News
Accessibility 2030 Pavilion
Join us at the Accessibility 2030 Pavilion at WUF 2024 in Cairo, and be part of this historic moment as we work together to shape the future of accessible urban design!
Can AI help Africa close the development gap? [financial times piece explores how our AT2030 programme has tested the google relate app]
The Financial Times piece explores how our AT2030 programme has tested the google relate app to understand how the app is currently used, how can be used and how can be improved - working alongside and training local speech and language therapists in Ghana.
16 Assistive Technology startups receive seed grants worth ₹78.5 Lakhs at the EMPOWER 2024 Pitch Day
India is a startup nation, and assistive technology is a globally growing market. Find out more about the AT2030 Attvaran Accelerator pitch day at the premiere Indian assistive technology conference, EMPOWER 2024 - a landmark move to accelerate innovation and inclusion in the AT sector.
Join Attvaran's AT Pitch Day at Empower Conference 2024
GDI Hub and NCPEDP will cohost a Demo Day for Assistive Technology Startups at EMPOWER 2024 in Thiruvananthapuram - designed to accelerate the growth of AT solutions, focusing on improving accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. We are seeking ventures to apply to join this pitch opportunity, with two parallel pitching sessions —one for grant funding and another for angel and venture capital investment.
Seeking an experienced General Partner (investment fund manager) to build on our success supporting companies ready to scale that are already changing the way people live, learn, and work.
The Accessible & Assistive Technology Growth Fund (AT Growth Fund) is a catalytic impact fund that will harness technology to improve the lives of millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. Our goal is to drive innovation, accessibility, and inclusivity through private sector investments in life changing accessible and assistive technologies. We are seeking an experienced General Partner (investment fund manager) to build on our success supporting companies ready to scale that are already changing the way people live, learn, and work.
Disability, innovation and the power of Paralympic legacy – a reception to remember at the British ambassador's residence to mark the start of the 2024 Paris Paralympics
As the first day of sport kicked off in Paris, and crowds around the city streamed into venues to cheer Paralympians in action, the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) and Dame Menna Rawlings - British Ambassador to France – were delighted to welcome esteemed guests to the 'Beyond Sport' panel and reception to explore disability, innovation and the power of Paralympic legacy.
Beyond this land - attracting new audiences to Para sport
Africa remains one of the least engaged regions when it comes to disability sports and the adoption of assistive technology. Feedback from Phase One of the AT2030 Para Sport Against Stigma project highlighted a recurring misconception that disability sports are primarily a concept of the Global North, with little relevance in Africa. To challenge this narrative, and to leverage the global attention on disability sports in the lead-up to the Paris Games, we launched the #BeyondThisLand campaign - a digital initiative aimed at attracting a new and diverse audience to disability sports while increasing viewership among existing enthusiasts in Africa.
Powering AT solutions - Attvaran India accelerator is launched
Attvaran seeks to accelerate startup growth, supporting early-stage inclusive, disability and technology startups in improving their product-market fit. Through intense mentorship, ecosystem access, education and networking, this Delhi based accelerator will provide a pipeline for emerging regional technologies - and bring together key players in the assistive technology ecosystem.
AT2030 launches innovative startup accelerator dedicated to early-stage assistive technology ventures in Asia
The intense three-month program beginning July 2024 will include expert talks, time-bound exercises, bespoke mentorship and building a network to a prolific ecosystem of entrepreneurs, disability and tech experts, assistive technology users, customers and investors. The program aims to boost early-stage entrepreneurs in transforming solutions into compelling businesses.
How AT2030 has facilitated a 94% price reduction to power access to life-changing hearing aids
In 2021 as part of the UK aid funded AT2030 programme, the Global Disability Innovation Hub and UNICEF were able to add hearing aids to the UNICEF Supply Catalogue for the first time. The catalogue enables governments around the world to access competitively priced and procured products - offering low-cost high-quality solutions for the first time. In Rwanda alone, a 94% reduction has been achieved.
