As we are working our way through the administrative user interface testing, we have spotted some tweaks from our original ideas to improve the system. This is all about us building towards starting pilot testing. It is a laborious process, but we have the combined benefits of being nerds and passionate about the potential of this platform. We are looking forward to starting the actual pilot test. If you know anyone who you think would be a good pilot tester, encourage them to send an email to [email protected]

Of late, we have shared news stories about both employers seeing the value of engaging staff who live with a disability, as well as people who live with a disability who are enjoying success with an enterprise they have set up. These are things to celebrate and congratulate. However, that is not the full story.  Members of the team have heard, and in some cases experienced prejudice and intolerance at work. These can see people unfairly dismissed, bullied or otherwise mistreated...

We have started writing our first batch of blog posts for members of the platform. These will provide useful tips, information, comments on the news, information about features of the platform and quirky conversations. Everyone can see a list of the posts and a preview of the post, only members can see the full text, print, copy or search the library...

It is with no small amount of disappointment we report that our application for a DSS grant was unsuccessful. Our sincere thanks to everyone who reached out to their Federal MP about our application. Even though we are saddened by this news, we are not too despondent. With the money we have already raised and our work behind the scenes, we are able to press ahead with our Pilot Test...

It is terrific that this Queensland small business not only provides employment opportunities to people who live with a disability, but they recognise the powerful lived experience and perspective to their work. Sadly, there are many businesses that don't share this enlightened and constructive approach.  More on this later. Do you know someone who might be interested in pursuing their own entrepreneurial ideas/potential?  Encourage them to complete the short form at: https://enabled.vip/login-register/

Enabled.vip is extremely fortunate to have as a member of our Advisory Board the terrifically talented @Joe-Anne Kek-Pamenter. Jo has very generously donated her time to work on infographics, brochures and other graphic material for the platform. In addition to being incredibly grateful, we think Jo is a great role model, an Australian who lives with a disability who has turned her passion and skill into a business and source of income...

Next Tuesday the Enabled.vip team will be meeting with staff from Minter Ellison.  This will discuss the platform pursuing obtaining DRG status.  Minter Ellison is doing this work pro bono as part of the RISE programme coordinated by the Social Impact Hub...

Over the weekend, we lodged an application for a small grant. This is a community grant scheme, offered by the Moreton Bay Regional Council.  If we were successful, this money would be used to help fund our engagement with Griffith University. The work being done by the University includes developing micro-courses for members of the platform, as well as professional development for our mentors.  It is only a small grant and success is by no means likely, but the input of funding could be very helpful for the development of the platform and its future.

A few pieces of recent exciting news about the platform: * MS Queensland has agreed to accept Australian donations on our behalf and issue tax receipts; * Plan Partners (a large NDIS plan management company) has agreed to help us recruit 7 more pilot testers; * The Griffith Business School will be sending some students our way to do their work experience with us...

Ultimately the plan is for us to pursue DGR status for the platform. That status will enable us to provide Tax Receipts for the donations we receive. Indeed, Minter Ellison is providing us with valuable pro bono legal advice in that regard.  In the meantime, we are desperately looking at options to fund the full development and the first year of operation of the platform.  With that in mind, we are incredibly grateful to MS Queensland, who have agreed to accept donations in support of the platform and provide Tax Receipts to the donors...

We are continuing with the busy process of administrative testing of the platform and sending notes to our web developers.  It is a difficult and time-intensive process.  but ultimately important and a valuable precursor to pilot testing. In the meantime: (i) We are preparing to reach out to another source of potential pilot testers; (ii) We are about to pay the first instalment to Griffith University for the micro-credentialling courses they will producing for members of Enabled.vip; (iii) We are continuing to identify and reach out to potential webinar speakers and blog posters; and (iv) Work on in-house resources...

In chatting with potential pilot testers, we've already had some great conversations and it looks like we will have an impressive pool of pilot testers. It is hard not to be intimidated by their expertise, lived experience and how they have responded to discrimination and isolation. The experience has reinforced some of the assumptions that underpin the Enabled.vip platform...

