Category: Travels

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The colloquium took place at the gorgeous campus of the University of Reading in Reading. Its aim was to promote Women in Computing and a range of students attended to present poster abstracts in four categories. The categories were first year, second year, final year (which incorporated third years and fourth years) and MSc. My category had thirty people in it as it covered two year groups. Throughout the day we listened to inspiring talks from women in the field and in academia. The range of topics of the talks and posters was vast and very interesting. It was attended by university students, industry and academics.

Standing beside my poster
Standing beside my poster

My poster was about my final year project - Seizure Pad. My younger brother was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy when he was four years old. From then, I have helped care for him. As technology has advanced, my mother has tried multiple methods to assist in managing his seizures. However, none were suitable enough. I began to do some research and found that she was not alone. That’s where Seizure Pad comes in.

The rise in ubiquitous computing has seen advancements in eHealth. From health care applications to Internet based health monitoring systems, there is a range of eHealth tools available for patients. For those with epilepsy, eHealth provides digital diaries and analytical tools to monitor seizures. However, these tools do not support those with complex epilepsy. Good management of complex epilepsy requires carers to log and analyse data about frequent seizures. Current eHealth is limited because the lack of user involvement in the design and development of applications has failed to identify and support the communication of complex data between the patients and clinicians, which in turn leads to poor overall support and management.

Seizure Pad was developed as a result of an experience driven design study following a participatory approach. It has involved working closely with a range of clinicians, patients and other users to ensure an inclusive support tool for those with complex epilepsy. By identifying the types of data to be recorded and providing an intuitive user interface, it presents a new framework to assist in seizure management. Seizure Pad offers customised input fields, automatic data capture and a clear analysis of the data. This visualisation of data empowers the patients to be more independent and contribute to their healthcare.

Currently the study has developed a prototype, which is being tested by end-users. I am hoping to conduct further research which will involve a randomised clinical trial of Seizure Pad to further test its impact on the communication divide and self-efficacy of the user.

Collecting my prize from EMC
Collecting my prize from EMC

I was humbled to have won the finally year category at the BCSLovelace Colloquium 2014 as the projects I was presenting alongside were amazing. EMC gave me a very generous cash prize of £300 and I also received a goody bag which included, among other things, a furry Android, which has been stolen by my cat, Bitcoin! Although this is the fifth conference to attend and fourth to present at, I found it the most enjoyable. Whereas the other conferences were focused on a particular topic of research, this one was so varied. Everyone I spook to had a completely different focus and project to my own. It was exciting as I rarely get to talk to students out with my own class, and never do I get to talk to some many fascinating women. Also, one of my biggest fears about joining the IT industry is my lack of interest in the more technical side. However, this conference showed me that I have nothing to fear as the variety of exciting positions available is far greater than I had previously thought! I think the most valuable thing I took away with me was that life is about risks, sometimes they work out other times they don’t but it’s just about finding out what works for yourself. As all the brilliant speakers said, if one job doesn’t feel right, look at a different area within IT for we are part of an ever changing industry!

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As a great lover of nature and natural beauty in the countryside, I have always enjoyed the drives in the United Kingdom but especially around Scotland and Wales. I had never been across to North Wales before so when Alan decided he wanted to see it when we were visiting Liverpool I eagerly agreed. As is the norm of the British weather, we chose a day to travel the two hours to Wales only to wake up to chrome skies and damp paths. Nonetheless we clad ourselves in coats and scarves before climbing into the car armed with a packed lunch and a camera.

As we drove towards the motorway and towards North Wales, the skies got darker and the fog heavier. By the time we saw the first sign for Wales we could barely make it out due to the heavy fog. As we drove along by Colwyn Bay, just passed the Wales border, we acknowledged that there was a body of water there as the horizon was darker and the SatNav indicated there was, else we would never have known. As the rain got heavier and the winds picked up eager to pull my car towards the middle barriers, we discussed turning back. Suddenly, there was a patch of lighter cloud which, as we watched, gave way to a tease of sunlight. As quick as it came it disappeared. It encouraged us to risk it though and keep going, hoping that the rain would subside and take the pesky fog along with it. We were not to be disappointed.

By the time we had entered Penrhyn Bay the sun was filtering beautifully through the clouds and the occasional blue sky was spotted. Taking a drive along the coast we spotted some interesting houses with turrets on them. They were most intriguing designs and colours. We found a cute little parking spot that was overlooking the water on the other side of the bay so pulled in for some lunch. As we watched the seagulls circle above, caught on the air thermals, Zita warned us to keep the windows up as these seagulls were very confident and were known to swoop into cars to steal sandwiches. Now I knew why the seagulls were much larger compared to the ones in Dundee.

