The city of Lyon, France hosted the ISPO 2015 World Congress from 22 to 25 June. Over 4,500 participants from 117 countries were present at the Lyon Convention Centre for the Congress. The event boasted an interdisciplinary and interactive programme with the theme “Assessment, Integration & Mobility (AIM)”, which featured 56 symposia, 24 instructional courses, 120 paper sessions, and over 250 poster presentations. Over 125 entities participated in the trade and scientific exhibition, using it as a platform to showcase the latest products and technology in the fields of Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O), and Rehabilitation Services.

A number of our Outreach Committee contributed to a symposium entitled ‘Principles central to the success of integrated orthotic, prosthetic, and wheelchair service development projects in lowincome West Pacific Rim island nations.’ Lee Brentnall (Motivation Australia) opened with an overview of the current challenges in the Pacific, and how Motivation Australia is working to promote an integrated mobility device service to support access to rehabilitation technology. Katrina McGrath (P&O, Tasmania) reflected on the difficulties of service provision as a short-term volunteer, and spoke of the challenge in balancing the need to fit in with a culture and existing staff, whilst ensuring that she is able to get the job done in a short time frame. Phoebe Thomson (co-chair of ISPO Outreach Committee) described her experience in the Philippines, demonstrating how vast the Pacific is and the huge variations in care provision that are evident in the region. Last, but not least, Mr Taukoriri Tibiriano, physiotherapist and head of the Tungaru Rehabilitation Services (Kiribati), talked about the rebuild of their centre following a fire in late 2012, with the support of ISPO Australia and generous donations from Australian companies.