In the space of a handful of paragraphs, this account moved us through horror, fury and dismay.  It eloquently demonstrates the point that Australians who live with a disability are not only capable of getting the work done, they can desirable skills, experience and attributes. Instead, they are isolated and disrespected by thoughtlessness and ignorance.  That's why, to a relatively higher proportion than their able-bodied peers, people who live with a disability in North America, the UK and Europe start and operate their own enterprise. We want to help Australians who live with a disability to do the same. Do you know someone who might be interested?  Encourage them to complete the short form at: https://enabled.vip/login-register/

You may recall that last year, we took a punt on applying for a large DSS grant.  We knew it was a longshot, but the funds would not only see us completely set up, they would make a huge difference to our first year of operation. So we applied.  Apparently. we will be told in April if we were successful. As you may also recall, we've had some indications that weren't promising...

We are very happy for you to use it, especially if you are promoting the untapped potential of Australians who live with a disability. Not a high enough quality or size?  Not a problem, we have large print-ready versions of all the images.  Send an email to [email protected] and provide the image code (which is in the file name). We do ask if you could spread the word about us and our virtual incubator service...

This week, Gary had a great Zoom chat with @Jacqueline Cannon of the BLCW Program.  They discussed the goals and operation of the Program and Platform.  They also discussed synergy and opportunities to collaborate. Jacqueline was very generous with her time and the two of them discussed the NDIS, the pilot test, our Board, our Patron, Griffith University, Fiverr, funding avenues, student work opportunities and promotional videos. In short, it was a terrific contact and we plan to continue working together.  So watch this space...

It is terrific the Brisbane and surrounding areas snap lockdown has ended.  This isn't an anti-mask or anti-covid-management post but we need to recognise the impact on the hearing-impaired.

The editor we use for News/Feed items, as well as Resources, has recently been updated so we can insert a preview of a linked item. We (OK, mostly Gary) are internet nerds, so we're quite excited about this new functionality. In that it allows visitors to see a preview of what they will be accessing. WE DID WARN YOU it was nerdy.

We are now using the terrific Monday.com service.  For the moment, we are using it to keep tabs on progress with regards to new members, our webinar presenters and our contact list. Resisting the temptation to become an ad for the Monday.com service, it's a great and very flexible interface and potential automation.  It also doesn't hurt that it becomes a one-stop-shop for the team members to check for information about the platform.  Plus it also integrates with a smartphone.  Predictably, Gary added, "It works with Apple and Lemons too!" We are still exploring all of its features, but we do recommend it for teams that are working on a complex project, or indeed a sequence of projects...

Every month members of the platform will be up to attend webinar. The webinars will be across a range of interesting, useful and inspiring topics. Our plan is to include NDIS care coordination/plan managers to explore how a plan could be used to pursue the matters discussed in the webinar. These will be amongst the advantages of being a member of the platform...

It is always terrific to see when a person responds to prejudice in the workplace by setting up their own enterprise.  Good on you Kyal!  We wish you every success.  🙂

Throughout this week we have been busily doing internal testing of the platform and sending Notes two our great web developers. This doesn't replace our need for pilot testers but we hope this will add to the polish of the platform. It is a great feeling seeing everything coming together.

We are in the process of adding 750 quality royalty-free disability images to our resource library. They were purchased from the great Shutterstock service. They will be used across our site, resources and presentations. Do you know a Queenslander who lives with a disability, who is a would-be entrepreneur? Please encourage them to register your interest in becoming a pilot tester for the Enabled.vip platform. If they are interested they should complete the short form - https://enabled.vip/login-register/...

This week we completed the Discussion Sheet about newsletters. This provides tips covering: (i) Formatting and branding; . (ii) Distribution method; (iii) Maintaining and using mailing lists (iv) Distribution schedule; and (v) Taking your newsletter to the next level...

To our great delight, Minter Ellison is now listed on our Partner & Supporters page. The firm is generously providing the platform with pro bono advice on: 1. Our privacy policy, terms and conditions and disclaimers; and 2. Us applying for DGR status, which would enable us to give tax receipts for the donations we receive...

A great story about one of the amazing and inspiring Board members for Enabled.vip. Great work Jo...

We are thrilled to share that the Social Impact Hub is now listed as a supporter/partner on our website. Through their RISE programme, the platform is receiving essential and valuable pro bono legal advice from Minter Ellison. This is incredibly useful and makes a huge difference to the establishment of the Enabled.vip platform.

As Australia emerges from the pandemic, with vaccines finally on the horizon, situations like this should no longer be an issue. Nevertheless, the fact that essential services to Australians who live with a disability get dropped like this is incredibly troubling.

