The concept of Assistive Technology is moving away from adopting the most appropriate devices to overcome the limitations of users, to the designing and setting up of total environments in which people can live, supported by suitable services and additional support devices integrated within the environment. These two perspectives are deeply intertwined, both from technological and social points of view, and the relationship between them currently represent the primary challenge for the field of Assistive Technology. This publication covers the proceedings of the 10th European Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (http://www.aaate.net), the organisation which stimulates the advancement of assistive technology for the benefit of people with disabilities, including elderly people. This conference seeks to bridge the gap between these two complementary approaches, providing an opportunity to clarify differences and common points, and better define future direction. Topics covered by the conference include: technological innovation in assistive technology; the need for multidisciplinary approaches; equipment interconnectivity and compatibility; cultural aspects and the acceptance of different approaches; and the role of Europe in building inclusion competence worldwide. Disability results not only from a person’s intrinsic attributes but also from the context in which they live. This publication is a significant contribution to the advancement of inclusion for people living with a disability everywhere.

Volume numbers determined from Scope of the guidelines, p. 12-13.

The concept of assistive technology is moving away from adopting the most appropriate devices to overcome the limitations of users, to the designing and setting up of total environments in which people can live, supported by suitable services and additional support devices integrated within the environment. These two perspectives are deeply intertwined, both from technological and social points of view, and the relationship between them currently represent the primary challenge for the field of assistive technology. This publication covers the proceedings of the 10th European Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE), the organization which stimulates the advancement of assistive technology for the benefit of people with disabilities, including elderly people. This conference seeks to bridge the gap between these two complementary approaches, providing an opportunity to clarify differences and common points and to better define future direction. This publication is a significant contribution to the advancement of inclusion for people living with a disability everywhere.

The future of disability in America will depend on how well the U.S. prepares for and manages the demographic, fiscal, and technological developments that will unfold during the next two to three decades. Building upon two prior studies from the Institute of Medicine (the 1991 Institute of Medicine's report Disability in America and the 1997 report Enabling America), The Future of Disability in America examines both progress and concerns about continuing barriers that limit the independence, productivity, and participation in community life of people with disabilities. This book offers a comprehensive look at a wide range of issues, including the prevalence of disability across the lifespan; disability trends the role of assistive technology; barriers posed by health care and other facilities with inaccessible buildings, equipment, and information formats; the needs of young people moving from pediatric to adult health care and of adults experiencing premature aging and secondary health problems; selected issues in health care financing (e.g., risk adjusting payments to health plans, coverage of assistive technology); and the organizing and financing of disability-related research. The Future of Disability in America is an assessment of both principles and scientific evidence for disability policies and services. This book's recommendations propose steps to eliminate barriers and strengthen the evidence base for future public and private actions to reduce the impact of disability on individuals, families, and society.

Caring about others and the future is part of what makes us human, and it can be argued that improving the lives of people with disabilities improves the lives of all human beings. Most of what we do as a society for people with disabilities also improves life for others, and if we consider a person’s entire life, a disability of some kind will affect almost everybody at some point. This book, Assistive Technology: Shaping a Sustainable and Inclusive World, presents the proceedings of AAATE 2023, the 17th International Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe, held in Aubervilliers, France, from 30 August to 1 September 2023. For over 30 years, the biennial AAATE conference has focused on research aimed at improving the lives of people with a disability, and has become one of the main platforms for all stakeholders in the field. A total of 123 papers were submitted in the category intended for publication in these conference proceedings, and after a rigorous process involving review by at least three international reviewers, 74 were selected for inclusion here. Topics covered include service delivery of AT; AT for various groups such as older adults, children, and those with cognitive disabilities; mobility; privacy and security issues; and AT to promote inclusion and facilitate participation in education, culture, and work. Providing a comprehensive and current overview, the book will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, manufacturers, decision-makers and providers, users of AT, and anyone else working in the field.

Inclusive Design: What's in It for Me? presents a comprehensive review of current practice in inclusive design. With emphasis on new ideas for improvement and arguments for wider implementation in future, a unique combination of leading opinions on inclusive design from both industry and academia are offered. The theme throughout encourages a positive view of inclusive design as a good and profitable process and to produce a change to more effective approaches to "design for all". Inclusive Design is composed of two parts with a common chapter structure so that the business and design arguments in favour of inclusive design can be easily compared and assimilated: The Business Case presents the industrial and management benefits of inclusive design. It concentrates on demographic, legal and ethical reasons for all businesses being better off taking inclusivity into account in the design of their products or services. Case histories demonstrating the commercial success of inclusive design are drawn from the experiences of companies such as Tesco, Fiat and The Royal Mail. The Designers' Case focuses on the factors a designer needs to take into account when dealing with inclusivity. "Who is going to use my design?" "What do they need from my design?" "How do I take any medical needs into account?" "Just how "inclusive" is my design?" are all questions answered in this section which presents the necessary tools for effective inclusive design. This part of the book aims to convince a designer that inclusive design is a realistic goal. Inclusive Design will appeal to designers, researchers and students and to managers making decisions about the research and design strategies of their companies.

Assistive Technology (AT) is an umbrella term indicating any product or technology-based service that enables people of all ages with activity limitations in their daily life, education, work or leisure. It is a highly interdisciplinary field, encompassing research, development, manufacture, supply, provision and policy. This book presents the proceedings of the 12th biennial European conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe, AAATE 2013, held in Vilamoura, Portugal, in September 2013. The full papers included here cover a diverse range of subjects, including: ageing, disability and technology; accessibility in Europe; ambient assisted living; AT and Cloud computing; communication access for all; monitoring and telecare; and user perspective, to name but a few. The aim of the AAATE conference is to promote a more effective dialogue between manufacturers, researchers, developers, professionals and end users, and this book will be of interest to all those directly or indirectly involved in the field of AT.