a quiet room and a larger meeting and activity area.
The 3DNovations platform added a digital route into this network of opportunities.
Together, the different activities gave participants options ranging from using technology independently at home through to learning alongside others, participating in training and becoming more involved in community activities.
Collaboration rather than isolated services
A significant feature of the Stockport approach was collaboration between local organisations.
Pure Innovations and Stockport Advocacy worked together so that participants were not restricted to a single service or intervention.
The Government report noted that pooling resources and expertise allowed the organisations to provide a much wider range of experiences and options for autistic people than either organisation could provide alone.
The approach also involved autistic adults themselves in shaping activities and determining how they participated.
This principle was reflected in the technology supplied through Hao2.eu, which had itself been developed with extensive involvement from autistic people.
Recognition in the UK Government autism strategy
The Stockport initiative was selected for inclusion as a case study in the UK Government’s Progress Report on Think Autism, which reported progress against the national strategy for adults with autism in England.
The report highlighted Stockport’s use of its £18,500 Autism Capital Fund allocation and specifically documented the purchase and use of 3DNovations software and equipment.
The national Autism Capital Fund provided £18,500 to each local authority and encouraged the use of innovative technology to increase independence and help people with areas including communication, social participation, cognition and daily living.
Stockport was presented as an example of how that funding could be combined with existing local services to create opportunities extending beyond the initial investment.
Building capacity for future services
The Autism Capital Fund was intended as seed funding rather than permanent programme finance.
At the time of the Government report, both Pure Innovations and Stockport Advocacy were seeking further funding to extend the activity that had begun through the programme.
Stockport Council described the initial investment as demonstrating what was possible and providing a basis from which further funding could add value and develop services.
Project impact
The Stockport project demonstrated how immersive and collaborative technology could provide an additional route into skills development, social participation and employment preparation.
Rather than expecting participants to adapt immediately to conventional services, the project created several possible points of entry.
A participant could begin at home, move into shared digital spaces, develop confidence alongside other people and then progress towards training, employment related activity and wider community participation.
For 3DNovations, the project demonstrated how its technology could be deployed by local authorities and third sector organisations as part of a broader programme of accessible services.
The principles behind that work continue to inform 3DNovations’ approach to inclusive technology, skills development and the design of digital environments around the needs of the people who use them.
Historical note
The software used in the Stockport project was supplied by Hao2.eu Ltd and described in the UK Government report as 3DNovations software.
The project predates the incorporation of the present 3DNovations Limited in Scotland. It forms part of the earlier technology, research and delivery history from which the present company developed.