Friday 19/03/2021 we got the team together for a Board meeting.  It was a terrific meeting and incredibly valuable.  It was an excellent opportunity to take stock of where we are at and plot our plans for the coming months...

Our apologies this is late in the month (we will resist the temptation to grumble about how fast the year is going... except I suppose we didn't hehe), March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. At Enabled.vip we believe disability doesn't mean inability.  If you are living with a brain injury, we are here to help. The platform can assist you with...

A recording of the MS Queensland workshop can be accessed at - https://app.livestorm.co/p/c48cb4ca-e280-4b43-95a4-5f0b8be88f04 If anyone knows someone who would be interested in being a Pilot Tester, send them to the following address, ask them to fill out the form and email me if they run into any problems. https://enabled.vip/login-register/ Thank you again for all the support. It is greatly appreciated.

Some great questions at yesterday's webinar. We have decided to leave nominations open to become a Pilot Tester of the platform until Friday 26 March. Anybody living with a disability in Queensland is eligible to become a Pilot Tester. It will be free to join the platform, free to remain a member for six months and the ten hour mentor package is also free for our Pilot Testers. The flipside of course, is they will be helping us work out the bugs and kinks in the Enabled.vip system and our business processes...

Today we will be participating in a webinar hosted by the great folk at MS Queensland. The free event will be explaining about who can join Enabled.vip, the services the platform will provide and our hopes of the value the platform will provide to members. We are very excited to see what the reaction of attendees will be...

We recently completed the Discussion Sheet about copywriting.  This sheet includes tips about technique, practice and proofreading.  Another great sheet in the inhouse suite of resources and another great reason to become a member of the platform...

This story is a few months old, but hopefully, as things are opening up, it makes some useful observations and offers tips.

This week we drafted the Discussion Sheet about Contact Management. This refers to interactions with clients, followers and the wider community. The Discussion Sheet refers to frequency and content. It also discusses maintaining records and information about your contacts. This sheet is part of the suite of inhouse resources we are producing for users of the platform. Our hope is these sheets and the other features of the platform will make Enabled.vip attractive to would-be entrepreneurs.

The webinar is on: 17 March 2021 at 10am. We are really excited to be participating in this, our first webinar to recruit pilot testers for the platform...

Yesterday, we added ten images from iStock and ten images from Shutterstock to our image library. These are great disability-related images to use for our News Feed, Resource Library and otherwise on our platform. These are royalty free images that we have purchased. Our intention is to post them and allow them to be used for disability purposes on other websites.

An excellent brochure about the platform has been produced by the talented layout professional/member of our Board, Joe-Anne Kek-Pamenter.  We love the design and it summarises key information about the platform. We hope you like it too and we would be very grateful if you would distribute it in your social networks...

Well done Hannah! We have included here a link to her earlier petition. You may also be interested in these cartoons with characters who live with a disability. https://disabilityhorizons.com/2019/05/10-animation-and-kids-characters-with-disabilities/ https://evangelicalfocus.com/the-additional-needs-blogfather/6084/just-keep-swimming-disabled-characters-in-disney-pixar-films

This week we finished the Discussion Sheet about communities of practice. This sheet provides a description of what a community of practice is, how to establish a CoP and its constructive use. As we have mentioned before, our hope is that the platform will foster and support a CoP for disability entrepreneurship...

In disappointing news for the week, our application for a Mable Community Grant was unsuccessful. We know in academia, grant disappointment is common and is regarded as character-building for early-career researchers. That may be true, but we respectfully observe the universe but we don't want any more character-building, please. As we have said before, even without further funding, we will press on with the pilot test. Our hope is that if we're conducting the pilot test, it will improve the odds of us being funded...

Here is a quick Enabled.vip update - Using some small grants, personal contributions and loans, the coding of the platform is complete.  This includes the joining process and the various service sections of the platform. It has been a long, sometimes difficult journey, but it is exciting to be at this point. As of yesterday, we have commenced user testing...

If you are hearing impaired or live with hearing challenges, HUZZAH! to you, yesterday was your day. Perhaps you don't consider yourself to be living with a disability.  Perhaps your toughest challenge is dealing with the exclusionary behaviour of others. We'd be thrilled to work with you to pursue your entrepreneurial goals and potential...

