STUDY DAYS EXPLORE A SINGLE ASPECT OF AAC AND PROVIDE A GREAT LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.

2025 Study Days

Inspiring New Ways of Thinking About Access to Technology for People with Intellectual Disability – 21 November 2025

Friday, 21st November 9:30-16:00

Irwin Mitchell Offices, Temple, London, EC4Y 0AY

Communication Matters are delighted to partner with a range of leading academic and clinical experts in intellectual disability to host this exciting event.

Following on from our previous Study Day in November 2019 (‘Where Next for People with Cognitive Disabilities & Electronic Assistive Technology?), we will offer delegates a range of plenaries and workshops to explore the state of play around existing technology for people with intellectual disability as well as the opportunity to (re)consider how to activate current and future technologies in creative and innovative ways. This is a standalone event and, although drawing on learning from the 2019 event, there is no need for delegates to have attended the previous study day to benefit from this one.

Attendance: £100 for non-members, £90 for members and £75 for AAC users/PAs/family members.

Lunch and refreshments included.

Study Day Objectives

  • Review the history of access to independent control and communication through electronic assistive technologies (EAT) for people with intellectual disabilities to provide the background and context for the day
  • Learn from the lived experience around independent/inter-dependent control and communication for people with intellectual disabilities about the challenges and benefits to accessing EAT
  • Raise awareness of aspects of agency, autonomy, and communication that can inform EAT development and practice
  • Share ideas about how the rapid advancement in technology can offer opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities
  • Emphasise the importance of people being able to explore technology in order for EAT to evolve to meet their use and/or needs
  • Identify novel EAT goals for people with intellectual disability and consider the role of technology in achieving these
  • Influence a shift in practice with this cohort of people – moving beyond traditional EAT concepts

9.30

Registration

10.00 – 10.10

Introduction to day Zoë Clarke

10.10 – 10.50

Then and now – the technology journey for people with intellectual disabilities Annalu Waller

10.50 – 11.30

Personhood and agency– rethinking the role of assistive technology from a person-centred perspective Ben Simmons

11.30 – 11.50

Break

11.50 – 12.10

Technology developments – novel and emerging technologies and the potentials for people with intellectual disabilities Tom Griffiths,

Katherine Broomfield

and Zoë Clarke

12.10 – 12.45

Personal experiences and perspectives of ID and technology Ruth Williams

and collaborators

12.45 – 13.45

Lunch

13.45 – 14.15

Interaction and interdependence: shifting away from function and independence based goals Jill Bradshaw

14.15 – 14.55

Workshop 1 : New roles for technology and areas for developments

Katherine Broomfield

and Ruth Williams

14.55 – 15.00

Break

15.00 – 15.45

Workshop 2: How do we influence local decision making in this area? Sally Darley

and Zoë Clarke

15.45 – 16.00

Next steps & Close

Zoë Clarke and

Katherine Broomfield

Date: Friday 21st November 2025

Venue: Irwin Mitchell Offices, Temple, London, EC4Y 0AY

Start: 10.00am (registration at 9.30am)
Finish: 4.00pm

Attendance:

  • £100 for non-members
  • £90 for members
  • £75 for AAC users/PAs/family members.

Lunch and refreshments included

2022 Study Day

Becoming an Aided Communicator (BAC) Study Day – 21 June 2022

The proceedings of the Becoming an Aided Communicator (BAC) Study Day, which took place on 21st June 2022, are now available to purchase in a digital booklet. The booklet is available to anyone with an interest in language development and AAC. The Study Day focused on the language and communication opportunities of children and young people who are learning language using aided communication.

This large summary document (PDF format) includes abstracts, discussion commentary, bibliography, biographies, and a list of existing publications (total 94 pages). It costs £15.00, with all proceeds going to Communication Matters charity. Our sincere thanks to the BAC team for their contribution. You can buy the booklet online below and a link will be emailed to you.

For an Easy Read text only version of this page:

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