A project aiming to help students with learning disabilities and/or disabilities into independent living has been rewarded for its innovative use of technology.

Portland College’s Maples SMARTHome Project was named winner of Natspec’s annual Innovative Use of Technology Award.

Natspec is a membership association for organisations that offer specialist further education and training for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities aged 16 to 25.

The Maples SMARTHome project has been developed in-house at Portland by a team of cross-departmental staff.

They recognised that many young people face barriers to independent living because of a lack of accessible homes.

The project aims to remove as many of these barriers as possible through innovative use of technology. The first phase has trialled voice-activated technology, which enables users to make simple adaptations to their own homes so they can live more independently.

Key features in the Maples SMARTHome trial have been linked to Alexa and Bixby technology to enable people to control many elements of daily living, increasing their independence.

Phases two and three of the trial will look more into visual impairment and deaf and hard of hearing technology.

Angela Newton-Soanes, college deputy principal, said: “We’re proud of this award, which acknowledges the hard work that has taken place across a number of departments at Portland, working towards the goal of providing our learners and citizens with an opportunity to develop their independence skills.”