Written by

Bianca Brady
BAppSc (OT)
APEX Mobility Clinical Education Coordinator

APEX Mobility is now in the end game for round three of APEXPO! This year we are set to hold our biggest expo yet, at an impressive venue with 8 international and 2 Australian-based guest presenters and educators.

Join us on Friday 19 May at Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park.

APEXPO is about bringing everyone together for a day of up-skilling and knowledge building to enhance end user experiences and outcomes with our products. With a uniquely diverse range of assistive technology products, we can support a holistic approach to overcome many functional limitations caused by physical disabilities. As such, we are looking forward to delivering many opportunities for both clinical and technical training to those who are in the frontline of assistive technology provision and supporting therapists and end users.

Whether you are seeking new information or skills, or wanting to review existing knowledge and competencies, there is always a reason to engage with development opportunities to maintain good practices and reliable information sharing.  

Therapists and end users look to providers of assistive technology for guidance on how and which products will ultimately help achieve goals for engagement in daily life. Complex assistive technology becomes a part of daily life and impacts how the end user and/or their family functions in their environment. It is for this reason that our responsibility to understand the products is so important. During the pre-trial and trail phase, knowledge regarding the features, limitations and full potential of products is shared with the therapist, person, family and or carers. This often leads to essential open discussions that guides the final selection that best suits the person and facilitate their goals.

As such, a high level of product knowledge is essential and plays a significant role in building relationships with all parties. A strong working relationship is based on trust, reliability, honesty, and competence (and of course open and effective communication along the way).

Competence: Ensure you have the experience, skills and knowledge to script, fit and follow up provision of complex assistive technology. This also allows you to provide reliable information and education. Gain skills and knowledge by continually engaging in training, education, and networking with those in the industry to keep up to date for best practice.

Honesty: Be open and truthful, if you don’t have all the knowledge and/or skills, seek ways to find this by attending days like APEXPO and provide timely feedback if questions are asked during a trial that need further investigation. If one product cannot meet all the needs (as many do), be open and honest about the assistive technology to help set up expectation and work collaboratively.

Reliability: This includes not only doing what you say you will do, but also having the knowledge to educate and inform so that the assistive technology products do what you have said they will do. It also includes being there to follow up after delivery to continue to provide support.

Trust: Building trust bridges a strong connection with others and has a significant impact on future interactions and opportunities to continue working together. Trust cannot be achieved without competence, honesty, and reliability.

So what does this have to do with APEXPO? The day set aside for APEXPO 2023 is our opportunity to provide those attending with knowledge and skills that will build or consolidate competence in products, allow you to be open and honest with manufactures and suppliers to ask questions and bridge gaps in knowledge or skills. The goal is to ensure you have the level of knowledge and skills to build effective relationships with therapists and end users and all of which is aimed at instilling trust in our products and our people.

Our agenda is being finalised and already filled with many sessions that include training and presentations on new products and product updates from our guests including:

• Lori Potts – Rifton
• Andrea Espei – Schuchmann
• Christie Hamstra – Motion Composites & NXT
• Leonardo Sulsente – Klaxon
• Maurizio Galasso – Anatomic SITT
• Rickard Eriksson – Anatomic SITT
• Martino Avellis – Ormesa
• Mikko Pirkola – Timoteos 
• Tim Newby – Specialised Orthotic Services 
• Lauren Hunter – Linds Rehab
• Mobility and Accessibility for Children in Australia (MACA)
  

We are looking forward to welcoming everyone on Friday 19 May at ACCOR Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park for APEXPO-2023.

Please download the program here.