Publications

Type

Landscape review

Themes

Culture and Participation
Inclusive Educational Technology
ICT Landscape review - The use of ICT in improving the educational participation & outcomes

Maria Kett, Victoria Austin, Giulia Barbareschi, Nusrat Jahan, Paul Lynch, Catherine Holloway, Joel Burman, Felipe Ramos-Barajas, Lea Simpson

Information and communication technology (ICT) tools can have a catalytic effect in advancing both educational access and learning outcomes for children with disabilities. Despite tremendous potential, a gap exists between technology advancements and their large-scale application in educating children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries. This landscape review of ICTs for disability-inclusive education by the Inclusive Education Initiative seeks to understand the current status and trends in the practice of educational technology (EdTech) and the use of ICT in improving the educational participation and outcomes of children with disabilities. The review explores what factors enable or restrict this improvement within the wider EdTech ecosystem.

GDI Hub partnered with the World Bank to design and conduct the research, and author the ICT Landscape review: The use of ICT in improving the educational participation and outcomes of children with disabilities. This report is a global knowledge product from the Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI)—a multi-donor trust fund on disability-inclusive education managed by the World Bank, with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

World Bank; 2021

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Abstract

ICT Landscape review - The use of ICT in improving the educational participation & outcomes

Information and communication technology (ICT) tools can have a catalytic effect in advancing both educational access and learning outcomes for children with disabilities. Despite tremendous potential, a gap exists between technology advancements and their large-scale application in educating children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries. This landscape review of ICTs for disability-inclusive education by the Inclusive Education Initiative seeks to understand the current status and trends in the practice of educational technology (EdTech) and the use of ICT in improving the educational participation and outcomes of children with disabilities. The review explores what factors enable or restrict this improvement within the wider EdTech ecosystem.

GDI Hub partnered with the World Bank to design and conduct the research, and author the ICT Landscape review: The use of ICT in improving the educational participation and outcomes of children with disabilities.

This report is a global knowledge product from the Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI)—a multi-donor trust fund on disability-inclusive education managed by the World Bank, with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

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ICT Landscape review - The use of ICT in improving the educational participation & outcomes

World Bank. 2021. A Landscape Review of ICT for Disability-Inclusive Education. © World Bank.

ICT Landscape review - The use of ICT in improving the educational participation & outcomes

Steps leading up around a corner with handrail and colourful wall mural

Type

Journal Paper

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology

Research Group

Disability Interactions
Physiological Computing
STEP-UP: Enabling Low-Cost IMU Sensors to Predict the Type of Dementia During Everyday Stair Climbing

Catherine Holloway, William Bhot, Keir X. X. Yong, Ian McCarthy, Tatsuto Suzuki, Amelia Carton, Biao Yang, Robin Serougne, Derrick Boampong, Nick Tyler, Sebastian J. Crutch, Nadia Berthouze and Youngjun Cho

Posterior Cortical Atrophy is a rare but significant form of dementia which affects people's visual ability before their memory. This is often misdiagnosed as an eyesight rather than brain sight problem. This paper aims to address the frequent, initial misdiagnosis of this disease as a vision problem through the use of an intelligent, cost-effective, wearable system, alongside diagnosis of the more typical Alzheimer's Disease.

Frontiers in Computer Science

Abstract

STEP-UP: Enabling Low-Cost IMU Sensors to Predict the Type of Dementia During Everyday Stair Climbing

Posterior Cortical Atrophy is a rare but significant form of dementia which affects people's visual ability before their memory. This is often misdiagnosed as an eyesight rather than brain sight problem. This paper aims to address the frequent, initial misdiagnosis of this disease as a vision problem through the use of an intelligent, cost-effective, wearable system, alongside diagnosis of the more typical Alzheimer's Disease. We propose low-level features constructed from the IMU data gathered from 35 participants, while they performed a stair climbing and descending task in a real-world simulated environment. We demonstrate that with these features the machine learning models predict dementia with 87.02% accuracy. Furthermore, we investigate how system parameters, such as number of sensors, affect the prediction accuracy. This lays the groundwork for a simple clinical test to enable detection of dementia which can be carried out in the wild.

