Co-production at the RIX Centre

 By Ajay Choksi, Gosia Kwiatkowska and Andy Minnion. RIX Research & Media 

We are a Research and Development Centre with a mission to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities through effective use of digital and multi-media technologies.

Co-production and inclusion are at the heart of the RIX Centre and our RIX software is co-developed in partnership with people with learning disabilities, their families and professionals. We use easy multimedia authoring tools to enable people of all abilities and communication preferences to participate in the digital world.

RIX Wikis ensure that people’s voices are heard and that their views and aspirations are understood - a RIX Wiki is an easy-to-use accessible website that uses multimedia to capture what is important to a person. Together with Multi Me we have created the RIX Multi Me toolkit to help people with learning disabilities plan, set goals and stay connected. 

RIX Wikis in Camden

Wikis are used in two distinct ways in Camden, both of which use a co-production approach.

Personal Wikis are produced by keyworkers alongside people with learning disabilities and their families. Together they design and capture content for a digital About Me which can then be used to make sure new staff get to know the person well before working with them.

Wikis are also used in Camden to host accessible information about services and activities.

Much of the content for these Wikis is co-produced by Camden’s Easier Info team and people with learning disabilities. The Easier Info team also works closely with local advocacy groups to ensure that all content is easy to understand. Many of the images used in Camden’s Wiki portal are co-produced with local people with learning disabilities as part of their Photosymbols modelling work.

The purpleSTARS

At RIX we ensure that co-production informs a range of other inclusive activities. Our purpleSTARS group offers an evaluation and research service to museums and galleries to help them make their spaces more accessible and relevant for people with a range of abilities. The methodology we use in our approach to this work is described in this Inclusive Digital Interactives article.

Here is a virtual walkaround of the purpleSTARS’ recent multisensory display at the Museum of London. Check out the purpleSTARS Wiki to find out more.