KPT, Keeping Pace with Technology, is an international project providing guidance for the training of professionals working with people using assistive technology.

Background

Assistive technology (AT) supporting people with communication and physical impairments is developing rapidly. Those professionals advising and supporting this group, such as teachers, health care and social service professionals, initially receive only limited specialist training in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Updated and more advanced Continual Professional Development is delivered through a variety of channels including AT Centres, Universities, employers, professional bodies and independent trainers. The existing provision and practices of training vary across different regions in Europe. The project will research how and what training is currently available and advise on the future provision of training.

Aims

This collaborative European Commission project aims to enable people with disabilities to benefit from available technology, specifically to direct and support the provision of AT education and life-long training of professionals.

Objectives

The project proposes to identify AT input to the initial and continuing training of professionals at Universities, AT Centres and in the public/private sector in four European regions. This review will be augmented by a comparison of social inclusion policy in these regions. The project will then undertake a training needs analysis for each of the target groups of professionals. Expected outcomes areGuidelines for the development of AT education and training and examples of training units that meet these guidelines.

Beneficiaries

AT Centres, Universities, Employers of AT professionals and private trainers will all be able to benefit from the training guidelines developed from best practice.

AT professionals will benefit from the opportunity of improved education and training.

Users of assistive technology will benefit from a more knowledgeable and appropriately trained range of professionals with a better understanding of user needs and current technology.

Publications

• Guidelines for Lifelong Learning in Assistive Technology – Communication, Computer Access and Environmental Control. Ann Gresswell and Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf, KPT Project Consortium, 2007
• Template for the Design of a Learning Programme, KPT Project Consortium, 2007
• Alternatives to Formal Education/Training for Continuing Professional Development in the Filed of Assistive Technology. Ann Gresswell, Andrew Lysley, Stephen Druce, AAATE 2005 Conference, Lille, France 6-9 September 2005

Sponsors

This 30 month pilot project is partially supported by the European Commission through the Leonardo da Vinci vocational training action programme.

Additional support for the ACE Centre involvement is provided by the Gatsby Foundation.

Partners

This is a collaborative project with a total of 12 partners from 4 European regions: UK (Greater London); Belgium, Italy and Ireland. The project is coordinated by AIAS Ausiloteca , Bologna, Italy.

The project partners are:

UK

• ACE Centre Advisory Trust
• University College London

Belgium

• Catholic University of Leuven, Dept. of Neurosciences and Psychiatry
• MODEM Communication and Computer Centre, Wilrijk

Italy

• AIAS Ausioteca, Bologna
• Associazione GLIC, Bologna
• La Nostra Familglia, Parini
• Forum Nazionale per la Riabilitazione, Rome
• Azienda USL Bologna
• University of Bologna

Ireland

• Central Remedial Clinic, Dublin
• National Disability Authority, Dublin

Time Scale

2004- 2007