STEP-UP: Enabling Low-Cost IMU Sensors to Predict the Type of Dementia During Everyday Stair Climbing

A sheet of material with a regular matrix of flat and raised nodules

Type

Conference Paper

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology
Inclusive Educational Technology
Transforming a Monolithic Sheet of Nitinol into a Passive Reconfigurable Tactile Pixel Array Display at Braille Resolution

Tigmanshu Bhatnagar, Nicolai Marquardt, Mark Miodownik, Catherine Holloway

Shape changing materials create a unique opportunity to design reconfigurable tactile display actuators. In this paper, we present a method that transforms a single thin monolithic sheet of Nitinol into a passive reconfigurable tactile pixel array at Braille resolution. We have designed a 27x27 tactile pixel array in which each pixel can be selectively actuated with an external source of heat. The pixels rise 0.4mm vertically with a peak blocked force of 0.28kg and have an average blocked force of 0.23kg at room temperature. After cooling, the pixels can be mechanically reconfigured back to their flat state for repeatable actuation. We demonstrate this actuator’s interactive capabilities through a novel erasable tactile drawing interface.

IEEE World Haptics Conference; 2021

Abstract

Transforming a Monolithic Sheet of Nitinol into a Passive Reconfigurable Tactile Pixel Array Display at Braille Resolution

Shape changing materials create a unique opportunity to design reconfigurable tactile display actuators. In this paper, we present a method that transforms a single thin monolithic sheet of Nitinol into a passive reconfigurable tactile pixel array at Braille resolution. We have designed a 27x27 tactile pixel array in which each pixel can be selectively actuated with an external source of heat. The pixels rise 0.4mm vertically with a peak blocked force of 0.28kg and have an average blocked force of 0.23kg at room temperature. After cooling, the pixels can be mechanically reconfigured back to their flat state for repeatable actuation. We demonstrate this actuator’s interactive capabilities through a novel erasable tactile drawing interface.

Cite

Transforming a Monolithic Sheet of Nitinol into a Passive Reconfigurable Tactile Pixel Array Display at Braille Resolution

T. Bhatnagar, N. Marquardt, M. Miodownik and C. Holloway, "Transforming a Monolithic Sheet of Nitinol into a Passive Reconfigurable Tactile Pixel Array Display at Braille Resolution," 2021 IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC), 2021, pp. 409-414, doi: 10.1109/WHC49131.2021.9517239.

Transforming a Monolithic Sheet of Nitinol into a Passive Reconfigurable Tactile Pixel Array Display at Braille Resolution

A dusty market street in an African country

Type

Workshop

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology

Research Group

Disability Interactions
Disability Design and Innovation in Low Resource Settings: Addressing Inequality Through HCI.

Giulia Barbareschi, Dafne Zuleima Morgado-Ramirez, Catherine Holloway, Swami Manohar Swaminathan, Aditya Vashistha, and Edward Cutrell.

Approximately 15% of the world's population has a disability and 80% live in low resource-settings, often in situations of severe social isolation. Technology is often inaccessible or inappropriately designed, hence unable to fully respond to the needs of people with disabilities living in low resource settings. Also lack of awareness of technology contributes to limited access. This workshop will be a call to arms for researchers in HCI to engage with people with disabilities in low resourced settings to understand their needs and design technology that is both accessible and culturally appropriate.

Extended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

Abstract

Disability Design and Innovation in Low Resource Settings: Addressing Inequality Through HCI.

Approximately 15% of the world's population has a disability and 80% live in low resource-settings, often in situations of severe social isolation. Technology is often inaccessible or inappropriately designed, hence unable to fully respond to the needs of people with disabilities living in low resource settings. Also lack of awareness of technology contributes to limited access. This workshop will be a call to arms for researchers in HCI to engage with people with disabilities in low resourced settings to understand their needs and design technology that is both accessible and culturally appropriate. We will achieve this through sharing of research experiences, and exploration of challenges encountered when planning HCI4D studies featuring participants with disabilities. Thanks to the contributions of all attendees, we will build a roadmap to support researchers aiming to leverage post-colonial and participatory approaches for the development of accessible and empowering technology with truly global ambitions.

