PROGRAMME
PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR SERIES - CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS | ABSTRACTS INVITATION
Proposals are invited for the Professional Seminar Series at the ATSNZ Disability Expo 2026, being held at the Due Drop Events Centre, Sir Woolf Fisher Arena, Manukau, Auckland, on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2026.
Please ensure that you read all the information on this page before beginning the Abstract Submission process.
- Submission deadline: Friday 31 July 2026
- Notification of outcomes: Late August 2026
Outcomes that Matter - AT in Real Life
Assistive technology is most powerful when it changes everyday life. For 2026, ATSNZ is seeking presentations that show the real-world impact of AT for disabled people, seniors, whānau, carers, clinicians, services, communities and New Zealand as a whole.
We are interested in practical, engaging and evidence-informed sessions that explore how AT supports independence, dignity, participation, wellbeing, safety, inclusion, choice and control. We are also interested in sessions that demonstrate the broader value of good AT provision, including reduced caregiver burden, improved service efficiency, participation in education and employment, avoided downstream costs, better public value and stronger economic and community participation.
The ATSNZ Disability Expo is one of New Zealand’s most comprehensive events for people with disability, seniors, carers and allied health professionals. It brings together AT suppliers, clinicians, service providers, funders, community organisations, people with lived experience and the wider sector.
- Real-life AT outcomes and case studies
- Clinical reasoning, assessment, prescription and implementation
- Mobility, seating, postural management, pressure care and moving and handling
- Communication, cognition, sensory, environmental control and smart home technology
- AT in education, employment, recreation, home, aged care and community settings
- Service models and interdisciplinary collaboration
- Funding pathways, equity of access, rural and regional challenges, and system improvement
- Repair, maintenance, refurbishment, reuse, sustainability and lifecycle value
- Economic and social value of AT, including avoided costs and improved participation
- Innovation, emerging technology and practical lessons from implementation
| Presentation Type | Purpose |
| Seminar presentation | A concise 45 minute educational
presentation suitable for the Expo seminar programme. |
| Case study | A real-life example showing the impact of AT,
including practical lessons for attendees. |
| Panel discussion | A facilitated discussion involving multiple
perspectives, such as clinical practice, suppliers, service providers or
funders. |
| Practical
workshop or demonstration | An interactive session focused on applied skills,
decision-making, implementation or technical learning. This must be educational
rather than promotional. |
| Poster
or display contribution | A visual summary of research, service
improvement, case experience, implementation learning or practice innovation,
if this format is included in the final programme. |
A strong abstract is easy to follow, practical and engaging. It should clearly identify the challenge, opportunity or real-life outcome being explored, and explain what attendees will learn. The strongest submissions will connect the topic to the Expo theme and show why the issue matters to people’s everyday lives, professional practice, service delivery and/or wider public value.
Learning objectives should be measurable and describe what participants will be able to do, understand or apply after attending the session.
Examples:
- Describe three ways AT can improve participation and independence in a real-life setting.
- Identify practical barriers that can prevent effective AT implementation and how these can be addressed.
- Compare two approaches to measuring outcomes from AT provision.
- Explain how an AT solution created value for the person, whānau, support network, service provider or wider system.
- Demonstrate how AT can add value, particularly in an economic sense (cost savings to Government)
Abstracts should include the following information:
- Title: a presentation title of no more than 15 words that captures the intent of the session.
- Author/presenter information: name, email, country, organisation or affiliation.
- Biography: up to 150 words for each presenting author, including relevant experience.
- Keywords: 5 to 10 keywords to help clarify the session.
- Learning Objectives: Three clear objectives describing what attendees will learn.
- Presentation description: up to 300 words summarising the presentation.
- Preferred presentation type: seminar, case study/lived-experience session, panel, practical workshop/demonstration, poster/display contribution, or other.
- Preferred presentation level: general audience, beginner-intermediate, intermediate-advanced, or specialist/technical.
- Target audience: for example disabled people and whānau, carers, allied health professionals, suppliers, funders, service providers, technicians, managers or policy contributors.
- Outcome focus: explain how the session links to real-life outcomes, participation, dignity, independence, wellbeing, safety, access, service improvement, economic value or public benefit.
- References or supporting evidence: include only where relevant. Practical, lived-experience, case-study and service-improvement submissions are welcome and do not need to read like academic papers.
- Conflict of interest disclosure: include any relevant supplier, manufacturer, funding, employment, honorarium, travel support or commercial relationship.
- Ethics statement: where applicable, confirm ethical approval, formal waiver from an ethics committee, or that the submission reports on audit, professional development, service improvement or de-identified case experience not intended for generalised publication.
- All abstracts must be submitted in English.
- Abstracts must not be product or sales presentations. Supplier-led presentations are welcome where they are educational, balanced and outcomes-focused.
- Strong alignment with the theme: Outcomes that matter: AT in Real Life.
- Clear relevance to assistive technology, disability, aged care, rehabilitation, home care, community participation or related services.
- A practical and transferable learning outcome for attendees.
- A clear explanation of real-world impact for people, whānau, carers, services, systems or the economy.
- Balanced content that is educational rather than promotional.
- Diversity of topics, presenters and perspectives across the final programme.
Accepted abstracts may be made available on the ATSNZ Disability Expo website, in the Expo programme, in newsletters, or in other event material. As part of the abstract submission process, you can indicate your publishing preference.
Authors will be notified of the outcome of their submission late August 2026. Only the primary author will be contacted. It is the primary author’s responsibility to notify all co-authors and contributors.
Presenter registration requirements, travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the presenter. Presenters are expected to attend the Expo in person.
KEY DATES
| Milestone | Date |
| Call for abstracts open | 22 June 2026 |
| Abstract submissions close | Friday 31 July 2026 |
| Notifications of outcome | Late August 2026 |
| Presenter registration deadline | 19 September 2026 |
| ATSNZ Disability Expo 2026 | Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2026 |
Abstracts should be submitted using the online abstract submission process confirmed by ATSNZ and the Expo organisers.
To begin the Abstract Submission Process - please click the button below.
Assistive Technologies Suppliers New Zealand works to advance the public interest in the provision of assistive technology, give the AT industry a voice, improve the quality of equipment provision, and develop alliances with industry stakeholders.
For more information, visit www.atsnzexpo.nz