Tuesday 18 April 2017

All Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology launched at Speaker’s House

Last month saw the exciting launch of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology (#AT_APPG) held at Speaker's House in the Palace of Westminster.

CATCH Senior Researcher Dr Peter Cudd attended the event on 6th March, sponsored by Microsoft.





The current Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, opened the event and told guests that 10 years after his leading role in a major review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), “Bercow: Ten Years On” is currently in progress.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology aims to disseminate knowledge, generate debate and facilitate engagement on assistive technology amongst Members of both Houses of Parliament.
As an ageing population, more people are living and working for longer. Disability is therefore something that could happen to any of us at any time.
Speakers at the event included Lord Holmes who went blind overnight at the age of 14. He then went on to study at Cambridge University and win a record-breaking six Gold medals at the Barcelona Paralympics in 1992. He shared that there are millions of examples of how assistive technology is transformational as an enabler rather than a solution.
The APPG AT will further the dialogue about employment and disability policy. Given the rapid pace of technological change, this venture is not only good for individuals but for the workforce as a whole.
You can read the full story of the event here.
To find out more about our research in the area of Assistive Technology, please contact CATCH Centre Manager Simon Butler.

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