Conference to highlight giving young people a voice through cutting-edge technology
By Ellise Hollie Hayward, Jill Dando News Disabilities Correspondent
A conference on June 6th at Charlton Athletic Football Club in London will further promote giving young people a voice through cutting-edge technology.
The event will be hosted by LONDON - CENMAC, a small specialist team in the Greater London Area.
The organisation is making a big impact by helping around 900 children and young people with special educational needs access the curriculum and communicate through assistive technology (AT) and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
For students who don't communicate verbally, CENMAC provides innovative AT devices like eye-gaze technology that tracks eye movements to allow typing and vocalization.
Consultant Abdi Omar, who has cerebral palsy, is a role model demonstrating how these tools can empower non-verbal individuals.
"Just imagine how frustrated you would feel if you could understand conversations but couldn't respond," said Omar. "These devices give students a voice."
Each year, CENMAC hosts Communication Works, a celebratory event where students showcase their AT skills.
The 2024 event on June 6th at Charlton Athletic Football Club will feature keynote speaker Ellise Hayward, an inspirational presenter with cerebral palsy who controls presentations through eye gaze.
Ellise is the Good News Post and Jill Dando News Disability Correspondent and recently also did a keynote speech in front of Mr Speaker in Westminster.
Student ambassador Khamani, now a film and TV student aspiring to media presenting, has already put his AAC skills to use by interviewing Hayward. He will join her onstage at Communication Works.
"It's important these children are given a voice," said a CENMAC spokesperson.
"Our teams hope seeing real-world examples like Abdi, Ellise and Khamani will motivate more students to embrace these empowering technologies."
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