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Disability Design and Innovation in Low Resource Settings: Addressing Inequality Through HCI.

Giulia Barbareschi, Dafne Zuleima Morgado-Ramirez, Catherine Holloway, Swami Manohar Swaminathan, Aditya Vashistha, and Edward Cutrell. 2021. Disability Design and Innovation in Low Resource Settings: Addressing Inequality Through HCI. Extended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 124, 1–5. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/3411763.3441340

Disability Design and Innovation in Low Resource Settings: Addressing Inequality Through HCI.

A boy using crutches is about to kick a ball into the net

Type

Editorial

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology
A right to the frivolous? Renegotiating a wellbeing agenda for AT research

Giulia Barbareschi & Tom Shakespeare

Assistive products (APs) are broadly defined as “any product (including devices, equipment, instruments, and software), either specially designed and produced or generally available, whose primary purpose is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence and thereby promote their wellbeing” (Khasnabis et al., 2015). Although the concept of wellbeing is extremely slippery and researchers have yet to agree on a single definition for it, as individuals we instinctively develop mental models about what does, and does not, promote our happiness and wellbeing. Considerations about values, wellbeing and happiness are extremely personal and are shaped by a variety of factors ranging from our age and socio-cultural background to our life experiences (Schwartz & Bardi, 2001).

RESNA

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Abstract

A right to the frivolous? Renegotiating a wellbeing agenda for AT research

Assistive products (APs) are broadly defined as “any product (including devices, equipment, instruments, and software), either specially designed and produced or generally available, whose primary purpose is to maintain or improve an individual’s functioning and independence and thereby promote their wellbeing” (Khasnabis et al., 2015). Although the concept of wellbeing is extremely slippery and researchers have yet to agree on a single definition for it, as individuals we instinctively develop mental models about what does, and does not, promote our happiness and wellbeing. Considerations about values, wellbeing and happiness are extremely personal and are shaped by a variety of factors ranging from our age and socio-cultural background to our life experiences (Schwartz & Bardi, 2001).

However, when it comes to assistive technology (AT) research, our focus seems to be primarily geared toward values and activities in the domains of education, employment, transport or health, often framed according to an outcome driven perspective that is heavily influenced by what is seen as useful (often what is measurable), vs what is frivolous (less tangible social or emotional aspects).

This disparity parallels the priorities of the disability rights movement and disability studies research that have helped to shape the research agenda around disability and AT. Often influenced by labor movement politics, or feminism, there appears to have been more concern with public and practical aspects of social life as opposed to the more private and sensitive ones (Shakespeare, 2014). The focus on the public utilitarian function of AT becomes even more evident when we consider AT research carried out in the Global South. In this context the success of an intervention is usually assessed using measures of outcome and impact which can be somehow linked to economic improvement (Alkire, 2016).

In this editorial, we are not suggesting that enabling people with disabilities to gain a good education, obtain a fulfilling job or be able to vote are not important goals for the APs we develop and research. But are those the only worthwhile goals? Should we not also enquire whether existing and future APs could help people with disabilities to develop meaningful friendships, enjoy fulfilling sex lives with their partners of choice, cook sociable dinners, or engage in their favorite hobbies? Although sporadic publications focus on the role of APs in the context of personal relationships, sexuality, or fun and play for people with disabilities do exist, these are rare, and often framed around utilitarian goals. For example, research around AT and play is largely focused on children and often examined in connection to learning outcomes. Similarly, sex and sexuality are often explored solely in connection to dysfunction, abuse or sexual health (Shakespeare & Richardson, 2018).

