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. We lead research and learning partnerships and co-develop software and training to exploit the potential of digital tools for the benefit of our most excluded fellow citizens.

Amy Duck, speech and language therapist

“Wikis are ideal for person centred planning and About Me profiles. We use them at Alexandra Centre to create ‘live’ support plans so that the young person’s education, health and care needs are met in a consistent way even when they move on from college.”

Amy Duck, Speech and language therapist

Our Mission

Rix Inclusive Research’s mission is to enable people with learning disabilities to realise the full potential benefits that digital and new media technologies can bring to their lives.

Our Vision

Our vision is that people with intellectual disabilities and other challenges achieve inclusion, greater independence and improved quality of life through the use of multi-media advocacy tools and methods.

We are inspired by the many ways that people can use digital and multi-media tools to shape and share their wishes, express their views, take a more active part in their communities and gain more choice and control over their own lives. We want to see these person-centred ways of working adopted and integrated into the way care and support is provided to make a step change in the inclusion of disabled people in our communities.

Our Approach

Our Research Institute is dedicated to working in partnership with disabled people, their families and the professionals and organisations that work with them. Together we explore new technologies and the ways that they can be put into practice to help people to learn, speak up for themselves, gain independence and manage their care & support in ways that work best for them.

The Rix Centre at UEL

Rix Inclusive Research is part of the University of East London (UEL) and our office is in the new Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability at UEL’s Docklands campus.

UEL has a strong commitment to making a positive social impact through research and scholarly activity at a local, national and global level. The Rix Inclusive Research Institute is one of Universities’ flagship Research Centres and a champion of the UEL Civic Engagement mission to challenge social injustices and ‘make a difference’.

As part of UEL, the Centre connects with the Universities’ pool of specialist students, lecturers and researchers and accesses an array of high standard facilities. UEL’s commitment to active engagement with the diverse East London community is enriched through the Rix Centre’s active partnerships with disabled people and the organisations that steer and provide their education, support and care.

From our London base, our network of partners and clients extends across the UK, and we have a large, developing network of active international colleagues and collaborators.

Click here for the 2020 Rix Newsletter.

Rix Research

Rix Research explores the new opportunities presented by a rapidly evolving digital world to improve people’s lives. Our research projects are coupled with programmes of work to create the tools and resources required to translate our findings into practical benefits.

“The Wiki is pushing the boundaries of what people can and can’t do. It is pushing the boundaries of involving people in their own care and being able to advocate for themselves and what their needs are. We need to push those boundaries, be more inclusive and Wikis are the vehicle that is going to do that.”

Waldo Roeg, Recovery College

We use a co-development approach, using action research to work in partnership with individuals and organisations. We work with people with learning disabilities, their support teams and the organisations involved in their education, health and care. Together, we have developed accessible software to help people of all abilities to enjoy the benefits that digital communication tools can bring. Our work has broadened to include other groups such as people with mental health concerns and dementia.

Our special interest is in improving self-advocacy and communication with today’s digital media tools. The Rix Centre’s multi-media advocacy approach explores how the making and sharing of media content can help individuals to organise their thoughts, articulate their views and influence change. We explore how multimedia advocacy can help people gain choice and control in their individual lives and build their independence as well as take an active part in reshaping their communities to be more inclusive.

We work with organisations to address the cultural change that is required to embrace these new tools and practices and include people with disabilities more effectively.

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