Global

Searching for information online is a daily activity for many people. Simultaneously, there is a growing need for assistive technology (AT), and this need is predicted to be rising significantly across the world. Yet little is known about how people are searching for information about AT, and what information they are looking for. PhD student Wen (Frances) Mo is exploring this topic, to understand how the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) could help.

Data and evidence is needed by organisations, governments, charities and entrepreneurs, so they can understand and respond to assistive technology (AT) needs. Dr Dafne Zuleima Morgado Ramirez is working with a variety of these stakeholders to support the development of high quality data and evidence.

Assistive technology (AT) is often manufactured in places located far away from the intended users. The fragility of global supply chains, and the fact that some personalisation is often required for AT, means that those with AT needs cannot always get the products they need. Research fellow Dr Ben Oldfrey is working with local partners in countries across the world to see how local manufacturing and innovation can support the supply of AT.

Prosthetic liners sit in between the prosthetic device and the stump of amputees or people with congenital limb difference. They make a profound difference to the comfort of using prosthetics, but liners often do not account for differences in stump shapes, or growth, particularly in children. Research fellow Dr Ben Oldfrey has created sensor skins that can help to create more comfortable and bespoke solutions to prosthetic liners.

Innovation is happening across the world in all fields, and developing solutions for people with disabilities is a compelling area to innovate in. Yet in many cases, the intended users of new innovations are not meaningfully involved in the design process. Postdoctoral researcher Tigmanshu Bhatnagar is working on a programme of activity to make user centred design a central part of assistive technology innovation.

There are various reasons why people with disabilities have not always been able to share their experiences or advocate for themselves and their communities. Postdoctoral researcher Maryam Bandukda is working with communities across the world to build skills and opportunities for disabled people to meaningfully engage on the subjects that matter to them.

In our ageing world, assistive technology (AT) needs will increase. Yet there is little understanding about how and when access to AT will change as populations get older. Jamie Danemayer is a PhD student, co-supervised by UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who is working to maximise sparse data in this field and build a model that will forecast future AT needs.

In this workshop, we aim to bring together researchers, designers, and practitioners to explore effective strategies and brainstorm actionable guidelines for supporting disability inclusive online research methods and platforms.

AT2030 (Assistive Technology 2030) brings together partners who haven’t traditionally focused on assistive technology (AT), with experts, innovators and AT users to experiment with new ideas and thinking.

GDI Hub Academic Research Centre provides robust evidence of the effectiveness of the AT2030 projects to drive evidence and knowledge.

The PrimeVR2 project is a Horizon 2020 project where commercial, academic and research teams are building a virtual reality platform that will allow people with a hyperkinetic movement disorder, people who have had a stroke, and people with a sports injury to play games and interact in a virtual environment for rehabilitation.

Over five years, AT2030 will test ‘what works’ to improve access to AT and will invest in and support solutions to scale with a focus on innovative products, new service models, and global capacity support. The programme will reach 9 million directly and 6 million more people indirectly to enable a lifetime of potential through life-changing Assistive Technology.

To address the need gap and significantly scale up the provision of affordable and appropriate Assistive Technology, this sub-programme will test market shaping methodologies which include research, scoping, and future planning; the creation of market shaping tools; and pilot testing of market interventions. This sub-programme is led by the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).

The AT2030 Sub-Programme on “Research, evidence and impact” seeks to understand ‘what works’ and develop a framework for the innovations and policy interventions across the AT2030 programme.