Rory travelled to Glasgow to take part in XMA Xplore ’26 - Good Learning First: An Apple Education Summit, an event bringing together educators, local authority representatives, digital learning specialists and technology partners from across Scotland.
The event focused on how technology can be used purposefully to improve learning outcomes, support inclusion and create greater opportunities for young people. Throughout the day, conversations explored everything from artificial intelligence and the future of education to accessibility, digital learning and the importance of ensuring technology is introduced with a clear purpose.
As part of the event, Rory once again shared the stage with Andrew Jewell from Apple for a conversation centred around his own journey through education, the role accessibility has played in maintaining his independence and the wider impact that technology can have when combined with the right people, culture and support.
A key message Rory shared during the conversation was:
“Apple technology helps us to do good things, but when it is paired with good people, it enables us to do great things.”
For Rory, this message captured an important theme that extended far beyond his own story. Technology can create powerful opportunities, but it should never be viewed as the starting point. The first step should always be understanding the individual, the challenge they are facing and the outcome they want to achieve. Technology can then be used as a tool to help make that outcome possible.
This perspective has become increasingly important throughout Rory’s work in accessibility and education. His experiences have shown that the most meaningful impact often comes when innovative technology is combined with people who are willing to listen, understand and adapt. Accessibility is not simply about providing a feature or making an adjustment; it is about helping people maintain independence and giving them the opportunity to participate fully.
The session also gave Rory the opportunity to reflect on how his own relationship with technology has developed. What initially became essential in helping him continue his education has since enabled him to communicate, create content, manage university work, travel independently and share his experiences with audiences across the UK, Europe and the United States.
XMA Xplore also provided an opportunity to hear a wide range of perspectives from across education and technology. The event brought together people from different areas of the sector who shared a common ambition: using technology in ways that genuinely improve teaching, learning and inclusion.
For Rory, some of the most valuable moments at events like Xplore also happen away from the stage. The conversations between sessions provide an opportunity to meet people from organisations he has not previously worked with, reconnect with people he has met in the past and learn more about the work taking place across the education and technology sectors.
Taking part in XMA Xplore continued a growing series of opportunities for Rory to contribute to discussions around inclusive technology and education. From sharing his personal experiences to hearing directly from educators and industry professionals, the event reinforced a message that remains central to his work: technology is at its most powerful when it is used to create meaningful outcomes for people.
Rory was grateful to the wider XMA team for the invitation and organisation behind the event and to Andrew Jewell for once again sharing the stage with him.
XMA Xplore ’26 was another opportunity to learn, connect and contribute to an important conversation - one focused not simply on what technology can do, but on what it can enable people to do.
