Organisers
AAATE
The Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) is a non profit membership organisation and its aim is to advance the knowledge on assistive technology in all its forms and, more in general, to enhance the role technology can have in enabling citizens with functional restrictions to be active, to participate in all realms of life and to have a higher quality of life. The association has institutional and single members in almost all European countries and is part of various international collaboration frameworks, such as the Global Alliance of AT professional organisations (GAATO) and the ENTELIS Network (together with other European umbrella organisations). The association organises every two years, since 1990, a major international conference on Assistive Technology and publishes the journal Technology and Disability.
Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) website
European University Cyprus (EUC)
European University Cyprus (EUC) was founded in 2007 and developed out of Cyprus College, which was established in 1961. Today, EUC operates six Schools, namely, the School of Business Administration, School of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences, School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Dentistry and the School of Sciences, with the mission to educate students for successful careers and life achievement, to understand and serve the needs of society, and to create knowledge through research and innovation.
The University places strong emphasis on linking teaching with research and carrying out public outreach activities, aiming at increasing the interest of young people and the wider public in scientific endeavors. The research activity of the university, as measured by its success in securing external research funding and authoring quality journal publications, has increased significantly in the last decade.
EUC has an extensive portfolio of research and innovation projects, funded by the European Commission (e.g., Horizon Europe, Horizon2020, Erasmus+, Directorates-General), the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, the Max Planck Institute, the European Space Agency, and other governmental bodies and private organisations. Research activity is primarily carried out by a number of research centers, laboratories, and other specialized units such as clinics and innovation centers. In 2017, the University was awarded the ‘HR Excellence in Research’ logo by the European Commission, which identifies the institutions and organisations that provide and support a stimulating and favourable working environment for researchers.
One of the research centres of EUC is the Centre of Excellence in Research & Innovation in Social Sciences the Arts and the Humanities SoScieAtH, members of which will be involved in the local organisation committee of the Conference. The MRU2 (Assistive Technology, Disabilities and Inclusive Education Research Unit) of the centre holds a multidisciplinary expertise of technology and disability, accessibility, and inclusion through the development and implementation of innovative and effective approaches to research, to education, to rehabilitation and to every-day life with the use of assistive technology for people with disabilities of all ages.
Researchers of the Unit come mostly from the Departments of Education Sciences and Humanities and the Department of Health Sciences (BA in Occupational Therapy), with an established tradition in inclusion and technology, and projects on sexting, safety on the internet and the use of digital games. In addition, masters and bachelors degrees offered by the department of Education Sciences focus on knowledge in the field of educational, political, philosophical and theoretical aspects of inclusive education, as well as knowledge and skills for the identification, evaluation and effective education of children and youth in vulnerable groups with the use of assistive and accessible technology.