Jane, can I start with you, uh, by, uh, you know, simply asking what exactly is the Professional Association of Assistive Technologists? And, you know, why was 2026 the right moment to create this professional body?

In a nutshell, the Professional Association of Assistive Technologists is, um, an association that's been set up by assistive technologists for assistive technologists.

Um, why 2026? Um, well, assistive technology and assistive technologists have sort of been around since the 1970s, as soon as, you know, the early computers were developed and designed.

Um, but, um, across those decades, uh, those people in those roles have really struggled to get recognition, um, that what they're doing is skilled, is professional, and has a serious set of, um, valued, um, competencies.

Um, so there's been kind of groundswell for a while that we needed a professional association, and the time seemed right.

Um, so a couple of years ago, tutors and students at Dundee University, where there's a master's in educational assistive technology, were discussing exactly that.

You know, we need professionalization, we need, um, increased status, increased recognition.

You know, whether someone is, you know, a frontline social care worker maybe or a tech industry director, what does holding this new kind of form of accreditation actually signal to their employers or in fact the people they support?