果冻影院 to lead new Global Disability Innovation Hub

5 September 2016

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, launched on Saturday the world's first Global Disability Innovation Hub, which will be based at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Professor Nigel Tichener-Hooker, 果冻影院 Dean of Engineering, speaking at the launch

It will bring together the world's best academics, disability experts and designers to improve the lives of the world's one billion disabled people through technology, co-design and innovation.

果冻影院 will lead the team responsible for the long-term development of the Hub which will have a permanent home at the new 果冻影院 East campus.听

Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker (果冻影院 Engineering) spoke on behalf of 果冻影院 and its partners at the launch.

The Hub, to be based initially at the London Legacy Development Corporation, launched with:

路 A new website calling on people to join its online community and share ideas and innovations from across the world;

路 Over ten projects, many developed by teams involving 果冻影院 researchers, already delivering and testing new ways of disrupting traditional thinking on disability;

路 Plans to launch a Master's programme,听 sponsored PhDs, and multidisciplinary research projects being developed by academic partners;

Professor Paola Lettieri, Academic Director for 果冻影院 East, said:

"The Global Disability Hub is a great example of the new and exciting activities that we are planning for our new campus at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which break down the conventional barriers between research, education, enterprise and public engagement, and are innovative in the approach that integrates them."

The Hub emerged from work at 果冻影院, led by Catherine Holloway (果冻影院 Interaction Centre), into finding practical uses for the latest research on disability and innovation. An example of a project being supported by 果冻影院 is the development of an app that allows wheelchair users to plan accessible urban routes.

The establishment of the Hub was spurred by a 果冻影院 Grand Challenge award led by Dr Maria Kett (果冻影院 Epidemiology) that allowed over 150 people from across the disability communities and academics across the Hub institutions to work together on a week of daily 'hacks'. They designed transport for disabled children in Zimbabwe and developed methods for visually impaired people to navigate the 果冻影院 East campus.

The Hub partnership is led by 果冻影院 and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with Loughborough University London, UAL's London College of Fashion, alongside partners including Leonard Cheshire Disability, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art and a range of disabled peoples' organisations and local and international community groups.

The Hub is co-directed within 果冻影院 by Professor Nora Groce (果冻影院 Epidemiology). It will work with teams including the听Aspire CREATe centre听and the听果冻影院 Institute for Healthcare Engineering.

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Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker, Dean of 果冻影院 Engineering

Contact

Margaret-Anne Orgill

Margaret-Anne Orgill

听听 Email: M.orgill@ucl.ac.uk 听 Tel: 07572 602345

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