Nominations are now being sought for the Jodi Awards 2008. The awards, supported by Culture24 and the British Museum, as well as MLA and a host of regional agencies, are for museums, libraries, archives and heritage venues that use technology to provide access to collections and learning for disabled people.

Entrants will be sought from organisations that have developed useful tools such as websites, interactive objects, audio-guides, PDAs and virtual reality shows, which will be eligible for awards in five categories:

Excellence for projects aimed at people with a learning disability
Web accessibility: Excellence with a low budget
Web accessibility: Excellence
Accessible ICT: Excellence with low budget
Accessible ICT: Excellence

Last year the awards were given to a range of innovative projects including a DVD film tour of ancient castle staircases and vaults and an innovative website illustrating the life of a child prisoner in the 1800s.

“I was amazed at the quality of last year’s shortlist,” said Lord Rix, President of Mencap, who gave the keynote talk at the Jodi Awards 2007.

Lord Rix also confirmed a new award for this year, Excellence for projects aimed at people with a learning disability, which will be awarded in association with the Rix Centre.

“As a life-long campaigner for the rights of people with a learning disability, I was disappointed that the Jodi Awards have not as yet received one nomination for a project aimed at people with a learning disability," he said.

"The new award challenges the sector to deploy some its indomitable creativity to provide improved access to collections for people with a learning disability.”

Harry (left, in short-sleeved shirt) and Esther Mattes (far right, front) join 2007 Jodi Mattes award winners at the British Museum © Jon Pratty/24 Hour Museum

The Jodi Awards are named in memory of Jodi Mattes (1973-2001). Jodi worked as part of the British Museum's COMPASS team, and then at the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

At the British Museum, Jodi worked to ensure that the museum's COMPASS website (live in June 2000) was as accessible as possible. She also specified desks in the Reading Room that were accessible to wheelchair users. The Jodi Awards were initiated in 2002 under the auspices of the Museums Computer Group by her former colleague Fiona Marshall and Marcus Weisen and Nick Poole of MLA.

This year, for the first time, museums, libraries, archives and heritage venues in Scotland are also eligible for the Jodi Awards, thanks to the support of Museums Galleries Scotland, the Scottish Libraries and Information Council and the Scottish Archives Network.

Museums, libraries and archives in England and Wales continue to be eligible for the Jodi Awards, thanks to the ongoing support of MLA, who first supported the award in 2003 during the European Year of Disabled People and CyMAL, who joined the initiative in 2006.

“We are thrilled by the enthusiasm and support we have received from museum, library and archive bodies in England, Wales and Scotland for our plans to serve disabled people and create a charity that promotes accessible multi-media," added Matthew Cock, Jodi Awards Chair and Head of Web at the British Museum.

"We are not creating a new ghetto with the new award announced by Lord Rix – all nominations of projects aimed at people with a learning disability will also be entered in existing award categories. People with a learning disability need a higher profile.”

The deadline for nominations is Friday 3 October 2008, and the awards will be announced at a high profile event on Friday 5 December 2008 at the British Museum. Full information on how to apply is available at: www.jodiawards.org.uk