In addition to the fantastic training package running on the first morning of the conference, the RAATE team are pleased to announce a parallel workshop on Outcome Measures. This workshop will be led by a number of well renowned international researchers.

This workshop is now available for RAATE delegates to choose as an alternative to the  training sessions on day one of the programme. To attend please indicate this as your training choice for day one on the registration form. Please note spaces are limited and we are anticipating a high attendance for this workshop so early registration is recommended.

Dr Branko Celler is announced as the new Keynote speaker for RAATE 2007 - Branko will open the conference on the 26th November. Branko is the Director of the Biomedical Systems Laboratory and the Laboratory of Health Telematics at the University of New South Wales and is known as a key instigator of Telecare technologies.

Dr Celler’s talk will be titled “Making telehealth work. Managing chronic disease in the home and the community.” and will allow the RAATE UK audience to learn from Dr Celler’s experience in the Telecare and Telehealth field.

In combination with the other, already announced, keynote - Dr Jeff Jutai - this provides a compelling reason for anyone involved in Assistive Technology to come to RAATE 2007.  Anyone needing more reasons just needs to check out the, now published, programme - packed full of interesting and topical papers (not to mention the training courses and workshops!).

This new peer-reviewed journal provides a user focus on current and enabling technologies, telecare and e-inclusion in health and social care. The Journal of Assistive Technology (JAT) and RAATE are collaborating this year and as a result, selected papers accepted to RAATE 2007 will be submitted to JAT.

About JAT:
Articles focus on how people use assistive and enabling technologies, rather than solely on the technology itself, and raise the awareness of available technologies. It debates definitions and concepts and addresses ethics, policy, legislation and issues for day-to-day practice.

The Journal brings together the people who use assistive technologies and the people who write about and research its use.

Published: March, June, September, December.

• JAT Flyer - information on the journal
• For further information and to subscribe visit: www.pavpub.com/jatflyer.

RAATE is pleased to announce this year’s keynote speaker - Dr Jeff Jutai. Jeff is probably best known for developing the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) outcome measure.

RAATE is pleased to be able to invite Jeff, from London, Canada to speak at RAATE and I am sure this will be a valuable opportunity for Assistive Technology practitioners in the UK to meet Jeff and find out about his work.

This invitation has been made possible through this year’s collaboration with the ACT programme.

This year’s exhibition will be open to the public - a great opportunity for people wanting to find out more about Assisitive Technology (e.g. users, therapists, teachers etc) who might not want to attend the full conference.

This also provides a great opportunity for companies who want to reach a wide market of people using and interested in using Assisitive Technology.

• Book to come to the exhibition
• More information on exhibiting at RAATE 2007.

Another prestigious co-sponsor has been confirmed - meaning that RAATE 2007 is now supported by the two main engineering institutions in the UK, in addition to this year’s collaboration with the innovative and ground breaking ACT project. The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) is the largest professional engineering society in Europe and represents the profession of electrical, electronic, manufacturing and systems engineering and related sciences.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers Medical Division have approved the RAATE conference for co-sponsorship and recommendation to their members.

• IMechE
• IMechE Medical Engineering Division

This year RAATE is collaborating with the Advanced Care Technologies (ACT) Programme.

South Yorkshire has one of the largest clusters of medical device manufacturers in the UK, with 8% of all UK companies. However, the region’s businesses lag behind the rest of Europe in terms of research and development investment, and this is holding back the region’s economic renewal.
The £1.9 million pound ACT Programme is supported and part-funded by the European Union Objective 1 regional development fund and aims to stimulate the ATT industry in South Yorkshire to help establish it as a lead region in products and expertise.

Jointly conceived by Professor Tony Warnes of SISA, University of Sheffield, and Professor Mark Hawley, Director of R&D and of Clinical Engineering and Medical Physics at Barnsley NHS Foundation Trust. Working alongside ten collaborative partner organisations, from manufacturers and suppliers of ATT, to care-home providers and older people’s advocacy organisations; The programme aims to promote interaction and partnerships between organisations in the region that develop, manufacture, provide and use assistive and telecare technologies (ATT), to support people with mobility or activity limitations.

This exciting collaboration means a change of venue, to Sheffield, and the opportunity to bring together even more different aspects of the Assistive Technology world.