BATA Special Interest Groups

BATA runs several Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for its members to address specific challenges within the AT sector.

These groups are focused on specialist topic areas so that members can connect to share insights, knowledge and news, as well as initiative ideas and projects, focusing on the subjects that are important to them.

BATA members can join as many SIGs as they like and member organisations can nominate as many members of staff as they wish to join these groups.  

SIGs facilitate collaboration and networking with colleagues nationwide and beyond, to advance change in UK AT where it is needed and take their united voice to those who can affect change whether it be policy-makers or other high-level decision-makers.

A selection of images depicting networking, sharing ideas, and collaborating.

Workplace SIG

This special interest group is intended to inform, educate and empower BATA members with a professional interest in the application and adoption of AT within the workplace. 

This SIG will cover

  • best practice within the workplace

  • trends in workplace application of Assistive Tech

  • changes to funded schemes and workplace legislation around reasonable adjustments. 

  • the championing of accessibility & neurodiversity in the workplace

Image of Reeza Awoodun

Reeza Awoodun

Workplace SIG Chair

Image of Emma Wood

Emma Wood

Workplace SIG Vice Chair

Education SIG

This special interest group is intended to help promote the benefits of AT within education, to advocate for greater inclusion in education, to keep abreast of policy updates, share best practice and experience and foster links between AT companies and the education sector.

This SIG will cover

  • Sharing best practice and experience of using AT in education

  • Promoting the use of AT and its benefits in education

  • Policy updates concerning the use of AT in education

  • Networking

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Dr Susie Nyman

Education SIG Chair

Image of Mary Wilcox

Mary Wilcox

Education SIG Vice Chair

Suppliers SIG

This special interest group is intended to help commercial companies working in the AT Sector to network with peers, keep abreast of industry updates, share best practice and experience, and help to promote the benefits of AT to the UK market. 

This SIG will cover

  • Networking with peers

  • Industry updates and insight

  • Trade show insights

  • Promote the benefits of AT in education, workplace and for personal use

  • Collaboration with other SIGs

Image of Sam Cock

Sam Cock

Suppliers SIG Chair

Image of Joe Dawber

Joe Dawber

Suppliers SIG Vice Chair

DSA Community SIG

The primary purpose of the SIG is to support and advocate for students with disabilities in higher education in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance, by ensuring they have access to the necessary resources and accommodations to succeed academically and personally. Our focus is on enhancing the overall educational experience for these students.

This SIG will cover

  • Sharing best practice and experience 

  • Policy advocacy

  • Sector updates

  • Research

  • Professional Development

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Natasha Hardiman

DSA Community SIG Chair

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Thomas Jackson

DSA Community SIG Vice Chair

Research SIG

The intended role is to provide a forum for interested members to identify the need for, and to undertake practice and technology based research projects.  This group can also assist BATA with projects to gather more information around the use of AT to assist in BATA’s mission to promote the use of AT and share best practice.

AT users / disabled peoples’ experiences should be at the heart of new project scoping and identification, through a genuine co-design process leading to co-investigation with disabled people.

This SIG will cover

  • Identification of new or under researched areas of work.

  • Providing a forum for partners to come together around a project.

  • Undertaking project scoping or feasibility studies.

  • Applying for project specific funding to enable research projects to be sustainably undertaken.

  • Enabling knowledge sharing from the research initiatives are able to feed into BATA’s other work

  • Assisting with information gathering for BATA around the use, effectiveness of AT and attitudes towards AT

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Rohan Slaughter

Research SIG Chair

AAC SIG

The primary purpose of this SIG is to support and advocate for AAC users by ensuring they have access to the necessary resources and accommodations to succeed academically, at work and personally.  We aim to do this by bringing AAC providers together with disability practitioners to share best practice, raise awareness and influence policy.

This SIG will cover

  • Sharing best practice and experience 

  • Policy advocacy

  • Networking

  • Collaboration with other BATA SIGs to raise awareness and forge links with the AAC and AT community

Image of Tina Voizey

Tina Voizey

AAC SIG Chair

Global Trade SIG

  • The principles of the SIG will be to: 

    • Encourage the dissemination of exporting knowledge and experience amongst the SIG members - sharing successes and the challenges.

    • To invite guest speakers who can provide market intelligence on different regions, advise on routes to market, how to identify export opportunities and suggest export grant funding opportunities.

    • Build a working relationship with relevant contacts within the Department of Business and Trade.