Announcement of a new Assistive and Accessible Technology Policy Lab

Designing policy to make technology work for each and every one of us, throughout our lives – a new venture from Policy Connect, Bournemouth University and the Ace Centre. Today, a new Assistive and Accessible Technology (ATech) Policy Lab will be announced at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology. Minister for Disabled People Chloe Smith MP and parliamentarian Paul Maynard MP will lead the launch. Rapid digitalisation in response to the pandemic has brought more and more of our daily lives online, including our workplaces, shopping and public services. There is now an urgent need to make sure that technology allows everyone to participate fully in our increasingly online society. Not all digital devices, hardware and software are user-friendly for each and every one of us. Accessibility needs to be designed into technology from the start. This is why cross-party think tank Policy Connect is today announcing the launch of an ATech Policy Lab, designing public policy so technology works for everyone. When done correctly, tech can be life-changing for older and disabled people, enabling people to live healthy, rewarding and independent lives.