About ASSISTID
The ASSISTID researchers are a multidisciplinary group of psychologists, speech and language therapists, computer scientists, architects, entrepeneurs and engineers who are using their skills to change practice and perceptions around assistive technology for people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism.
Our aim is to...
- Establish ASSISTID as the first multi-disciplinary, inter-sectorial research and training programme focusing on evidence based research into technology for intellectual disability and/or autism.
- Train up to 40 postdoctoral researchers to become leaders in academia, industry or disability services with particular skills in assistive technology.
- Ensure our researchers acquire a deep understanding of the nature of intellectual disability and autism and how the needs of individuals influence the successful uptake of assistive technology.
- Develop new technology, assess or adapt existing technology, develop new assessment tools and guidelines.
- Understand the practical, societal and environmental factors which can act as facilitators or barriers to the uptake of technology by people with ID or autism.
- Disseminate research findings and produce a body of evidence to inform disability policy and practice.
- Raise awareness of the potential of technology as a tool to support independent living and enable choice.
Read more about the ASSISTID projects currently underway here.
ASSISTID is about many things; the development of new technology, the assessment or adaptation of existing technology, training future leaders in disability research and services, gathering information about current use of AT and barriers which people face when attempting to access or use AT, raising awareness of the potential which AT has to transform lives.
The ASSISTID programme will fund up to 40 post-doctoral Fellows and is co-funded by the European Commission and the charity RESPECT. ASSISTID is coordinated by RESPECT's research institute DOCTRID (www.doctrid.ie) which is a network of researchers, service providers and industry partners who are dedicated to ground breaking research and training to improve the lives of people with ID and/or autism. Read more about DOCTRID here
