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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Malta:20260424T080000
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SUMMARY:Smart Tools for Strong Lives Conference
DESCRIPTION:Artificial intelligence and innovative technologies are rapidly taking over every aspect of our lives. But can these inventions be a chance to increase inclusion and offer equal opportunities for persons with disabilities? \nIn this conference\, we bring together users\, professionals\, researchers\, and developers of assistive tools that are designed to help persons with disabilities. We want to discuss the future of assistive tools\, how they can help people with disabilities lead more independent lives\, and what problems and risks might be associated with them. \n  \n \n  \nJay Giddens\nJay Giddens has over 30 years of experience in sales and has spent the past 18 years working in education technology\, supporting schools\, colleges\, and universities with accessibility solutions. At ReadSpeaker\, he has helped make text-to-speech technology more widely available to students who need support with reading. \nGrowing up with dyslexia in the 1970s and 80s\, Jay Giddens experienced firsthand the challenges of being taught through traditional linear learning methods that did not work for everyone. This experience has shaped his passion for raising awareness of neurodiversity and promoting alternative ways of learning that allow more people to thrive. Through his speaking and podcast Thick No More\, Jay Giddens shares his personal journey and advocates for better understanding and support for those who learn differently. \n\n\n\n  \nHoracio Saggion\n \nHoracio Saggion is chair in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Department of Information & Communication Technologies\, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)\, Barcelona\, Spain. He was appointed by UPF in 2010 as a Ramón y Cajal research fellow from the Spanish Ministry of Science and he was promoted to full professor in 2021. Horacio is director of the TALN Natural Language Processing Group where he works in several areas of Natural Language Processing (NLP) automatic text summarization\, text simplification\, NLP for Sign Languages\, information extraction\, figurative language\, sentiment analysis and related topics.  His work combines symbolic and statistical techniques.  Since his arrival he has obtained funding to carry out his research from different national and international organizations Ministerio de Industria\, Turismo y Comercio (Proyecto Simplext 2010-2013)\, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad\, and the European Commission (FP7\, CIP\, H2020\, Horizon Europe).  He also collaborates with the industry through contracts\, projects and Doctoral PhDs. Horacio is the project coordinator of the Horizon Europe funded project iDEM – Innovative and Inclusive Democratic Spaces for Deliberation and Participation – and principal co-investigator in the AI-BOOST project  and principal investigator of IDEAL  inclusive Democratic Engagement and Language Technologies in Europe. \n\n  \nProf. Richard Mills\nDr Richard Mills is the Head of Research and Clinical Support and Associate Consultant\, AT-Autism\, London. He is also a Research Fellow in the dept of Psychology\, University of Bath\, and visiting Professor at Taisho University\, Tokyo\, Japan: Senior Research Fellow and visiting Scholar\, Bond University\, Queensland\, Australia. Dr Richard Mills holds other positions as a Consultant\, Autism Resource Centre (ARC) Singapore; Advisor: Government of Jersey CI: and as Research Associate\, Centre for Practice Innovation\, Scottish Autism and Consultant to the National Centre for Neurodiversity\, Scotland. He also has a long association and strong connection with Malta. In the early 1990’s he became an adviser to the Eden Foundation\, and in more recent years the Inspire Foundation\, where he chairs the Research and Innovation Council. He is an Editor of ‘Autism the International Journal of Research and Practice’ Sage\, and ‘Advances in Autism’ Emerald. He is a member of the Westminster Autism Commission and a trustee the John and Lorna Wing Foundation. For twenty-five years Richard was with the National Autistic Society\, London\, UK\, as Director of Services\, and later Director of Research\, a joint appointment with Research Autism\, London. His current research and practice interests are in programme and service evaluation\, autism and mental health\, forensic issues\, in particular cybercrime\, and in behaviours of concern- the Synergy programme. He is a lead on the SPELL framework programme in conjunction with the Tizard Centre at the University of Kent. He has authored numerous scientific articles. \n\n\n\n  \nBryom\nBryom is an AI-powered productivity and wellbeing platform designed especially for neurodivergent individuals\, including people with autism and ADHD. The platform helps users manage daily life\, tasks\, and emotional wellbeing through an adaptive AI assistant\, gamified systems\, and personalized tools. Bryom’s goal is to make everyday life more manageable and empowering by turning structure\, support\, and self-development into an engaging and accessible experience. \n \nAlexander Snellman – Co-Founder\nAlexander Snellman is a co-founder of Bryom and founder of Artificial Innovations Oy. He focuses on product vision\, AI-driven innovation\, and building technology that improves everyday life for neurodivergent individuals. Alexander is passionate about combining artificial intelligence\, design\, and psychology to create tools that help people manage tasks\, reduce overwhelm\, and unlock their potential. \nHenrik Snellman – Co-Founder\nHenrik Snellman is a co-founder of Bryom and works on strategic development and operations. He plays a key role in shaping the platform’s growth\, partnerships\, and long-term vision. Henrik focuses on building systems and partnerships that allow Bryom to scale internationally while staying aligned with its mission of supporting