MSc Disability, Design and Innovation at UCL

Technology has the potential to change lives, no more so than in the emerging area of disability innovation. We're looking for the next generation of pioneers. To apply, visit the UCL prospectus

• Further module details on the UCL Computer Science site.
• For information email MSc DDI Admissions Contact
• Nominated for a Tech for Good award
• Read a blog article from MSc DDI Programme Director (Assoc. Professor Dr Youngjun Cho)
• Read an interview with Academic Director Professor Cathy Holloway
• Students blogs: Richard Amm (MSc journey), Katherine Wang (alumni; from MSc to PhD), Divya Ramesh (breath of programme), Amélie (from neuroscience to DDI), Tamari Lukava (unique approach), Kate Mattick (learning curves). Student videos - see bottom of page.

Design engineering meets global policy and the societal context of disability, this multidisciplinary programme takes theory into practice - harnessing academic excellence, innovative approaches and co-creation to tackle global challenges from a new perspective.

Delivered by global experts the programme is a opportunity to study across three top London institutions. Teaching will take place at UCL East (One Pool Street), Loughborough University London and the London College of Fashion. The MSc will be awarded by UCL.

Graduating students will have the skills and knowledge to apply design thinking to the complex problem of disability.

Compulsory Modules

• Research Methods and Making Skills
• Future Global Technologies for Disability and Development
• Design Thinking
• Collaborative Project
• Applied Business and Marketing and Marketing Strategy for Disability Development
• Dissertation

Option Modules

• Accessibility & Assistive Technology
• Inclusive Design and Environments
• Innovation for a Fairer World

Career options

Students graduating from this MSc will have the skills and expertise required to pursue careers in Inclusive Design and Innovation, Global policy and Research, Disability Rights, International Development, Accessibility and Assistive technologies or develop their own start-ups. Hear more from our Academic Director on career options.

Virtual open days

The GDI Hub hosts virtual open days to provide prospective students with further details about the course. If you are unable to join an open day, you may find it helpful to view our previous sessions;

• 2022 Open Day
• 2021 Open Day

On this programme, students will

1. Acquire a systematic understanding of the unique challenges of emerging technologies in an international development context
2. Gain the ability to apply engineering design and systems thinking to complex problems; taking into consideration social, political and ethical contexts in which the problem exists.
3. Apply the theory of appropriate technology production to specific disability-focused projects.
4. Develop a business and marketing strategy for a range of products and services for both commercial and third sector organisations.
5. Plan studies, analyse data and explore methods of visualising data sets.

Global Disability Innovation Hub - Research and Practice Centre

Students will work alongside GDI Hub's live programmes, operational in 41 countries, we work alongside more than 70 partners and have reached 23 million people since 2016.

Our world-leading global partners includes WHO, UNICEF, CHAI, IPC, Microsoft, GSMA, Leonard Cheshire Disability, World Bank and many more non-for-profit and innovative start-ups.

• Youngjun Cho - Programme Director of MSc DDI & Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, UCL
• Catherine Holloway - Academic Director of GDI & Professor, UCL
• Tim Adlam - Deputy Programme Director of MSc DDI & Associate Professor, UCL
• Iain McKinnon - Lecturer, UCL
• Mikko Koria - Associate Dean for Enterprise, Professor of Design Innovation and Director of the Institute for Design Innovation, Loughborough University London
• Antonius van den Broek - Lecturer, Loughborough University London
• Edwin Phiri - Lecturer, London College of Fashion
• Gabriela Daniels - Lecturer, London College of Fashion

Academic Director, Professor Catherine Holloway Lunch Hour Lecture "Assistive Technology as an Innovation Leader - A Vision for the Future"

This UCL East lecture provides an insight into some of the topics covered by the MSc programme, and what that future holds for this dynamic and faced paced field.

Published works by Disability Design and Innovation MSc students

• The Social Network: How People with Visual Impairment use Mobile Phones in Kibera, Kenya. A research project from AAT module accepted for CHI 2020 module, supervised by Cathy Holloway
• Using Mobile Augmented Reality to Improve Attention in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. By Katherine Wang from module: Research Methods and Making Skills, supervised by Youngjun Cho
• Bridging the Divide: Exploring the use of digital and physical technology to aid mobility impaired people living in an informal settlement. Dissertation project at ASSETS 2020, supervised by Cathy Holloway
• The Compliance Mindset: Exploring Accessibility Adoption in Client-Based Settings, a research project from AAT module published at ASSETS 2020 student research competition from module Accessibility and Assistive Technology, supervised by Cathy Holloway
• Inclusive beauty for the blind and visually impaired consumers. A DDI student published a research article at Cosmetics & Toiletries and featured by the magazine. Akriti Pradhan dissertation project, supervised by Gabriela Daniels
• “Attention-Based Applications in Extended Reality to Support Autism: A Systematic Review", Alumni Katherine Wang published a research article at IEEE Access Journal, a
  dissertation project, supervised by Youngjun Cho
• “Accessing Intimate Interactions: Investigating the need for More Inclusive Sex Education Resources” alumni Zhouzhe (Jo) Wu will publish a research article at CHI Late Breaking Work 2022, based on dissertation project supervised by Giulia Barbaresch and Cathy Holloway
  

• A DDI alumna (Akriti Pradhan) and the project supervisor gave an invited talk at the 2^nd Conference of the International Society of Cosmetic Therapy in Japan (11 November 21). The title of the talk was: Inclusive Beauty: Cosmetics for Blind and Low Vision Consumers.

Catch up on our digital open day

Hear from our student

Current students and recent graduates discuss their MSc experiences