FOUNDATION FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

The Foundation for Assistive Technology was founded in 1998 to tackle the inadequate design of assistive technology products and services. The failure to develop a thriving market in equipment that meets the real needs of disabled and older people is a major barrier to independent living. With limited resources, FAST’s strategy for achieving maximum impact is to work at a national, strategic level to highlight the complex causes of this failed market and to bring the sector together to find innovative ways of working, in partnership with disabled and older people.

FAST achieves its objectives by: Working directly with academic researchers, industry, service providers, policy makers and voluntary sector organisations to raise awareness of the crucial importance of equipment to achieve independence Documenting all of the current UK activity to research and design assistive technology, to reduce duplication and to highlight innovative and relevant product development Working with the sector on national level projects to focus efforts on producing commercial products that are appealing and useful to disabled and older people Providing expert analysis of research and development trends and service provision challenges Providing a central hub for the sector to review and provide action plans on promoting good practice and to address cross-sector barriers to delivering good services Working with the research and design community to enable end users to play a full role in the design of assistive technologies. There are 11 million disabled people in Britain many of whom use assistive technology to lead independent lives. Assistive technology includes equipment for daily living, such as bath hoists, stair lifts, hearing and communication aids and systems such as smart homes and accessible transport. There is an urgent need to improve assistive technology services. Advances in healthcare have led to the survival of children born with complex impairments and at the same time the population of England is ageing. In the next 20 years, the number of people 85 and over in England will increase by two-thirds, compared with a 10 per cent growth in the population as a whole. Failing health, the progression of long-term conditions and disease and frailty can all limit people from living their normal lives and make them dependent on the care of others. FAST believes that there are a number of factors that are limiting the uptake of new assistive technologies in the UK.