Thank you to everybody who exhibited and attended our 3rd Getting AT Ready 2018 event at Napier University, with your involvement we created an exceptional day from start to finish.
For those who don’t already know, the annual Getting AT Ready event has been developed to provide disability professionals in Further and Higher Education (FE and HE) with an opportunity to discuss best practice, learn about new technologies and hear from the experts in the field. Our aim is to provide an environment that encourages discussion and the sharing of ideas between attendees and the various experts and exhibitors that attended the event.
We kicked the day off with a panel discussion which included our very own CEO Glenn Tookey, Monica Hoenigmann from Edinburgh College, Fiona Burns from the Scottish Funding Council, Mark Wilkinson from Edinburgh Napier University and Lorna Caldwell from SAAS.
In front of the audience of guests the panel discussed a number of key topics that are particularly poignant in the assistive technology sector. This included an update on the access and inclusion strategies for colleges, factors affecting the low retention of disabled students in University, mental health strategies, transitional best practice and the problems educational institutions face in terms of resource.
Following a short break for some tea and coffee, the attendees were encouraged to attend any of the 5 workshops we had running concurrently, both in the morning and the afternoon. This allowed the delegates the opportunity to hear from all participants. The exhibition was also part of the workshop line-up, providing an opportunity to speak to the publishers of the AT that was mentioned in the workshops, first hand.
We received some great feedback from this year’s guests such as Suzanne Halliday, learning support and lecturer at the City of Glasgow College:
“I really enjoyed the day from start to finish. It was a well organised event with a good mix of networking opportunities, up to date information on improvements to enhance the student journey, stimulating workshops and new AT technology to enquire about.
It is the first time at any event I have been able to have the transcript, which is useful to read over again and to share with colleagues who were unable to attend.
Finally, the lunch was delicious- what a treat! It was lovely to get a break from sandwiches and wraps and I am sure my energy levels were higher in the afternoon sessions as a consequence. Thanks all.“
The suppliers/exhibitors remained around their stalls for the day, providing an opportunity for those who weren’t taking part in the seminars to have a high quality one on one discussion. Too often these events are overcrowded or don’t provide ample time to see and talk to each of the exhibitors for a lengthy amount of time – at Getting AT Ready it has long been our aim to ensure that everyone has enough time to see and explore everything that is on offer.
A word from supplier and exhibitor Find My Flow on this year’s event:
“Team FindMyFlow had a brilliant time at AT Ready. It’s a such a well designed and well organised event that is relaxed, engaging and focused on the future. There was a great atmosphere which facilitates lots of interesting conversations, insights and ideas. As an exhibitor, we had so many takeaways from the day which help us to make our product and service even better.”
Thank you again to everyone attended what was a fantastic day in Edinburgh. We leave you with some words from our DSA Business Manager, Carolyne Smith:
“What a brilliant day! From the Panel discussion with SFC and SAAS, to the workshops and the delicious lunch, we couldn’t have been happier with the result. Working out how we can top this for next year will be no mean feat but we have some ideas up our sleeves so do keep your eyes posted on the website for further information. A big thank you must go out to the team at Napier for their help making this happen!! Looking forward to next year already!”
Website: http://www.atready.co.uk/
