AAATE position paper: A 2003 view on Technology and Disability

This document presents an official view of AAATE (Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe) on the current situation of research, development and availability of assistive technologies. It points out priority areas for the various stakeholders involved in the assistive technology domain, such as policy makers, funding agencies, researchers, industry, public service delivery systems. It also discusses the new challenges put by today’s quick pace of technology innovation, whose impact on the people’s lifestyle may even require a re-definition of the concept of assistive technology. The document is divided into 6 chapters: 1) Introduction 2) Role and relevance of Assistive Technology 3) Priority areas within the assistive technology domain 4) New challenges ahead 5) A key player: industry and 6) AAATE in brief. AAATE is the European interdisciplinary Scientific Society specifically focused on assistive technologies.