Establishing a positive organizational culture, one in which employees and managers support one another, should be a top priority for organizations. Expressing praise and gratitude is particularly important for keeping up morale. Gratitude makes people feel valued, and positive feedback has been shown to mitigate the negative effects of stress on employee performance. Neuroscientists have even shown that the brain processes verbal affirmations similarly to financial rewards. As Alan Mulally, former CEO of Ford, has been quoted as saying of his employees, “It’s all about appreciating them, respecting them and thanking them at every step of the way.” While the importance of expressing praise and gratitude for establishing a positive organizational culture is clear, our research suggests that people may not follow Mulally’s advice because they underestimate the positive impact of kind words on others.

We finished yesterday, the drafting of the Discussion Sheet about the management of invoices (inward and outward). This is part of the series of sheets for all members of the platform.  It will be available in the Resource Library and be part of the in-house resources that our members can access/download whenever they need. Combined with the mentoring, peer support, webinars, blog/newsletter and the training opportunities, our hope is the platform will support members to pursue their entrepreneurial potential...

This week we have booked a videographer to film our Patron, Dinesh Palipana.  The recordings will be of Dinesh talking about the importance of disability entrepreneurship and why he is excited to be involved with Enabled.vip. These recordings will be used in the upcoming webinar MS Queensland is hosting about the platform...

On Friday, Gary met with the CEO of MS Queensland (David Curd) and their Community Engagement Manager (Natalie Walsh).  Amongst the topics discussed was the current state of Enabled.vip, future plans and how the platform could fit in with the strategic plans/objectives of MS Queensland.  It was a thoroughly energising and constructive discussion. It also provided useful ideas for how the platform could connect with some other like-minded entities...

Recently we met with Mr Dwayne Fernandes, from Minds at Play, to discuss the overlaps between Minds at Play and the Enabled.vip platform. Dwayne is a thoroughly impressive and nice guy. We not only hope to keep in touch with him, we think he would be a terrific speaker at one of our webinars. The plan is that we will conduct one webinar every month, inviting different speakers to talk about their endeavours, ideas and approaches. The intention here is that these events will be inspiring, useful and excellent food for thought for members...

How can dogs help people living with disability find work? A quick trip to Clear Paws Dog Salon is the place to find out. Chris, Pat and Mitch took Kia Handley through the salon introducing them to some very cute customers! The webpage includes a streaming link to listen to the programme.

We are currently working on the discussion sheets for the members' Resource Library. Community of Practice Invoice management These are resource documents to assist our members to establish and operate an enterprise....

Fiverr is currently conducting a competition in Australia for a small business to win space on a new billboard.  Needless to say, we have entered Enabled.vip into the competition.  Listing on a billboard would be a great way to promote the platform to the three audiences we are hoping to reach...

[Post extract]Here, we aim to share insights from a group of Griffith University researchers and a consumer reference group, who worked together on a research project during the development of materials and methods, as well as in the dissemination of research outcomes. The research project we conducted aimed to explore the research experience of people with acquired disability. We wanted to understand what researchers could do better to be more inclusive of people who are often described as vulnerable or marginalised by the National Statement and subsequently Human Research Ethics Committees. We wanted to know how to best include them as participants in, rather than subjects of, research.[/Post extract] Enabled.vip's CEO Dr Gary Allen co-authored this post about effective reference groups in disability research.

We are thrilled to report the platform is listed on the great DLI Business Directory. It can be found at https://disabilityleaders.com.au/business-directory/1406/enabled-vip/ and can be viewed by the public. This is a great way to lift the profile of the platform in the disability sector.

[NEWS SNIPPET] Dozens of major health, corporate, sporting and charity Facebook pages have been blocked after being caught up in the social media giant’s decision to ban news publishers in response to the Morrison government’s proposed media bargaining laws. [/NEWS] What is forgotten in all the posturing between the politicians, the Murdoch press and big tech, is the harm caused to Australians who live with a disability and people living with a chronic medical condition. We are not footballs in their silly games...

This week the platform became a formal member of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council.  This provides us with access to news, resources, professional development opportunities and a say in matters relating to the Queensland social enterprise space.  In addition to the impressive membership certificate, it provides further credibility and standing for the platform.

Monday morning, Gary is meeting with a team from the Queensland Department of Small Business to talk about Enabled.vip.  This is in the context of the Queensland Government's announced support for social enterprise. While we are going into this with obvious hopes, we recognise that we are only one of Queensland's many social enterprises. That being said, we hope you'll forgive us for thinking that we've got a very strong story to tell about the value of the platform...