Back on the road we headed towards the village of Bets-y-Coed. Stumbling upon a beautiful little bridge over a stream and watching as the sun set between two glens over a body of water was worth dodging the vehicles on the narrow roads. As we pulled into the village we saw the most breathtaking river that had a pretty little island with a massive overhanging tree in it with huge limbs stretching for the sky and caressing the water below. We stopped and watched, mesmerised as the water gushed around the island, over the rocks and diving loudly below the bridge before passing quietly through the other side. Not quite ready to return to Zita's, we slipped into a little café for a steaming cup of tea and a slice of cake as we watched the last flickers of light disappear from the sky. Still, we could hear the water's roar as the river rushed along its way to new adventures upon other shores, seeing sights we would not see. Just another day in Wales.

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Earlier today I found myself at Birkenhead's Transport Museum. It showed a lovely transition of transport in the local area. From the early trams right up to the modern buses, the museum showed us it all. Despite being focused mostly on the trams, it also had on display some of the older cars that although I had only seen them in museums before, Alan was excited to see some of the older cars from his earliest memories. As I often do when I am in a museum which demonstrates the transition between generations, I often think of the advancement's in which we, as humans, have undertaken. Although we now use much faster, expensive and powerful cars they will be more valuable in the coming years as they fade out of existence whilst their predecessors remain ever loyal albeit less powerful.

As Alan and Zita approached a car - which looked to me 'quaint' and 'foreign' as I had only seen pictures of the car and in movies - he commented that the car was only a little bit older than his childhood. It amazed me that it was still in such a good condition and I supposed that given a little bit of work it would probably run again despite being around half a century old. The common phrases that the elderly say sprang into my mind as so often things made in the early to mid-twentieth century are much better made than the produce of today. As I considered what this meant I was a little sad to think that perhaps there won't be many museums of today's produce as it may not be strong enough to survive the coming years. There's something different about seeing an object from another era in 'real life' as opposed through the recreations of movies and it would be a shame that our coming generations may not get to 'experience' how the people today live.

As we arrived shortly before the tram was due to run its route we jumped aboard its solid frame that had been restored within the transport museum. Like a child in a toy shop I sat upon its hard wood seats grinning before dashing upstairs to the upper level of the tram to watch the passing sights as we bounced along the rickety route. Comparing those means of transports to what we know now today as 'public transport' it is clear that we take a lot of the technology around us in terms of transport for granted. Nowadays we would not settle for the 'bouncy' journey that the tram provided but in previous generations this was a 'revolutionary' breakthrough. As we become more reliant on these luxuries that our predecessors wouldn't have thought possible. Makes we wonder about the new exciting technologies that we could start seeing in the coming years.

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As the Christmas season approaches Alan had asked if we could visit his girlfriend, Zita, in Birkenhead shortly after my exams. As we drove down towards the south-west of England we began to pass through some of Scotland's beautiful views. As we whizzed by the mountains in the distance we saw their white topped heads against the bright lively green that was sprouting out from the base of the mountains. Thankfully, this year the snow decided to skip over our little island for the most part so the journey down was relatively smooth and hassle free. Upon arrival in the Birkenhead we ended up spending twenty minutes in traffic!

However, this unexpected extra time gave Alan and I time to admire (or express disgust in) the various decorations on the houses. Some can be rather pretty, but like so many other years, I often think that some people just try too hard to follow the American standards. Most times people can accomplish this and create a pretty scene, however, so often I find that it just looks tacky. There was one house in particular that I couldn't understand how the people could cope with it, the view or the electricity bill! Just about every inch of their garden was covered in a glowing or flashing statue, the drop lights hung loosely from the roof giving an unkempt look about the house and to top it all off their window looked like it was trying to contain the undying beast within. The horrific rapid flashing that (I assumed) came from their Christmas tree would have sent even the most stable epileptic into a cluster of seizures. How the inhabitants of the house could cope within the flashing lights of the room, I do not know.

Often around Christmas we see acts of kindness and giving, of love and charity but just as often we see acts of egotistic people who greedily populate their houses with excess clutter that simply shows off their wealth and social position. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the spirit of Christmas with it's get togethers and clusters of lights but when you hear of some of the expenses that people are willing to spend only to decorate their houses it's shocking!

