Neil Squire has been at the forefront of virtual programming for nearly 20 years. We saw the need for this type of service early on as a means to serve people located in remote communities across Canada who otherwise would be beyond our reach. Many of our participants also faced barriers around transportation and attendant care related to their disabilities that made it nearly impossible for them to attend a classroom session on a regular basis.
Employment program participants connecting to our virtual classroom in 2009
In 2002, we began using a variety of technologies including video and audio conferencing, application sharing, internet-based lessons, as well as chat and messaging. We used , an application that came with Windows 95, the equivalent to today. We also used several VNC-based software applications to connect to people鈥檚 desktop computers. These were the equivalent of .
In a few years, we had implemented and for distance learning. This allowed us to expand our reach considerably and help people beyond our physical offices.
Moodle served as our learning management system for job seekers with disabilities to access our resources remotely. This included videos, presentations, texts, online assignments, and more. We also had resources for people who wanted to upgrade their computer skills. We continue to use Moodle today.
A screenshot of our Moodle homepage in its early years. To the right is a link to a live, online classroom on Elluminate. Below it are accessibility options for text
Accessibility has always been at the forefront of our minds. We built a screen reader for our Moodle platform for anyone who needed it. In addition, we ensured audio and video would be captioned and transcribed using speech recognition technology.
In 2010 we launched our Distance Computer Comfort Program, so that participants could develop their computer skills from the comfort of their own home while working with a volunteer tutor or staff member one-on-one. We initially used Elluminate, a web conferencing program. As time and technology have progressed, we have adapted our platforms and knowledge too. To this day, Distance Computer Comfort connects volunteers and people with disabilities in real-time, from across Canada.
Ten years ago the technology we were using was so leading edge, it had us presenting at conferences all over North America.
An intern using a headset for one of our virtual platforms in 2011
Now, almost 20 years after we first began offering virtual programming, we find ourselves in the midst of COVID-19, and yet we are able to run all of our programs virtually with no stoppage of service to clients. Whether you鈥檙e looking for a job, require employment related disability supports to continue working successfully, or want to learn how to connect with others through email or social media, you鈥檙e in good hands with Neil Squire.
Read some of our distance programming successes from over the years here: /tag/distance-computer-comfort/