Bournemouth University has developed an innovative smartphone application which has the potential to revolutionise how schools and charities assess the assistive technology (AT) requirements of children with special educational needs and disabilities.  

The application, entitled AT4SEND (Assistive Technology for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), has been developed by Dr Paul Whittington using his own experiences of living with cerebral palsy. It provides a number of benefits not currently available and will significantly reduce the amount of time and money spent by schools on manual AT assessments, as well as the potentially expensive purchase of unsuitable kit. 

We have a working prototype of the app but funding is now needed for a comprehensive testing programme which, once completed, will enable a full rollout of AT4SEND to schools and charities. Having so far raised £10,000, we need to secure a further £15,100 to fully fund the testing phase of this incredibly worthwhile project.   

Dr Whittington will lead on the testing and evaluation work and will implement all necessary changes. His work has featured on BBC South as well as in The Sunday Times, Auto Express, Bournemouth Echo and The Ergonomist, and he has also recently been awarded a British Assistive Technology Scholarship. You can find out more about his important work in this video:

For further information on AT4SEND, please contact Jonathan Goode, Head of Fundraising & Alumni Relations, via [email protected]