The interview by the Dignity Project is now live. Gary spoke about the Enabled.vip platform, the pilot, disability entrepreneurship and dignity. It has been estimated that 4.4 million Australians live with disability, 2.1 million of whom are of working age (Australian Network on Disability 2020). However, research by the Productivity Commission has found that people with disability are among the most disadvantaged in Australia (Productivity Commission 2011), with low participation rates resulting in reduced income. The full interview is available from the Dignity Project website.  You will need to join the Dignity Project to view the interview.  We highly recommend all of our followers join the Dignity Project anyway.  Their work is commendable and worth supporting...

We are delighted to report that we were successful with our Pine Rivers/Bendigo Bank community fund grant application.  It is a sign of the times, that they had a plethora of applications. We understand there were a lot of worthy applications and a few applicants would have been disappointed. As a consequence, the money awarded was a bit less than we hoped. It does mean we are still on the furious hunt for funding, but we are incredibly grateful for the support the scheme has awarded us. Depite the fact that we're still scratching for money, we have decided to press on with the pilot test. Thank you everyone for your generous and enthusiastic support...

We have slightly tweaked the header for our popular YouTube channel. We have also given the scripts for four more videos to our talented animators. Now all we need is the money to pay for them.

In exciting news, we just had a new person sign up as a pilot tester of the programme. We are incredibly excited to have a new pilot tester onboard. The plan still is to participate in the MS Queensland webinar on 17 March at 10 am. In addition to allowing us to test our systems and processes, the pilot test will allow us to explore some of our suppositions (e.g. how things will split between hobbies/crafts, gig-based micro-business or a small business)...

Gary has updated his signature block for emails to include DLI after his name (as text and a link) and the image plus link for the platform's YouTube channel.  It's a small change, but given how much Gary emails, we figure it can't hurt. 

Distress, anxiety, work avoidance, lowered productivity, and taking more sick days: Workplace bullying and discrimination can have a significant impact on employees' mental health. Some victims can even experience trauma that lasts well beyond the job itself, according to north Brisbane-based psychologist Rachel Hannam. We asked Dr Hannam and two other experts how to move on after experiencing bullying or discrimination in a previous role...

This week, Gary was interviewed for a piece for the Dignity Project.  It was a chance to talk about the early beginnings of the Enabled.vip platform. It was also a chance to discuss the important role disability entrepreneurship can play in dignity, social inclusion and community participation.  Gary couldn't help but slip in a joke about world domination. Back in your box Gary...

Today, we are meeting with Pete Horsley of Remarkable to talk about the Enabled.vip platform. If you don't know them, Remarkable (https://remarkable.org.au/) is associated with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and is doing exciting things in the disability tech space. We are really looking forward to exploring whether there are opportunities for the two platforms to collaborate...

The Super Enablers and the platform walked into a bar...  No seriously, great behind the scenes news about funding and the Enabled.vip platform. The Super Enablers team is working on an Ian Potter grant application for the platform.  This is a big deal because in addition to tidying up the deployment costs and first year operation costs, this grant would fund a few good purchase items for the platform. Such as buying out some of Dr Gary Allen's time from Griffith University and establishing a budget for work items that will be undertaken by the Company Secretary...

It is terrific to see such a significant global investment by the private sector into disability services.  And yes we have sent them an expression of interest to see if they would be prepared to look at a grant application from Enabled.vip.

Last week we worked with MS Queensland to finalise a press release about a number of news items concerning the platform. Once the release has been sent to the media, we will share it here. We are pretty excited about this continued progress towards the pilot launch of the platform...

Gary has recently joined the Disability Leadership Institute. It is a great way to network with other disability leaders, hear news and share great tips.  The DLI is a worthwhile group for anyone interested in advocacy, entrepreneurship and related skills.  The Institute offers free and cost-effective professional development to its members...

Yesterday, we had a nice surprise when $2,000 unexpectedly turned up in the platform's bank account. While we haven't been officially notified, we have worked out this a payment for the Moreton Council Discretion fund, thank to Gary's local councillor, Darren Grimwade. It is only a small grant, but it's 40% of the cost of Griffith University developing the micro-courses for our members or 40% of Griffith conducting coaching for our mentors...

Springer Nature is retracting a book chapter describing conference research after scholars in the deaf community blasted it for being “unbelievably insulting.” The chapter, “Implementation of Hand Gesture Recognition System To Aid Deaf-Dumb People,” appeared in Advances in Signal and Data Procesing: Select Proceedings of ICSDP 2019. The authors were  Supriya Ghule and Mrunalini Chavaan, of the MIT Academy of Engineering in Pune, India. According to the abstract...

