A Royal visitor drops in at charity
ASTOCKPORT charity has welcomed a royal visitor. His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent visited The Aidis Trust to see how it provides vital support for disabled people of all ages, enabling them to benefit from the latest computing technologies.
The Heaton Norris-based charity is a leading expert in electronic Assistive Technology (eAT).
It sources and researches the latest technologies and applies them to support many aspects of disabled people’s lives. It also provides a range of services to disabled children, families, adults and the organisations that support them.
The Duke’s visit marked 24 years since he became the charity’s patron and gave him the opportunity to see how the charity’s services have evolved; to hear from service users and to experience first-hand what it is like to drive a virtual car using an eye-tracking technology and virtual reality experiences used in the Trust’s newest service project ‘Everyone Can Game.’
Jamie Preece, 39, who has cerebral palsy and is unable to communicate verbally, has been supported by The Aidis Trust for three years.
Using an electronic communication aid, he spoke to the Duke about how, through Aidis’ support, he’s been able to learn to read and write, make telephone calls, and now has the confidence to go out on his own as he is able to interact more easily with people – something he found impossible to do before.
Julian Lee, CEO of The Aidis Trust, said: “It was a tremendous honour to welcome His Royal Highness to the Trust and introduce him to some of our service users and supporters.
“As our patron, he is extremely supportive of the work we do to ensure that every person, regardless of their disability or whether they are a child or an adult, can benefit from the opportunities that new technologies provide us with.
“The Duke saw first-hand the difference our charity is making locally and across the country thanks to the generosity of the public, grant giving organisations and other charities. We would also like to thank Emerson Management Services for their support.”