We are pleased to announce the beginning of work on a new report on Assistive and Accessible Technology Awareness and Training for Front Line Professionals.

We would like to thank the Ian Karten Charitable Trust for their generous sponsorship of this project. The research will be delivered by the ATech Policy Lab, which is based at Policy Connect and is a partnership between Policy Connect, Bournemouth University and the Ace Centre.

We know that many frontline professionals – from teachers to care staff to job coaches – lack the confidence to support their clients and learners to use assistive and accessible technology (ATech). To address  this, organisations across the UK are taking action to upskill professionals, increase ATech access and support for disabled people, and make frontline services more inclusive.  

The report will explore the current ATech training landscape and make recommendations to government on how to scale support for professionals across the UK to better take advantage of these powerful tools. 

The report will consider ATech training in the education, employment support, and social care spheres, and will be led by Research Fellow Geena Vabulas.

“I know first-hand the challenges of frontline staff staying up-to-date on Assistive and Accessible Technology (ATech), having worked in disability education and care settings for many years. There are so many people missing out on the benefits of ATech due to low awareness and confidence amongst professionals, and I am delighted to be tackling this issue in this collaborative research project.” - Geena Vabulas

If you would like to get involved, please contact Geena at geena.vabulas [at] policyconnect.org.uk (geena[dot]vabulas[at]policyconnect[dot]org[dot]uk).