Anyway, enough rants about that, we arrived just as duck was descending upon Zita's street and the stars were reaching out to us. As we entered the house I was reminded of our last visit to Birlenhead and I settled into my adaption to make the place my temporary home for the next four days. It is my ability to adapt to my surroundings and feel at home wherever I am that I am very fortunate to have and often rely on to make a possibly awkward week more relaxed.

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Yesterday we were greeted with the delightful weather that you get living in Scotland. Walking outside armed in layers of clothing, hood raised and body braced for the expected chill. It didn't happen, well not immediately. Passing through the sheltered area within the courtyard of my complex, I walked out just as a gust of wind picked up and swirled around me. Walking briskly against the cold to my first exam, the weather wasn't on my mind that much. Later on that day, it was all everyone was to be talking about...

Sitting in the exam hall surrounded by algorithms and artificial intelligence questions I was finding it hard to concentrate as all around us the wind was howling, rusting the metal roof of the sports hall and generally making me dread walking out into it later. Thankfully, it wasn't that bad as it was still teasing us into thinking that the wind would be kind and die off soon. Driving along to work shortly afterwards I found out that this was not the case. The radio was having constant warning, informing everyone to stay off the roads and only go out if essential, informing us of reduced services on public transport and reminding us again and again that between three and six the weather would be at its peak and the Met Office released a Red Alert - something they only do a couple of times a year.

Just as I was thinking that it wasn't so bad I reached a part of the motorway that was exposed to the wind. The force of it pushing me towards the end of the road forced me to drop from the usual 70mph to around 40mph, a speed most of my fellow drivers were hitting. Just as I thought I could handle being forced to such low speeds I realised I had to overtake a lorry that was driving at an even lower speed of 20mph. As I passed the vehicle twice the height of my car he began to sway into my lane pushing me back. Eventually he managed to stay in his lane long enough to allow me to pass without being crushed into the middle barriers of the road.

Finally I arrived at my employer's house i one piece where I then had to help him navigate through the wind keeping us both balanced at the same time. We had a shortened session that day and paused for a quick lunch as the wind picked up again. Sitting in the café, Alan and I watched as the trees swayed forcefully side and side trying to caress the passers-by as they pushed against the wind. Hair frantically waving as if warning us not to venture back outside, it was finally time to return home.

Driving home alone I have never been so nervous. Car pulling out of my control and speed reduced, I had to keep my distance from all the cars as they too were swaying drunkenly across the lanes. Finally I returned home, frozen and seriously windswept. It was then that I finally realised the extent of the damage of what had become known nationally as Hurricane Bawbag . Apparently our dear Scottish wind even got itself highly spoken on Twitter as STV pointed out .

Thankfully the wind has put it's hat up for the time being and has finally stopped howling. Perhaps the sun will even come out and play sometime soon.

 

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This morning I returned from a weekend away with Alan and his girlfriend, Zita. We spent a weekend away at a cute cottage in Methven, Perth. Our cottage was an interesting structure that was almost split in two. This worked out perfectly, giving the two lovers and myself privacy. With a pretty garden and a summer house, it was an enjoyable break.

Alan and Zita sitting down for supper
Alan and Zita sitting down for supper

Upon arrival, we unpacked the car and settled down to a quick meal enjoying in each other's company. As it often happens, we found ourselves in a deep discussion about some topic or another. Gradually the light faded and we retired to bed having planned an exciting weekend of plans.

Waking early the next day, we packed a lunch and set out. Having decided to drive to Loch Earn, I was looking forward to the scenery that Scotland often satisfies me with. Being a water lover, I was not disappointed. Driving along the windy road following the loch we saw a beautiful body of water encapsulated by rolling green hills and the sun streaming through to fall lazily upon the shimmering water. Despite how much I dislike the weather in Scotland, it does give us some breath taking sights. We ate our lunch on the banks of the loch entertained by a group of friendly ducks - one of whom bit me when I wasn't paying attention!

Loch Earn
Lunch on the banks of Loch Earn

That evening we headed down to a local pub for supper. We stayed late chatting and eventually were only one of two tables remaining. The couple at the other table was curious about Alan's word board and got chatting to us. I found them rather interesting as their first reaction - as is a lot of people's - was to speak louder to Alan and use over exaggerated gestures. They meant well, but I couldn't help but stifle a giggle at their gestures.

