‘Stories R Us’ – Café Science on 14th May

Published On Fri 9 May 2014 by Grant Hill

Ways in which technology can help nonspeaking people to interact with others and participate more fully in society will be explored by a University of Dundee lecturer next week.

Dr Rachel Menzies, of the University’s School of Computing, will lead the next Café Science Extra event at Dundee Science Centre on Wednesday, 14th May by delivering a talk entitled ‘Stories R Us: How technology can help nonspeaking people to share their stories’.

The School of Computing at Dundee contains one of the largest and most influential academic groups in the world carrying out researching into information technology and assistive technology for older and disabled people. Its Straight Talking Group comprises nonspeaking individuals who are learning to be expert evaluators of new technology designed to enhance communication and training to become participatory designers of this type of technology.

“We all tell stories to make friends,” explained Dr Menzies. “Sharing our experiences with others gives us the opportunity to forge connections with other people, finding common ground upon which we can build relationships.

“Stories are a means by which we can improve our quality of life. The very act of sharing stories with others can be very therapeutic, and can help us deal with the stresses of our daily lives. But how would we cope without the ability to share our experiences with others?

“For some people, being unable to tell stories is a reality. Many non-speaking people have never had the means or the opportunity to engage in narrative with friends, and have grown up without learning the necessary skills to do so. There are a number of technologies that exist that allow non-speaking people to tell stories and share their experiences with others. This talk will give an overview of how we are using these technologies, and the research behind them.”

Café Science was launched in January 2008, and has attracted more than 5000 visitors since then. The monthly events are informal discussions led by leading local researchers that allow members of the public the opportunity to learn more about the ground-breaking science happening locally.

Café Science Extra allows members of the public to meet with up-and-coming scientists from the Universities of Dundee, St Andrews and Abertay, the James Hutton Institute, and Dundee Science Centre.

‘Stories R Us: How technology can help nonspeaking people to share their stories’ takes place at Dundee Science Centre from 6pm on Wednesday, 14th May. The event is free and open to all. There is no need to book in advance but an early arrival is recommended.

More information is available at www.cafesciencedundee.co.uk.

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