These unbalanced narratives show how the AT research agenda is dictated by a set of universal priorities that are largely focused on global measurable goals that do not necessarily match the everyday values of people with disabilities. We invite researchers and practitioners to consider ways to find a better balance between public and private aspects of life, and between utilitarian and emotional values. Both approaches have a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities.

Ultimately, as AT researchers we need to actively engage with people with disabilities to uncover their priorities, understand what different people with disabilities most value in life, and identify how current and future APs might help to make a positive impact on wellbeing. Aspects of life such as friendship, socialization, sexuality, love and play might indeed be more frivolous than practical ones such as education, health, employment and civil rights, but they are inherent to our shared humanity and fundamental to our happiness.

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A right to the frivolous? Renegotiating a wellbeing agenda for AT research

Giulia Barbareschi & Tom Shakespeare (2021) A right to the frivolous? Renegotiating a wellbeing agenda for AT research, Assistive Technology, 33:5, 237, DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2021.1984112

A right to the frivolous? Renegotiating a wellbeing agenda for AT research

Kenyan man in a wheelchair - his face is obscured for privacy

Type

Conference Paper

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology
What difference does tech make? Conceptualizations of Disability and Assistive Technology among Kenyan Youth: Conceptualizations of Disability and AT

In this paper, we examine how young Kenyans without disabilities view people with disabilities and AT users. Findings show that while the portrayal of disability is often shaped by negative emotion, participants felt that many of the barriers affecting people with disabilities were created by society. Perceptions of AT differed –devices were not only seen as a mark of disability but also as a sign of access to resources. Therefore, what we see is an emergent picture where social barriers can be reinforced by poverty, and where poverty reinforces social barriers faced by people with disabilities. We conclude that access to appropriate technology alongside societal interventions tackling incorrect beliefs about disability can help to overcome the stigma faced by people with disabilities.

ASSETS '21: Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

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Abstract

What difference does tech make? Conceptualizations of Disability and Assistive Technology among Kenyan Youth: Conceptualizations of Disability and AT

Most research which investigates stigma towards with people with disabilities and the use of Assistive Technology (AT) are based in the Global North and focus on the experiences of people with disabilities and the consequences that stigma has on choices surrounding AT. However, stigma is a societal construct rooted in the attitude and beliefs that people without disabilities hold on disability and AT. Furthermore, the portrayal of people with disabilities and AT is dependent on the social context. In this paper, we examine how young Kenyans without disabilities view people with disabilities and AT users. Findings show that while the portrayal of disability is often shaped by negative emotion, participants felt that many of the barriers affecting people with disabilities were created by society. Perceptions of AT differed –devices were not only seen as a mark of disability but also as a sign of access to resources. Therefore, what we see is an emergent picture where social barriers can be reinforced by poverty, and where poverty reinforces social barriers faced by people with disabilities. We conclude that access to appropriate technology alongside societal interventions tackling incorrect beliefs about disability can help to overcome the stigma faced by people with disabilities.

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What difference does tech make? Conceptualizations of Disability and Assistive Technology among Kenyan Youth: Conceptualizations of Disability and AT

Giulia Barbareschi, Norah Shitawa Kopi, Ben Oldfrey, and Catherine Holloway. 2021. What difference does tech make? Conceptualizations of Disability and Assistive Technology among Kenyan Youth: Conceptualizations of Disability and AT. In The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '21). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 18, 1–13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3441852.3471226

What difference does tech make? Conceptualizations of Disability and Assistive Technology among Kenyan Youth: Conceptualizations of Disability and AT

Photo looking down at feet and a cane standing on a texture pavement

Type

Conference Paper

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology
Opportunities for Supporting Self-efficacy through Orientation and Mobility Training Technologies for Blind and Partially Sighted People

Maryam Bandukda, Catherine Holloway, Aneesha Singh, Giulia Barbareschi, Nadia Berthouze

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 BPS people and 8 Mobility and Orientation Trainers (MOT). The interviews were thematically analysed and organised into four overarching themes discussing factors influencing the self-efficacy belief of BPS people: Tools and Strategies for O&M training, Technology Use in O&M Training, Changing Personal and Social Circumstances, and Social Influences. We further highlight opportunities for combinations of multimodal technologies to increase access to and effectiveness of O&M training.