Our last day in Methven greeted us with your typical Scottish day - wet and cold. Choosing to not let it stop us exploring the surrounding areas, we ventured out in search of a river that Alan remembered as a child. Driving through Crieff we paused only long enough to ask for directions as we were on a mission! After much searching, many beautifully winding roads with breathtaking views, we eventually stumbled upon a a bend of the River Tay that had rapids in the village of Grandtully. Sitting on the terrace of the Tay Inn enjoying a steaming hot chocolate it wasn't long before the weather pushed us inside but we were still able to watch the water rushing down the river, dodging all the rocks.

Returning back to the cottage we enjoyed our last night there, relaxing in the lounge before retiring for the night. Overall it was a very enjoyable break and reminded me once again why I like living in Scotland.

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Last month I was visiting two of my dear cousins in Texas. Having grown up with them since I was aged four, they are more like siblings to me than distant cousins. Being similar ages our lives are often similar 'chapters' and this past visit made me think quite a lot about the current stage of our lives.

At aged eleven and nine (Craig) we had big hopes for our futures when we first left Zimbabwe and moved to America. Having returned to the States three times since leaving I have felt the change in all of us towards our career paths. Each year our plans would get more detailed and centred around a more specific area. In so many ways, our family has shaped us and the career paths we are currently pursuing. Our original goals for our careers have changed quite considerably since our arrival in Texas but what stood out more from the visit was that we had finally reached the next chapter of our lives. During my two-week visit the 'next stage' was frequently brought up in conversation. With Kirsten and I at University now and Craig due to start next year it was no surprise really but it seems like only yesterday we had high hopes for the future that seemed like it would never come. Well, we're in that 'next stage' zone now.

At aged nineteen, I am now thinking about post-university life and thinking of possible positions I can undertake as a career. Thinking back to that young, naïve child eight years ago I realise just how far I have come. I'm not sad to be growing up, our lives are just getting more exciting but part of me misses that mystery of what I pursue as a career. Not that what I want to do is set in stone, it's just that time seems to be speeding up and already I can see the pages turning as the next chapter of our lives are in sight. I guess I'm just surprised how quickly we have reached this stage as I wonder what the next stage of our lives will bring us.

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Earlier today my cousin - Kirsten - and I were swimming out in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Port Aransas. Just as the shore begun to get to small to see we decided to begin swimming back to shore on our boogie boards. Glancing up I realised that we could see my uncle and other cousin - Craig - on the shore and noticed my uncle waving at us with his arms. The next thing, Craig joined in the waving too. Kirsten and I guessed it was just time for lunch when suddenly I noticed Uncle Roland frantically pointing to our left. That was when we saw it.

This sharply pointed fin swimming in a straight line, a mere three hundred yards from us. Kirsten shouted 'shark' and we began frantically swimming towards the shore. Adrenaline pumping, heart trying to burst out my rib cage and mind convinced that we weren't moving at all. Feeling like we were doomed I kept telling Kirsten that I wanted to live, Kirsten just kept telling me we had to move faster. Watching my uncle and Craig swim hastily towards us, leaving my aunt on the shore clueless as to what was happening my worst fears were confirmed. We were swimming in open water too deep for even me to stand in with a shark within danger's reach.

Finally we all were together and in knee-deep water but still eager to get out quickly, baby sharks were known to swim in that depth of water too. Just as we thought we were fairly safe, my Uncle yelped in pain and stumbled.

Not knowing what had attacked him and with emotions already on a high we continued on our hurried pace to get out of the water. Never before had the shore seemed so far away. My uncle was now limping, stumbling and very clearly in pain. All sorts of horrid thoughts were running through my mind and I half expected the water around his leg to turn red signifying the worst. Suddenly my foot brushed up against something slimy and hard, screaming I scared my cousins to move even faster than we already were.

On land at last, my aunt was frantically asking us all what had happened. My uncle's foot had a large puncture wound on it that as bleeding quite a bit. Thankfully Kirsten and Craig are both training for medical positions and had fairly advanced first aid skills. Upon returning to our apartment everyone dashed about trying to attend to Uncle Roland's wound which we had concluded was a sting ray puncture wound. After a while the wound began to heal nicely making us all relax a little bit.

I must say it was a frightening experience but not one that I will forget in a hurry. Although I may think twice about where I go swimming next time!

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Simply put, yes. Rather than focusing on the limitations put in place by the word ‘disability’ one should acknowledge the capabilities of the individual. At the CAAC Conference this week I listened to the heroic stories of people living with disabilities who were determined to lead full lives. From Paralympic swimmers to lecturers to students who were studying at college to ‘help give back’, there was no shortage of people who were achieving in their lives despite their disability.