neurodivergent communities. \nJani Sundqvist – Co-Founder\nJani Sundqvist is a co-founder of Bryom and contributes to the technical development and architecture of the platform. He works on building the systems that power Bryom’s AI features and user experience. Jani is passionate about developing technology that provides practical support and meaningful improvements in everyday life. \n  \nDr Bryan Boyle\, “From Prompting to Participation: Designing LLM-Based/AI Powered Assistive Apps for Children Living with Chronic Conditions”\n \nDr. Bryan Boyle is a Lecturer and Program Director at the School of Clinical Therapies at University College Cork. A CORU-registered occupational therapist\, his work sits at the intersection of assistive technology\, technology design\, and artificial intelligence\, with a focus on enhancing participation and inclusion for people with disabilities. Dr. Boyle has a multidisciplinary background in occupational therapy and computer science\, and his research emphasises user-centred and participatory design approaches. He has particular expertise in the development and evaluation of assistive technologies for children and young people\, including those with neurodevelopmental conditions. Drawing upon a background in Assistive Technology service delivery both in Ireland and at the Mada Qatar Assistive Technology Centre\, his work explores the application of emerging technologies such as virtual reality\, smart devices\, and AI-enabled systems to support communication\, learning\, and independence. Dr. Boyle contributes to advancing inclusive and accessible technology design across health and educational contexts. \n  \n\n\n\n\n\nMs Milagros Costabel\n \nMilagros Costabel is a freelance journalist\, speaker\, and accessibility advocate. A recent graduate of Harvard University\, where she studied government with a focus on AI\, human cognition\, and the ethical dilemmas emerging technologies pose\, she is a Youth Advisory Board member for UN-Habitat and has written about assistive technology for the BBC\, Business Insider\, and Slate. Milagros is currently on a mission to visit 30+ countries with her guide dog\, Indio — exploring how AI and assistive technology are reshaping mobility\, independence\, and travel for blind people\, for better and for worse. \n  \n  \nDr Louis John Camilleri\n \nI am an Educational Psychologist\, researcher\, and lecturer at the University of Malta\, where I coordinate the Masters in Access to Education – Inclusive Schools and Communities program and contribute to various educational courses.  I hold a PhD in Psychology from the University of Bath\, where I focused on engaging with the autism community and supporting autistic children and adults through digitally-mediated interventions. I also hold a Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology from the University of East London. With experience as both a Lecturer and an Educational Psychologist\, my work focuses on inclusive education and supporting neurodivergent learners. I am a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society\, registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (UK)\, and a Warranted Psychologist in Malta. My teaching and research are dedicated to advancing inclusive practices\, fostering equitable learning environments\, and enhancing development opportunities for all learners. \n \n\n\n\n\nTime \n\nAgenda\n\n\n08:00 – 09:00\nWelcome coffee and registration\n\n\n09:00 – 09:30\nWelcome addresses\n\n\n09:30 – 10:00\nOpening speech\, \nProf. Dr. Richard Mills\, AT-Autism London\n\n\n\n\nInclusion in Your Pocket: Apps for Accessibility and Independence \n\n\n\n10:00 – 10:20\niDEM app – breaking linguistic barriers for an inclusive democracy – presentation \nProf. Dr. Horacio Saggion\, Universitat Pompeu Fabra\n\n\n\n10:20 – 10:30\niDEM app – breaking linguistic barriers for an inclusive democracy – trial and discussion \nProf. Dr. Horacio Saggion\, Universitat Pompeu Fabra\, Spain\n\n\n\n10:30 – 10:50\nBryom planner app for neurodivergent minds – presentation \nMr Alexander Snellman\, Mr Henrik Snellman\, Mr Jani Sundqvist\, Bryom\, Finland\n\n\n\n10:50 – 11:00\nBryom planner app for neurodivergent minds – trial and discussion \nMr Alexander Snellman\, Mr Henrik Snellman\, Mr Jani Sundqvist\, Bryom\, Finland\n\n\n\n11:00 – 11:15\nMovement and discussion break\n\n\n11:15 – 11:35\nStories Online For Autism (SOFA) \nApp – presentation \nDr. Louis John Camilleri\, Faculty of Education\, University of Malta\n\n\n\n11:35 – 11:45\nStories Online For Autism (SOFA) \nApp – trial and discussion \nDr. Louis John Camilleri\, Faculty of Education\, University of Malta\n\n\n\nAssistive Technology in Action: Stories from Users\n\n\n11:45 – 12:15\nPanel discussion involving persons with lived experience \nChair: Dr Vickie Gauci\, Disability Studies\, University of Malta\n\n\n\n12:15 – 13:00\nLunch break\n\n\nAfternoon workshops on assistive technologies\n\n\n13:00 – 13:20\nAssistive technologies for blind persons \nMs Milagros Costabel\, freelancer and blind advocate\, Uruguay\n\n\n\n13:20 – 13:30\nAssistive technologies for blind persons – \nQ & A \nMs Milagros Costabel\, freelancer and blind advocate\, Uruguay\n\n\n\n13:30 – 13:50\nFrom Prompting to Participation: Designing LLM-Based/AI Powered Assistive Apps for Children Living with Chronic Conditions \nDr Bryan Boyle\, University College Cork\, Ireland\n\n\n\n13:50 – 14:00\nFrom Prompting to Participation: Designing LLM-Based/AI Powered Assistive Apps for Children Living with Chronic Conditions – \nQ & A \nDr Bryan Boyle\, University College Cork\, Ireland\n\n\n\n14:00 – 14:20\nAI\, Accessibility and the Human Story: Making Inclusion Real \nMr Jay Giddens\, ReadSpeaker\n\n\n\n14:20 – 14:30\nAI\, Accessibility and the Human Story: Making Inclusion Real – Q & A \nMr Jay Giddens\, ReadSpeaker\n\n\n\n14:30 – 14:45\nClosing remarks\n\n\n14:45 – 15:15\nCoffee\, discussions and social networking\n\n\n\n  \n 
URL:https://inspire.org.mt/event/smart-tools-for-strong-lives-conference/
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