Despite the wind & rain, there were 16 of us at the Folkestone meeting on Saturday.
After welcoming people I told them about our plans for a Spring Lunch & handed out the invitations.? Everyone was positive & mentioned bringing along family members.
While we had tea, coffee & cake, Ladan Najafi, Clinical Specialist, Head of the ACAT? (Adult Communication & Assistive Technology Service) came to give information about her team & how they can support people with disabilities, their families, local therapists & local care teams to assess for & provide assistive devices in East Kent.
The ACAT team can provide solutions using IT that enable people with disabilities to become more independent at home, at work, in education & social situations.
- ?Augmentative & Alternative communication (AAC) enabling people who have difficulty with speech or who have no speech to communicate using technology.
- Computer access, for those who have difficulty using a standard keyboard or mouse; The team can provide alternative methods & devices to make computer easier to use.
- ?Training & Support for the user, their family, local therapists and local teams.
- ?For clients where integrated access/specialised controls has been identified as their method of access, the team may work with other organisations, such as the Wheelchair Service and/or Environmental Control Service to ensure their access needs are met.
After Ladan’s talk, people talked to each other, & time passed very quickly.
Following on from our support meeting, Ladan has offered to show me round the unit. I am looking forward to seeing the work that they do there and hope to be able to support her further by campaigning for her unit.