Widgit Software
Widgit Software was started in 1982 by two teachers, Mike and Tina Detheridge. They initially wrote educational games for early years on the ZX Spectrum. As well as writing under their own label, they wrote for other companies including Mirrorsoft and MacMillan and a suite for the Enterprise (which collapsed before publication). They created versions of their software for the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, and Archimedes before focusing entirely on PC.
An association with Gt Ormond Street Hospital led to the company focusing on Special Needs solutions, including switch activated software for young learners, and then to software that uses graphic Symbols to give access to learning and literacy for people with learning difficulties. This has become the main focus of the company’s current range.
The company now trades with over 20 employees and with products translated into a number of other languages. Mike and Tina’s daughter – aged 2 when the company started - is now the managing director.
In 2007 Widgit celebrated its 25th anniversary – the image below gives a very short overview of these years.
Apart from software production at Widgit, Mike and Tina have worked in a variety of related capacities. Tina has been Manager of Special Needs at NCET (National Council for Educational Technology) which later became BECTA. She has also been senior lecturer in Special Needs at Westminster College, Oxford. She has a research degree, MPhil, gained by looking at the ways technology can impact children with severe learning difficulties. She has written two books, Literacy through Symbols with husband Mike, and Symbols and Social Justice written with daughter Cate and Chris Abbott – senior lecturer at King’s London.
Mike has worked as a contracted manager for government funded projects for software and CD ROM development. With son Simon, he worked on a European (ALDICT) funded project to develop InterComm which enabled symbol users to create, send and receive emails. This was awarded a rare 5-star final review.
Both Mike and Tina have lectured extensively abroad.
For more information, please see www.widgit.com
