Tech Fair for Learning Disability Week in Scotland

Folk with learning disabilities are helping to showcase the digital devices which benefit their lives during a week-long public event in Aberdeen city centre.

Scottish Learning Disability Week is being marked in the city all this week when service providers and the people they support are in Aberdeen City Vaccination Centre to show some of the new technologies which help day-to-day living.

They will be at the Bon Accord Centre each day –10am-2pm until Fri – to demonstrate the connective benefits of new tech.

We are proud to join the event alongside Bon Accord Care, Aberdeen Digital Hub, the Aberdeen City Council-based Technology Enabled Care (TEC) team, and third sector organisations Community Integrated Care, Specialist Resource Solutions, Create Aberdeen, Enable Scotland and Advocacy Service Aberdeen – along with Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership (ACHSCP) care management staff.

People with learning disabilities who benefit from a range of devices will be on hand each day to show what they are using.

Sarah Wight, Director of Development and Innovation at Affinity Trust said: "I’m delighted that the people we support in Aberdeen have taken this opportunity to show others how technology gives them greater independence and autonomy.

“The combination of dedicated support staff and cutting-edge technology really gives people the freedom to live their life their way, whether that’s attending college, finding a job or pursuing hobbies and community interests that matter to them.

“As a bit of a tech geek myself, I am loving learning more about assistive technology from the people we support, and seeing firsthand the difference it makes to their lives. This is a really exciting aspect of delivering a truly person-centred service, and I am really proud of the way we embrace technology at Affinity Trust to enhance in-person support.”

The week of events at the vaccination centre will include specially produced storyboards capturing peoples’ journeys with some of the new technologies which have recently come on stream and how they have developed new skills, confidence and connections by using them. There will also be videos of people using some of the devices, along with speech bubbles and other visual aids celebrating people’s experiences.

Several providers will showcase the TEC platforms they use to help those they support to be included in their support planning. Also on display will be devices which can help with safety outside the home, prompts and reminders, fall prevention, smoke and noxious gas detection, reducing the risk of intruders and seeking emergency assistance.

Part of the vaccination centre will be turned into “a room in your hoose” to demonstrate how TEC gadgets can support independence in the home.

Members of the public are welcome to drop in during the week to find out more about how the learning disability community is getting more and more connected.