Griffith University hosts and supports a group called the Super Enablers. It isn't just focussed on Enabled.vip, but we are certainly a big part of the focus of that group. The committee is chaired by entrepreneurship researcher and platform board-member, Assoc. Prof. Naomi Birdthistle. The membership of the committee includes business people who live with a disability and researchers/academics...

Our Patron, Dinesh Palipana OAM has suggested some great commercial contacts. Later this week and in the coming weeks, Gary will be meeting with those contacts. We go into this with an open mind. There are some useful things these contacts can help us with, but we are very interested to hear their ideas. We will report back as soon as we have some news.

The terrific artist Gary has been working with on a couple of Enabled.vip and AHRECS jobs, has produced a nice image for the header of our YouTube channel.  The image works across platforms, so should be good, regardless of whether you look at it on a smartphone or a smart TV.  We love the style of his work and will use him for future projects for the platform...

A sobering summary about disability, income and entrepreneurship in Australia. This information captures perfectly the factors that inspired us to work on setting up Enabled.vip. This includes some surprising numbers, as well as the source where we found them...

We have produced a one-page executive summary of where things are at with the development of the platform. Included in the document is a summary of: (i) Objectives; (ii) Types of disability enterprises...

Yesterday, we drafted the Company policy with regard to disability rights and safety. The intent is this policy will inform the actions of staff, office bearers and volunteers concerning observed or suspected abuse, neglect and/or exploitation. An absolute commitment to adhering to the state, national and international standards with regard to disability rights and safety are founding principle of Enabled.vip Pty Ltd. Again, while formulating this policy is part of the process of registering the platform with the NDIA, it is also a vital operational standard to inform our practice, professional development and planning.

Gary took another couple of long shots yesterday, by applying for funding from: (i) Draper Richard Kaplan Foundation Fund; and (ii) The English Family Foundation. Both of these prospects are pretty unlikely, but we figure it can't hurt to try. 

Every quarter, we will be sending a newsletter to members via email. The title of this publication will be 'Tilting at Blazing Windmills'.  The Quitoxic title owes much to Gary's affinity to the Don Quixote story, as well as its links to the excellent Sorkin series The Newsroom.  We commissioned the masthead through a Fiverr Pro. We are delighted with what he came up with. We would value your thoughts as well. 

We are excited to report the platform now has a YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYFLsgR68zExvDHoO-Q3uQA.  Have a look and let us know what you think.  If you like it, please subscribe and let your network know. Our plan is that we will progressively add new videos to this channel...

Justin Yerbury's appeal prompts Australia's NHMRC to revise its policy. Structural discrimination is real and cannot be tolerated.  Apart from its intrinsic interest, it is relevant to PPI initiatives that draw in people with disabilities as partners. If we can't avoid discriminating against high achieving researchers with disabilities, how can we avoid either such discrimination or tokenism in PPI...

We are excited to share that on 17 March 2021 (at 10-11am) MS Queensland will be hosting a webinar about Enabled.vip. The purpose of the webinar is to explain how the platform will work and how it can assist participants. Our hope is the event will enable us to identify and recruit ten pilot testers. The pilot testers will not need to pay for their involvement in the platform during the test...

We are thrilled to share the news that Megan Peach has joined the Enabled.vip team. She will serve on the Board as Company Secretary. Megan brings with her considerable governance and board experience. Amongst other things, we are hoping she will help us refine our policies and procedures. We also hope she will help us pursue NDIA registration...

This one introduces the kind of help we will be offering to Australians who live with a disability and the kind of services we will provide. We think the animator did a great job, we hope you agree. We are pondering having the same female voiceover professional do the speaking for this video. We would welcome hearing your input.

We hope to hear in the next 30 days the outcome of three items of funding that we are pursuing. Two of them are reasonably ambitious, so we are definitely not counting our chickens. Of course, if they do come through that would be our funding needs for 12 months met...

We reported previously, we hoped to use 'Gabriel's Oboe' as the backing track for our future animations. The logistics and costs of getting permission to produce a cover of that track are really too much for us to justify. As a consequence, we will use similar backing tracks to the one that we used for our first animation. While this is pretty disappointing, we think it's important that our energies and meagre funding be focussed upon the development of the platform...