ASSETS '21: Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

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Abstract

Opportunities for Supporting Self-efficacy through Orientation and Mobility Training Technologies for Blind and Partially Sighted People

Orientation and mobility (O&M) training provides essential skills and techniques for safe and independent mobility for blind and partially sighted (BPS) people. The demand for O&M training is increasing as the number of people living with vision impairment increases. Despite the growing portfolio of HCI research on assistive technologies (AT), few studies have examined the experiences of BPS people during O&M training, including the use of technology to aid O&M training. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 BPS people and 8 Mobility and Orientation Trainers (MOT). The interviews were thematically analysed and organised into four overarching themes discussing factors influencing the self-efficacy belief of BPS people: Tools and Strategies for O&M training, Technology Use in O&M Training, Changing Personal and Social Circumstances, and Social Influences. We further highlight opportunities for combinations of multimodal technologies to increase access to and effectiveness of O&M training.

Opportunities for Supporting Self-efficacy through Orientation and Mobility Training Technologies for Blind and Partially Sighted People

Type

Workshop

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology
Culture and Participation
Rethinking the Senses: A Workshop on Multisensory Embodied Experiences and Disability Interactions

Maryam Bandukda, Aneesha Singh, Catherine Holloway, Nadia Berthouze, Emeline Brulé, Ana Tajadura-Jiménez, Oussama Metatla, Ana Javornik, and Anja Thieme

The emerging possibilities of multisensory interactions provide an exciting space for disability and open up opportunities to explore new experiences for perceiving one's own body, it's interactions with the environment and also to explore the environment itself. In addition, dynamic aspects of living with disability, life transitions, including ageing, psychological distress, long-term conditions such as chronic pain and new conditions such as long-COVID further affect people's abilities. Interactions with this diversity of embodiments can be enriched, empowered and augmented through using multisensory and cross-sensory modalities to create more inclusive technologies and experiences. To explore this, in this workshop we will explore three related sub-domains: immersive multi-sensory experiences, embodied experiences, and disability interactions and design.

CHI EA '21: Extended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

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Abstract

Rethinking the Senses: A Workshop on Multisensory Embodied Experiences and Disability Interactions

The emerging possibilities of multisensory interactions provide an exciting space for disability and open up opportunities to explore new experiences for perceiving one's own body, it's interactions with the environment and also to explore the environment itself. In addition, dynamic aspects of living with disability, life transitions, including ageing, psychological distress, long-term conditions such as chronic pain and new conditions such as long-COVID further affect people's abilities. Interactions with this diversity of embodiments can be enriched, empowered and augmented through using multisensory and cross-sensory modalities to create more inclusive technologies and experiences. To explore this, in this workshop we will explore three related sub-domains: immersive multi-sensory experiences, embodied experiences, and disability interactions and design. The aim is to better understand how we can re-think the senses in technology design for disability interactions and the dynamic self, constructed through continuously changing sensing capabilities either because of changing ability or because of the empowering technology. This workshop will: (i) bring together HCI researchers from different areas, (ii) discuss tools, frameworks and methods, and (iii) form a multidisciplinary community to build synergies for further collaboration.

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Rethinking the Senses: A Workshop on Multisensory Embodied Experiences and Disability Interactions

Maryam Bandukda, Aneesha Singh, Catherine Holloway, Nadia Berthouze, Emeline Brulé, Ana Tajadura-Jiménez, Oussama Metatla, Ana Javornik, and Anja Thieme. 2021. Rethinking the Senses: A Workshop on Multisensory Embodied Experiences and Disability Interactions. Extended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 118, 1–5. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/341176...

