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Executive Chairman of ��������-based Morson Group, Ged Mason OBE HonBDA, will make a personal donation of £250,000 to create the Centre for Assistive & Accessible Technology (ATech).

In a collaboration with people with disabilities and external partners, the �������� will establish the Ged Mason Centre of Excellence for Assistive and Accessible Technology.  The aim is to drive much needed innovation, designed to deliver digital inclusion across education, employment, health and social care to ensure that those born with disabilities can make the most of their skills and fulfil their potential. 

The Centre will champion the role of ATech from in-built accessibility to specialised access systems through technological innovation; general awareness and professional training for educators and clinicians on how to access and use ATech; and evaluating the impact of ATech on the educational and employment outcomes of disabled people.

This will be led by Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Environment at ��������, Professor Annalu Waller OBE.

Professor Waller, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, and uses a mobility scooter, said: “I’m so grateful to Ged for seeing the huge potential ATech has to transform lives and give those with disabilities the best chance to fulfil their potential, benefiting our diverse society as a whole.

“We live in a digital world. Advances in technology have transformed communication, education, healthcare, employment, and access to public services. This is especially true for disabled people who rely on ATech to access education, employment and social activities. 

“We have ATech in our smart phones without knowing it! For example, in-built accessibility features on mainstream digital devices can provide auditory support for blind users, while more specialised assistive technologies such as eye-gaze allow non-speaking people to communicate using speech generating systems."

“However, lack of awareness and professional training across education, health and social care results in missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential. We aim to address that problem with this new centre.”

For Ged Mason OBE, Executive Chairman of Morson Group, the new Centre is a natural progression of a partnership focused on connecting education with opportunity and ensuring industry can access the talent it needs for the future.

Ged, who has an honorary Doctorate from ��������, said: “Our work with the �������� has already shown what can be achieved when industry and education work together for the long term. From scholarships and STEM outreach to the Maker Space, we have helped create opportunities for people to develop skills that are relevant to the world of work and to see careers that may previously have felt out of reach.

“Investing in assistive and accessible technology takes that commitment a step further. There is a huge pool of talent among people with disabilities and neurodivergent conditions, but too often barriers in education and the workplace can prevent individuals from reaching their full potential.”

It is the latest stage of a ten-year plus partnership between Morson, the Mason family and the University, which has given opportunities to hundreds of students and boosted key industrial and engineering skills across the region. Morson is also the main sponsor of the Maker Space at the ��������; a state-of-the-art facility for students to explore new ideas, innovate, and gain hands-on experience.

The Morson Maker Space and STEM Foundation will also continue until 2032 with an investment of £550,000.  This enables students from all disciplines to collaborate and access the kind of technology and equipment they might use in industry, allowing them to develop valuable practical skills in digital fabrication - from 3D printing, through to CAD design and laser cutting. 

The gift will support Maker Space 3.0 STEM programme, which includes women in STEM events, mentoring and coaching and engineering summer schools, as well as the expansion of the STEM Community Outreach programme to include an eco-system of local youth organisations supporting �������� STEM talent, including Primary Engineer and also now Empower / �������� Youth Zone (SYZ). The gift also includes ongoing support for the Gerry Mason Scholarship Programme, which is being supported until 2035.