18th International Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe
European University Cyprus, Nicosia, September 10-12, 2025

Introduction

The 18th AAATE conference celebrated thirty years of assistive technology advancement, bringing together 350 delegates from 43 countries. The event featured 224 research submissions and comprehensive inclusion forum sessions covering policy, education, and innovation. Under the theme “Technology for Inclusion and Participation for All: Recent Achievements and Future Directions,” the conference addressed rapid developments in artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital health solutions.

Rights-Based Approaches to Technology

Kamil Goungor from the European Network on Independent Living positioned assistive technology as justice rather than charity, emphasizing independent living as a human right requiring full control over life decisions. His framework outlined twelve pillars including accessibility, transport, and technical aids, using Stephen Hawking’s trajectory to illustrate how appropriate technological support transforms life possibilities.

Professor Serenella Besio’s keynote established children’s rights to play, examining how assistive technologies support this fundamental need through toys, tools, and social interactions. Both presentations emphasized that technology development must address the full spectrum of human experiences beyond basic functionality.

Artificial Intelligence and Care Ecosystems

The conference revealed significant momentum around AI applications in education and care settings. Research from the AI4HomeCare project, in which AAATE is a partner, demonstrated that while stakeholders recognize AI’s potential for workload reduction and safety monitoring, substantial concerns exist regarding human connection preservation, technological reliability, and privacy protection.

A critical paradox emerged: successful AI integration depends heavily on human competencies that are often underdeveloped. Multiple presentations emphasized the need for comprehensive training programs addressing both technical skills and critical thinking about appropriate AI use. Discussions consistently emphasized human-centered approaches where AI enhances rather than replaces human capabilities.

Results from a large-scale EU project highlighted evolving skill requirements in long-term care sectors, revealing consistent challenges including staff shortages, financial constraints, and digitalization pressures across European countries. Research on informal caregivers showed limited technology adoption beyond basic tools, with digital literacy and financial constraints as primary barriers.

Innovation in Mobility and Educational Technology

Mobility research demonstrated advances in wheelchair technologies including steering-by-leaning systems and AI-powered navigation assistance, while emphasizing user-centered design and real-world testing. The conference highlighted growing attention to broader mobility ecosystems including infrastructure considerations and policy frameworks.

Robotics research covered nursing assistance, rehabilitation support, and educational interventions, consistently emphasizing collaborative rather than replacement models. Educational sessions examined Universal Design for Learning approaches enhanced by AI, revealing gaps between educational institution readiness and urgent practice needs.

Research on outcome measurement frameworks reflected growing emphasis on evidence-based practice, with presentations examining user satisfaction assessments, health economic evaluations, and participatory evaluation approaches that prioritize user perspectives over purely technical metrics.

Global Perspectives and Sustainability

Policy sessions examined assistive technology provision vulnerability during crises, with the “Vulnerability Vs Sustainability” session highlighting tensions between charitable short-term solutions and sustainable infrastructure development. Discussions emphasized moving from donor-driven models to user-driven approaches that prioritize local needs and capabilities.

The conference featured significant attention to capacity building in non-high-income countries through diverse projects and initiatives in Serbia, Malawi, and other regions. Research demonstrated successful models for local manufacturing, professional development, and culturally appropriate service delivery.

The WHO Global Roadmap for Access to AT featured prominently, with discussions examining how regional AT organizations can contribute to global advancement while addressing local priorities. This multi-level approach reflected growing recognition of complex policy ecosystems required for sustainable development.

Another kind of vulnerability was identified by the SEURO project, another project in which AAATE is a partner, that evaluated key factors to prepare organisations, localities and regions across the EU to scale, sustain and transfer people-centred digital integrated health and social care solution for multiple disease management (multimorbidity). Major barriers to its uptake are the fragmented research to market pipelines and lack of scale-up support, which could be helped through sustainable regulatory planning. 

Conclusions and Future Directions

The conference revealed converging themes emphasizing rights-based approaches, human-centered design, and participatory development across all domains. The emphasis on “Nothing Without Us” principles appeared consistently from AI development to policy formation, suggesting maturation toward user-driven rather than technology-driven approaches.

Persistent challenges included funding limitations, digital literacy gaps, and professional development needs. However, the conference demonstrated innovative solutions maintaining focus on user rights and social justice principles. The integration of technical innovation with broader questions of social inclusion suggests promising directions for addressing aging populations, healthcare pressures, and digital equity challenges.

The AAATE 2025 conference demonstrated both significant progress over thirty years and substantial opportunities ahead. The convergence of technological capability with rights-based frameworks and user-centered design principles positions the field to contribute meaningfully to major social challenges while maintaining focus on fundamental human values and inclusion.