Rethinking the Senses: A Workshop on Multisensory Embodied Experiences and Disability Interactions

12-step London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model: Graphic text includes the following 12 steps positioned in a square shape around the GDI Hub logo. 1. community leaders articulation of needs and priorities, 2. P/political leadership, 3. Clear mission and joint objective setting, 4. Time limited action, 5. Governance by disabled people and community leaders, 6. Diverse partnerships where everyone can drive change, 7. Expert technical assistance and mainstreamed training, 8. Resources, resourcefulness and tools, 9. Inclusive innovation encouraged, 10. Good enough data, scrutiny and progress management, 11. Culture of excellence (beyond contractual compliance) & consequences of failure (to try), 12. Reflection and recognition of success

Type

Journal Paper

Themes

Culture and Participation

Research Group

Social Justice
This Is the Story of Community Leadership with Political Backing. (PM1)" Critical Junctures in Paralympic Legacy: Framing the London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model for New Global Challenges ?"

Disability inclusion necessitates proactive efforts to ensure everybody has an independent and equitable opportunity to meaningfully participate in the activities of their choosing [1,2,3]. Furthermore, disability justice is not a minority concern. There are more than a billion disabled people worldwide, and impairment is something which affects most people’s family right now and will impact all of us over our lifetime. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) enshrines human rights of all disabled people [4], and in 2015 the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) recognised disability inclusion for the first time with the call to ‘leave no-one behind’. Increasingly, governments, non-governmental agencies and businesses alike are seeking to develop and implement policy and practice which enables greater social inclusion for disabled people (In this paper, Disabled People is used in line with the Social Model of Disability in the UK, though please note the UN uses ‘Persons with Disabilities’ as is common in North America) [5]. Eighty percent of the disabled people in the world live in low resource settings in the Global South [3] with a projected growth of this number due to an increase in population age, there is the ever-pressing need to critically evaluate how best to approach disability inclusion to build a societies where we all can flourish. Despite this, we lack case studies of how disability inclusion can be done well—in the literature and in practice. For this reason, we set out to undertake this research using one the most recognised cases of ‘disability inclusion done well’.

Sustainability

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Abstract

This Is the Story of Community Leadership with Political Backing. (PM1)" Critical Junctures in Paralympic Legacy: Framing the London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model for New Global Challenges ?"

The London 2012 Paralympic Games was called “the most successful Paralympic Games ever” (by the then-President of the IPC), and it saw more athletes from more countries than ever before compete and become global heroes for the first time in a redeveloped part of East London which also hosted “the most accessible Olympic Games ever” that summer. However, the model used to design and deliver disability inclusion for London 2012, and its legacy, has never been explicitly written up. This paper presents new primary evidence from first-hand research from those who were involved; retrospectively framing the London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model such that it might be usable and developed for other global disability challenges. We used an adapted Delphi methodology, through four rounds: beginning with an initial hypothesis and testing through semi-structured interviews with ten key players in the London 2012 disability inclusion approach. Using thematic analysis with consensus building surveys and workshops we came to a settled unanimous agreement on the 12-step London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model comprising three parts: (Get ready) community-led mission setting, (Get set) essential building blocks and (Go) enabling a culture of success. The model is presented here, alongside a narrative on its uniqueness and replicability to other major programs, as a public good. We welcome its active use, testing and adaption by others in service of disability innovation for a fairer world.

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This Is the Story of Community Leadership with Political Backing. (PM1)" Critical Junctures in Paralympic Legacy: Framing the London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model for New Global Challenges ?"

Victoria Austin, Kate Mattick, and Cathy Holloway. 2021. "“This Is the Story of Community Leadership with Political Backing. (PM1)” Critical Junctures in Paralympic Legacy: Framing the London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model for New Global Challenges" Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9253. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169253

This Is the Story of Community Leadership with Political Backing. (PM1)" Critical Junctures in Paralympic Legacy: Framing the London 2012 Disability Inclusion Model for New Global Challenges ?"

Type

Working Paper

Themes

Culture and Participation

Research Group

Disability Interactions
Barriers to Access and Retain Formal Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya

Nusrat Jahan and Catherine Holloway

This working paper was developed to support the development of challenge statements for a GDI Hub innovation challenge fund call related to improving access to and retention of employment for persons with disabilities in Kenya and Bangladesh and is written by GDI Hub's Nusrat Jahan and Professor Catherine Holloway.