Listening to the fascinating and awe inspiring stories from all the AAC users, I felt their sense of joy and accomplishment. With the AAC devices they were given a voice, a way to socialise and work within the demands of society. Some of the late teen/early adult speakers were of much interest to me as I could relate to their ages. That, however, was where the similarities ended. For these individuals every day was a challenge, a struggle to prove to the world that they can take part like the rest of us. Having grown up with an epileptic brother who also has other complications and an aunt who is paralysed from her neck down, I am used to watching people fight for independence in a world that insists that they won't cope but to hear of their obstacles is different. Rather than guessing the feeling of anguish, the AAC speakers explained their methods of dealing with their challenges.

One particular speaker's words stood out to me, after having a stroke and getting what is known as 'locked in syndrome' he was now a wheelchair user. His seminar was focused on the stigma attached to phrases that are associated with disabled individuals. I had never considered the negative connotations that phrases such as 'wheelchair bound' have such derogatory connotations but he talk addressed the restive force that is behind that phrase. Interestingly, this gentleman was working with researchers on the development of other AAC devices and was not allowing his disability to define his life. It's people like this that makes me want to go out and help these individuals to raise awareness of a life after their disability.

Although life may be tough and challenging, just because you are disabled does not mean that you are not entitled to a full life!

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As this was my first conference and I am still familiarising myself with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and their devices I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from these three days. I was not to be disappointed…

Having recently decided that I wanted to undertake a career in research and the further development of AAC devices, I was over the moon when the opportunity arose for me to attend the conference as a PA for my client, Alan. Eager to learn more about the field that I had begun to lean towards as a future career opportunity, I couldn’t have asked for more from the conference.

Starting at nine am in the morning we would choose the seminars that most interested us during the day and continue this way until around five pm. The range of talks available to attend was wondrous, from professionals to AAC users to parents who had taken up roles within the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) we were given a wide range of knowledge about AAC. By hearing from all the different groups one was able to gain a wide picture about the progress, internationally, on the development of devices for non- speakers or speakers of limited communication abilities. As a conference, the AAC users who gave us inspirational talks using their various communication devices spoilt us.

We listened to their stories of empowerment which illustrated that despite the boundaries put on their physical and communication abilities, these people had chosen to acknowledge the capabilities within their disability. They had overcome the limitations that society had imposed on them and found a way to lead full lives. From swimmers at the Paralympics Games to teens preparing to develop a support group for other disabled children to people who had gone on to gain University degrees and found new ways of improving the world for disabled people. As an able bodied person, I was left awestruck and inspired by these people who had overcome so much and were willing to share their stories and experiences with us.

Most of the professionals gave talks on the current research on going around the world, but one aspect in particular stood out to me. The majority of the professionals had no computer knowledge and didn’t appear to be building links with any ‘teckies’. As an undergraduate computing student myself, I thought this was a great disadvantage to the development of AAC devices. In a project as important and large as this, to bring a voice to everyone around the world, we need to work as a team. Experience from all sectors of the industry is essential to the success of AAC devices and not acknowledging this could be a critical downfall to the future of AAC. Without people to bring their personal experiences together with the technical background of the ‘teckies’ AAC devices will never reach their full potential.

In addition to the divided work pattern, I found that many people were focusing on the development of devices specifically for AAC users. This is the wrong approach, in my opinion, to take. Developing technology and software on mainstream technology that already exists allows for more inclusion into society for the user as they are welcomed as part of the crowd. Many users already feel the pain from society’s obnoxious exclusion due to their disability; they don’t want to stand out anymore with equipment that makes them even more ‘different’.

In a conversation today with a woman with Cerebral Palsy, we discussed how ‘society does not owe anyone anything regardless of their impairments’. This was an intriguing idea as it suggests that in order for us all to work in society we all have to give and take. Therefore shouldn’t users meet the able bodied half way and be allowed the chance to feel more included in society whilst still being allowed a voice in society. By allowing the user to feel included you provide a better chance at their happiness and ensure a greater unity amongst all people within society, regardless of their communication abilities. This point was briefly touched upon in the conclusion of the conference and I think will become a greater point of discussion in the coming future as people realise the limitations and excessive costs of AAC devices. Through the development of AAC software on mainstream technologies it allows more AAC users to gain a voice as that technology is more readily available and affordable thus increasing the chance of a greater unity within society.

Video link to Alan's talk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlHuDZrkzbg