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I recently had the opportunity to speak at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the SEND Reforms, organised by Robert McLaren from Policy Connect and chaired by Rt Hon Peter Swallow MP.

The event brought together representatives from national agencies, academy trusts, centres of excellence in assistive technology (AT), researchers and technology leaders to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by the proposed SEND reforms. This post shares the key messages from my presentation at the House of Commons on 8 July 2026.

Co-production should drive the journey

With more than 25 years’ experience of co-production in action, Rix is home to a team of inclusive researchers, engineers and artists. For us, co-production means far more than consulting people at the end of a project. People with lived experience help identify problems, shape solutions and continually refine them through meaningful collaboration, on their own terms. You can see co-production in action at our Inclusive Hackathon events.

The SEND reforms present an opportunity to place children, young people and families at the heart of the process from the outset, rather than asking them to respond to systems that have already been designed. If we want reforms that genuinely improve lives, policymakers must listen to families throughout the journey and communicate in ways that reflect their individual needs, preferences and communication styles.

Anticipate needs and design to the edge

We welcome the ambition of providing a universal offer for every child. This reflects our own anticipatory approach, where learning is designed to the edge through the principles of Universal Design for Learning. Rather than waiting until a child requests an adjustment, we assume that learners will participate, communicate and demonstrate understanding in different ways.

In practice, this might mean giving students opportunities to present their learning through video, audio, images or text, allowing everyone to work from their strengths while achieving the same learning outcomes.

This philosophy underpins our work at Rix. For example, RIX EasySurvey enables survey creators to ask questions using video, sound and images. Meaning that you can ask a question using a Makaton video. Anticipating different communication preferences from the very beginning rather than treating accessibility as an add-on is the cornerstone of universal design.

Assistive technology is broader than we often imagine

At Rix, we see assistive technology as far more than support for reading and writing. Those are important, but for many people, symbols, images, video, audio and movement form the foundations of communication.

Our RIX Wikis enable students to tell their stories through multimedia, demonstrate what they can do using video, communicate in Makaton or share their hopes and aspirations through audio and images. For us, assistive technology is any technology that enables meaningful participation.

We’ve seen care-experienced children attend their Personal Education Plan (PEP) meeting for the very first time because they had prepared a Wiki to share. Some have gone on to chair their own meeting. After all, these are meetings about their education. Why shouldn’t they be centre stage?

Research in Teacher Education

The proposed SEND reforms introduce Individual Education Plans plus regular review meetings for children requiring additional support and rightly recognise the important role of families. However, the child’s own voice should be equally explicit Every child deserves access to the communication tools that allow them to express their hopes, aspirations, strengths and achievements.

Universal access to assistive technology

The reforms include welcome proposals for greater access to assistive technology and the development of AT lending libraries, building on models such as those provided by CENMAC.

However, the opportunity to explore and discover assistive technology should itself be universal. Many technologies that remove barriers for disabled learners also benefit pupils without identified additional needs. Universal access allows everyone to discover what works best for them before barriers become entrenched.

Create a living lab

Assistive technology should be discovered, explored and refined, not simply issued.

Every interaction with technology creates an opportunity to learn. AT lending libraries could become national living laboratories, collecting feedback from the people who know these technologies best: the students who use them, their families and the professionals who support them.

A coordinated national evaluation programme would generate valuable evidence while supporting universities and assistive technology companies to continually improve products through real-world experience.

Beyond buttons

The reforms rightly include significant investment in workforce development.

Accessible training materials, practical demonstrations and video-based learning are excellent starting points. However, awareness of assistive technology should extend beyond specialist staff. Teachers, teaching assistants, IT technicians, school business managers and site teams all play an important role in ensuring technology is available, maintained and ready whenever a learner needs it.

We were particularly inspired by the young people who spoke during the APPG event, sharing powerful examples of how technology had enabled greater participation and independence. They reminded us that assistive technology is not simply about completing tasks more efficiently. It is about strengthening agency, building confidence and enabling people to participate fully in education and society.

Technology isn’t only the destination

Overall, the SEND reforms recognise the important role that technology can play in supporting children and young people with SEND. Assistive technology is no longer presented as an optional extra, but as an essential component of inclusive education.

At RIX, we believe technology should not simply appear at the point where additional support is required. It should be woven throughout the educational journey from the outset, anticipating difference rather than reacting to it.

Most importantly, technology alone cannot create inclusion. Inclusive cultures are built through co-production, universal design and meaningful participation. Technology simply provides another way for every child to be seen, heard and understood.

Craig Wilkie, RIX Technical Director

For two weeks this summer 14–28 June 2026, the University of East London became home to an extraordinary community of learners, innovators and changemakers. Delivered in partnership with the University of Florida and Learn International, the RIX Inclusive Innovation Summer School 2026 welcomed 15 students with lived experience of disability and five faculty members to London for an ‘Innovate for Access’ immersive programme exploring disability, accessibility, artificial intelligence and inclusive design.

More than a study abroad experience, the Summer School challenged students to rethink disability, question assumptions and discover what is possible when people with lived experience become equal partners in innovation.

From the very first day, students were introduced to the principles that underpin the work of Rix Inclusive Research: co-production, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), person-centred practice and the belief that the people who experience barriers every day are the experts in designing better solutions.

Rather than beginning with technology, the programme began with people.

Throughout the two weeks, students worked alongside RIX co-researchers, disabled people, academics and practitioners to understand the barriers that still prevent many people from participating fully in society. Through conversations, workshops and reflective discussions, they explored how disability is shaped not simply by an individual’s impairment but by the way environments, services and systems are designed.

Learning extended far beyond the classroom.

London itself became a living laboratory for inclusive design. Students travelled independently using London’s public transport network, learning first-hand how transport systems can either enable or restrict participation. They explored the city not simply as visitors but as researchers, observing accessibility, identifying barriers and reflecting on how design influences everyday life.

One of the highlights of the programme was visiting Charlton Park Academy, where students saw how assistive technology and inclusive education enable children and young people with complex needs to communicate, learn and thrive. Many described this visit as transformative, recognising the importance of designing environments that assume competence rather than limitation. Students met Abdi Omar, an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) user, CEO of ‘Limitless Entrepreneur’, whose powerful insights challenged perceptions about communication, independence and participation.

Technology was another central theme throughout the programme.

Students explored the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence, learning that AI is not a solution in itself but a tool that must be designed responsibly and inclusively. Rather than asking what AI can do, they asked how AI can remove barriers, increase independence and improve quality of life. They combined these ideas with Universal Design principles and person-centred thinking to develop practical solutions to real-world accessibility challenges.

Working within interdisciplinary teams, students collaborated with people with lived experience to identify problems before attempting to design solutions. This approach encouraged deeper listening, empathy and critical thinking while demonstrating that the best innovations emerge through genuine collaboration rather than assumptions.

The programme also introduced students to some of the UK’s leading centres of innovation. Visits to Google’s Accessibility Discovery Centre demonstrated how accessibility is becoming embedded within mainstream technology, while the visit to PEARL (Person Environment Activity Research Laboratory) showcased how immersive research environments can support the design of future products and services. Students also visited Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, exploring how accessibility can be embedded within world-class sporting venues, alongside museums, community organisations and other examples of inclusive practice across London.

The learning experience combined formal teaching with active, experiential learning. Reflection formed an essential part of each day, allowing students to connect theory with practice, discuss what they had observed and consider how these experiences might influence their future careers.

The programme culminated in the RIX Inclusive Hackathon, where students worked alongside disabled people, researchers and community members to develop innovative concepts addressing real accessibility challenges. Importantly, participants learned that successful innovation begins with understanding people’s experiences rather than simply creating new technology.

The impact of the programme is perhaps best reflected in the students’ own words.

Many described arriving in London feeling uncertain about what they could contribute, but leaving with renewed confidence, empathy and a stronger sense of purpose. Several students explained that hearing directly from people with lived experience fundamentally changed how they approached engineering, healthcare, psychology, policy and design. Others spoke about discovering that inclusion is not an additional feature but the foundation of good design.

Student feedback reinforced these reflections. Participants consistently identified working alongside people with lived experience, visiting Charlton Park Academy, using London’s public transport and taking part in the Community Hackathon as the most influential aspects of the programme. Many also reported that they would take inclusive design principles into their future careers, whether in engineering, healthcare, policy, psychology or software development.

Ultimately, the RIX Inclusive Innovation Summer School is about much more than spending two weeks in London. It provides students, particularly those with disabilities and those committed to creating a more inclusive society, with an opportunity to experience another culture, challenge their thinking and become part of an international community working towards a common goal.

The programme demonstrates that inclusion is not simply about removing barriers. It is about creating environments where everyone belongs, everyone’s expertise is valued and innovation is shaped by the people whose lives it is intended to improve.

As students return home to the United States, they take with them much more than memories of London. They leave with new friendships, new perspectives and, perhaps most importantly, a renewed commitment to designing a world where accessibility, dignity and opportunity are available to everyone. That is the lasting legacy of the RIX Inclusive Innovation Summer School.

Gosia Kwiatkowska, RIX Director