Contributor(s)

Siobhan Long, Co-Founder of FreedomTech / Enable Ireland, Ireland

Sarah Gavra Boland, FreedomTech / St John of God Liffey Services, Ireland

Description

CHAT (Community Hub for Accessible Technology) is Ireland’s established Community of Practice: a multi-stakeholder platform for advancing inclusive assistive technology (AT) dialogue, policy, and practice. Fostered and developed through the FreedomTech initiative, a partnership between Enable Ireland and the Disability Federation of Ireland, CHAT brings AT users, service providers, researchers, policymakers, and technology innovators together to shape a more equitable and coordinated national AT ecosystem.

Since 2018, CHAT has hosted 26 national events, offering:

• A trusted space where AT users are invited to share their lived experiences of how AT impacts their lives, often including practical hacks and creative solutions many wouldn’t discover on their own
• Open conversations exploring barriers and opportunities in the AT ecosystem
• CREATE project showcases, providing visibility and shared learning from HSE-funded AT project pilots
• Strategic collaboration with WHO, HSE, DPOs, and global AT leaders
• The co-development of impactful tools like the AT Passport and a National AT Training Network

CHAT’s model is rooted in inclusion, trust, and learning. It continues to grow and adapt, welcoming new stakeholders and building connections across sectors to ensure that lived experience, evidence, and innovation are integrated into AT development.

Presenter(s)

Siobhan Long, Sarah Gavra Boland

(Optional: CREATE a pilot participant or an AT user representative)