The issue of disability and employment has taken centre stage on the global arena in part because it is recognised across several areas of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in which confrontation of extreme poverty in its many manifestations is the number one goal [2]. The World Health Organization (2011) reports about 15 percent of the world’s population has a disability [1]. In developing countries, 80 to 90 percent of people with disabilities of working age are unemployed.

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Abstract

Barriers to Access and Retain Formal Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya

Globally persons with disabilities have lower employment rates compared to the general population due to systemic barriers particularly in the formal sector. In developing countries, 80 percent to 90 percent of people with disabilities of working age are unemployed. There has been limited research in low-income and middle-income countries focused on the barriers to access and retain formal employment for persons with disabilities. The aim of this paper, based on desk research, is to analyse the barriers to access and retain formal employment of persons with disabilities which are framed in three categories according to where the barriers primarily manifest: 1. In the workplace among employers and co-workers without disabilities, 2. Among persons with disabilities seeking or engaged in formal employment and 3. In the wider social, physical and policy environment. Although the study mainly focuses on Kenya and Bangladesh other countries’ literature on access to and retention of employment of persons with disabilities were reviewed where relevant. In the current context where the global pandemic is breaking barriers to remote working one part of the solution will be to empower persons with disabilities with appropriate access to Information and Communication Technology, assistive devices and services, digital skills, creating more accessible and inclusive digital platforms for persons with disabilities which also hold the potential to improve working conditions and productivity for the whole workforce as well as enhancing resilience to potential future shocks.

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Barriers to Access and Retain Formal Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya

Jahan & Holloway, 2020, Barriers to Access and Retain Formal Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya, GDI Hub Working Paper Series Issue 01

Barriers to Access and Retain Formal Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya

Type

PhD

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology
Emotionally driven Prostheses: Exploring the Effects on Users’ Lives and Societies’ Attitudes in the UK and Greece

Anna Vlachaki

The literature shows that research into the aesthetic aspects of prostheses is limited. Although there are suggestions that prostheses with high levels of emotionally-driven design may improve users’ well-being, they are based only on theoretical findings. Therefore, in this thesis the effects of emotionally-driven prostheses on users’ lives and society’s attitudes were explored, with respect to culture and more specifically, the theories of individualism/ collectivism. In order to investigate the effects of culture, the research was conducted in two countries with different cultures; the UK (individualistic) and Greece (collectivistic). The thesis began with a literature review across three core areas: user, product and environment, and revealed the importance of investigating an additional area; that of prosthetists. The research employed a qualitative approach and consisted of four studies.

Loughborough University

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Abstract

Emotionally driven Prostheses: Exploring the Effects on Users’ Lives and Societies’ Attitudes in the UK and Greece

The literature shows that research into the aesthetic aspects of prostheses is limited. Although there are suggestions that prostheses with high levels of emotionally-driven design may improve users’ well-being, they are based only on theoretical findings. Therefore, in this thesis, the effects of emotionally-driven prostheses on users’ lives and society’s attitudes were explored, with respect to culture and more specifically, the theories of individualism/ collectivism. In order to investigate the effects of culture, the research was conducted in two countries with different cultures; the UK (individualistic) and Greece (collectivistic). The thesis began with a literature review across three core areas: user, product and environment, and revealed the importance of investigating an additional area; that of prosthetists. The research employed a qualitative approach and consisted of four studies. Study I was an online questionnaire to explore users’ preferences towards prostheses, with respect to their culture. Study II consisted of semi-structured interviews and informational probes to comprehend the role of prostheses on users’ lives, with respect to prosthetic appearance. In Study III, the aim was to investigate prosthetists’ attitudes towards the needs of prosthetic users by conducting semi-structured interviews. Finally, Study IV was an online questionnaire to explore non-users’ attitudes towards the design of prostheses. The research showed that the use of prostheses for the completion of users’ body was not an adequate factor to improve their well-being, and a shift on users’ desires towards emotionally-driven prostheses has occurred. From the variables that were tested, sex, age, cause and area of limb-loss may affect people’s attitudes towards the design of prostheses. Furthermore, the results showed that prostheses with high emotionally-driven design evoked emotions, in both users and non-users, with higher levels of pleasantness and arousal than the emotions that were elicited by the prostheses of lower emotionally-driven designs and thus, they may trigger a greater behavioural reaction. This suggested that emotionally-driven prostheses may eliminate users’ stigmatisation by increasing their self-confidence and altering society’s attitudes. However, attention needs to be paid in collectivistic countries, as emotionally-driven prostheses may enhance users’ stigmatisation.

