The future of Assistive Technology in education and employment

Business Disability Forum responded to a call for evidence from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Assistive Technology (AT) in September 2020. Our submission includes the following:

• Section 1: The impact of assistive technology and the keys systemic problem.
• Section 2: What assistive technology does for users
• Section 3: From higher education to employment: The experience of graduates
• Section 4: The “long, hard fight” to get DSA in education and ATW in employment
• Section 5: Needing to be “forthright” when moving into employment
• Section 6: Transitions from education to employment: Preparing graduates for professional life in law and auditing sectors
• Section 7: Challenges in the workplace: Employee experiences
• Section 8: Employers’ experiences and interventions: Embedding an “assistive technology enabled culture”
• Section 9: From legal duty to business sense: Productivity as a driver
• Section 10: The future provision and development of assistive technology
• Section 11: The challenge of data protection and security
• Section 12: How the Government can support the future provision of assistive technology and inclusive IT
• Section 13: EU regulations on the accessibility of public sector websites and apps
• Section 14: Access to work: The employee experience
• Section 15: Access to Work: Employers’ experience and observations
• Section 16: Improving the Access to work process
• Section 17: Work settings and adjustments provisions influenced by Covid-19
• Section 18: Additional information on the impact of Covid-19 on disabled people and employer practices
• Section 19: From provision of AT as ‘a privilege’ to a ‘lifelong provision’ model
• Section 20: A whole society approach to assistive technology.

Thank you to the business leaders, AT users, diversity and workplace adjustments leaders, and technology specialists we spoke to to inform this submission.