YAB and the Listening Bus...

Today myself and four other fellow NDCS Youth Advisory Board members have been YABing it up on the Listening Bus and chatting to Damien, Louise and Helen about our thoughts and ideas!

Although we were only there from 10am-2pm I certainly feel like we got our respective points across and even had time to make a somewhat haphazard DIY video to advertise the Bus.

From what I can work out NDCS have applied for funding to have a brand new shiny (purple?) Listening Bus and have decided -quite rightly - that the current one is a little out of fashion and clearly aimed at primary level kids.
The new plans involve not only having a Bus to demonstrate technology and hand out publications but to also use the space to run hour long "Getting Ahead" and "Healthy Minds" sessions, something I think is an awesome idea!

So what did YAB actually do today?

1. We discussed "dream space" and how we thought the Bus should look as well as what cool things it should include - think plasma TVs, bean bags and Ipads...
2. We discussed what we wanted to learn on the bus - looking at "healthy minds" and "getting ahead" as well as different types of technology and also talking about how NDCS publications only focus on parents! Where's the kids info?!
3. Talking about apps and technology - The Buzz totally needs an app! as well as thinking about tune wiki, the T switch (very important!) and how to give out info for example booklets or emails, posters etc...
4. Finally! Marketing the bus - complete with DIY video! - interesting discussion about marketing to schools etc and how best to present the bus to young people! 

So all in all a very interesting few hours!!! We can't wait to see the outcome of all our random ideas and whether any of them are incorporated into a new Bus.

We also had time to nose around the technology and ask lots of questions; mine were mainly university and independence related... I have to say that the combined knowledge of all the "Bus Team" is truly amazing! They seem to have an answer to literally everything and anything!

For reference - NDCS Technology Test Drive is an amazing resource for deaf children, young people and their parents. The idea is to allow a "try before you buy" system and you can borrow anything from Radio Aids to Pagers to Direct Input Headphones.

An amazing day and watch this space as the next YAB residential is coming up soon - first weekend in March here we come!