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Emotionally driven Prostheses: Exploring the Effects on Users’ Lives and Societies’ Attitudes in the UK and Greece

Vlachaki, Anna (2020): Emotionally-driven prostheses: exploring the effects on users’ lives and societies’ attitudes in the UK and Greece. Loughborough University. Thesis. https://doi.org/10.26174/thesi...;

Emotionally driven Prostheses: Exploring the Effects on Users’ Lives and Societies’ Attitudes in the UK and Greece

3D printing

Type

PhD

Themes

Assistive & Accessible Technology

Research Group

Disability Interactions
Design rules for additively-manufactured wrist splints

Sarah Kelly

A Doctoral Thesis. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.

Loughborough University

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Abstract

Design rules for additively-manufactured wrist splints

Additive Manufacturing (AM) often known by the term three-dimensional printing (3DP) has been acknowledged as a potential manufacturing revolution. AM has many advantages over conventional manufacturing techniques; AM techniques manufacture through the addition of material - rather than traditional machining or moulding methods. AM negates the need for tooling, enabling cost-effective low-volume production in high-wage economies and the design & production of geometries that cannot be made by other means. In addition, the removal of tooling and the potential to grow components and products layer-by-layer means that we can produce more from less in terms of more efficient use of raw materials and energy or by making multifunctional components and products. The proposed Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing has the vision of training the next generation of leaders, scientists and engineers in this diverse and multi-disciplinary field. As AM is so new current training programmes are not aligned with the potential for manufacturing and generally concentrate on the teaching of Rapid Prototyping principles, and whilst this can be useful background knowledge, the skills and requirements of using this concept for manufacturing are very different. This CDT will be training cohorts of students in all of the basic aspects of AM, from design and materials through to processes and the implementation of these systems for manufacturing high value goods and services. The CDT will also offer specialist training on aspects at the forefront of AM research, for example metallic, medical and multi-functional AM considerations. This means that the cohorts graduating from the CDT will have the background knowledge to proliferate throughout industry and the specialist knowledge to become leaders in their fields, broadening out the reach and appeal of AM as a manufacturing technology and embedding this disruptive technology in company thinking. In order to give the cohorts the best view of AM, these students will be taken on study tours in Europe and the USA, the two main research powerhouses of AM, to learn from their international colleagues and see businesses that use AM on a daily basis. One of the aims of the CDT in AM is to educate and attract students from complementary basic science, whether this be chemistry, physics or biology. This is because AM is a fast moving area. The benefits of having a CDT in AM and coupling with students who have a more fundamental science base are essential to ensure innovation & timeliness to maintain the UK's leading position. AM is a disruptive technology to a number of industrial sectors, yet the CDTs industrial supporters, who represent a breadth of industrial end-users, welcome this disruption as the potential business benefits are significant. Growing on this industry foresight, the CDT will work in key markets with our supporters to ensure that AM is positioned to provide a real and lasting contribution & impact to UK manufacturing and provide economic stability and growth. This contribution will provide societal benefits to UK citizens through the generation of wealth and employment from high value manufacturing activities in the UK.

Cite

Design rules for additively-manufactured wrist splints

Kelly, Sarah (2020): Design rules for additively-manufactured wrist splints. Loughborough University. Thesis. https://doi.org/10.26174/thesi...;

Design rules for additively-manufactured wrist splints