Hft

TATE [Through Assistive Technology to Employment] was a three‐year research project European funded through the second round of the Equal Communities Programme, which ended in December 2007. The project researched the use of existing and innovative technologies to remove or reduce barriers to accessing employment or independence for people with learning disabilities. The processes of the project and the involvement of the beneficiaries (adults with learning disabilities) in the research have been documented (Aspinall et al, 2007; Aspinall, 2007; Aspinall, 2008). This paper describes the outputs from the project.

National learning disability charity HFT is spearheading a major transnational European funded project titled TATE (Through Assistive Technology To Employment). This will research how electronic assistive technology (AT) can support independence for people with learning disabilities and their carers and enhance their employment prospects.

Parents of both children and adults with learning disabilities have an important role in the development of services. Professionals do not always make the best use of parent commitment and insights, or properly respond to their concerns. Yet there are examples of good parent/professional partnership, and successful individual and collective parent empowerment, particularly in the USA. This paper argues that there are opportunities to learn from these developments and to build a new model of partnership.