Signvrse Wins Prestigious Innovation Award and National Business Competition
In a groundbreaking recognition of innovation and inclusivity, Signvrse, previously known as Veezaviz, achieved remarkable success at the Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) 2023, Commonwealth Edition. Co-founder Elly Savatia was honored with the esteemed Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards, spotlighting the exceptional strides made by this tech pioneer.
Social Finance and Investing For Good become the first delivery partners for AT2030's Accessible and Assistive Technology Growth Fund
We are delighted to announce that GDI Hub will be partnering with Social Finance and Investing For Good for the next phase of the AT Growth Fund as we look to transcend a new frontier for venture capital and commercial lending in disability innovation. The AT Growth Fund will look to unlock long-term market opportunities in the undercapitalized yet immensely valuable Assistive Technology (AT) sector.
Inclusive Infrastructure, Disability and Climate Change: what's needed to leave no one behind
Join us at COP28 as we bring together stakeholders working across inclusive infrastructure, disability-inclusive urban development, and climate change action to discuss partnerships and practical actions to ensure persons with disabilities are not left behind. As cities integrate climate adaptation and mitigation infrastructure, accessibility and inclusion must be embedded. There is no resilient and sustainable future without inclusion.
Online survey to collect insights on critical aspects of assistive technology device use and access
This International Disability Alliance (IDA) project looks to positioning OPDs as equal partners on AT. The project intends to strengthen the role of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, in advancing the use of and access to AT devices. Central to the project is, collecting knowledge and research from persons with disabilities.
His Majesty the King concludes visit to Kenya with encouragement for Assistive Technology innovators, and meets ventures from our Innovate Now accelerator
His Majesty King Charles III recently concluded his visit to Kenya, where he met ventures from the Global Disability Innovation Hub’s Innovate Now Accelerator, Africa's first Assistive Technology Accelerator. The King's visit served as a significant boost for the Kenyan assistive technology sector, highlighting the country's leadership in developing affordable solutions for people with disabilities.
Request for Proposals: Accessible and Assistive Technology Growth Fund
AT Growth Fund will be an impact-first blended finance vehicle, combining leading-edge domain expertise with a global network of partners across research, innovation, international development, big tech, and public and private sectors. Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) are seeking proven partners in impact-driven investing to develop the strategy, underpin the business model, and to mobilize and manage the fund.
Celebrating Excellence: Winners Announced at the 2023 Engineering Talent Awards!
The UCL Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub won Innovation of the Year for the development of a new, refreshable tactile technology Tacilia. The team aimed to allow children who are blind or have partial sight to be better able to engage with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) education.
Inclusive Infrastructure Case Study Launched in Medellín, Colombia - Exploring Inclusive Environments
Medellín, Colombia is the sixth and final case study city under the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) led and UK Aid funded AT2030 Inclusive Infrastructure sub-programme. Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín is well-known for its progress in urban development in the last 20 years, moving forward from its violent history. Medellín has been designated a district of innovation and is known for innovative urban projects such as its cable cars and electric escalators that connect higher altitude, low-income communities on the peripheries of the city. This case study explores the current state of accessibility and inclusion in the city for persons with disabilities and helps understand whether such urban innovations are inclusive for all the city’s residents.
Launch event Inclusive Design Medellín
An online event to share the findings and recommendations for infrastructure, built environment and urban development in Medellín, Colombia.
UCL and Indian partners to drive disability innovation through assistive technology
The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) at UCL has announced a new collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology to support disability inclusion. The academic research and practice centre, based at UCL East, signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with colleagues from the Assistech Lab at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) and R2D2 lab at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras). As leaders in assistive technology (AT) research, the organisations plan to jointly deliver a collaborative AT Accelerator Program, an AT Innovation Portal, and an AT Academic Innovation Partnership to drive knowledge across different markets.