Publications
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AT2030 Frontiers symposium report
Royal Academy of EngineeringMarch 20, 2026NepalCase Studies and ReportsWe are delighted to share the full insights, commitments, and emerging ideas from the event - you can access the event report now. The theme Bridging Global and Local Innovation captured the spirit of the event: a call for a middle path where global collaboration is grounded in local creativity.
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When Trauma Meets Assistive Technology: Emerging Faultlines from Global Expert Interviews
Preetham Nagaraj, Catherine Holloway, Maryam BandukdaMarch 18, 2026GlobalAcademic Research PublicationsAssistive Technology (AT) has largely been designed around needs that, even when they change over time, are relatively predictable; yet trauma produces disruptions that are rapid, context-dependent, and culturally mediated. This paper asks: what conceptual tensions emerge when trauma recovery technology is viewed through an AT lens, and what do those tensions reveal about the limits and future direction of the field?
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When Sport Opens a Door: Reflections on disability, stigma and Para sport in Malawi
Loughborough UniversityMarch 17, 2026MalawiAT2030 ResourcesStories about disability and sport are often told through moments of success or celebration. This conversation between Timveni Radio and TV journalist Mphatso Mnelemba and sitting volleyball player and fashion designer Callista Mdumuka offers something different. Through reflections on school, gender, disability, sport, stigma and everyday life, the discussion reveals both the hope and uncertainty that can shape participation in para sport in Malawi. It is also a conversation that highlights the role journalists and storytellers can play in creating space for experiences and voices that are often overlooked.
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Enhancing Digital Inclusion of Blind or Partially Sighted and Deaf or Hard of Hearing Individuals in Low- and Middle-Income Countries through Smartphones as Assistive Technology
Vicki Austin, Catherine Holloway, Dr Giulia Barbareschi, Laxmi Gunupudi, Vinicius Delgado Ramos, Satish Mishra, Maryam Bandukda, Amit PrakashMarch 17, 2026GlobalAcademic Research PublicationsIn this study, we developed a two-day scaffolded digital skills training intervention for mobile literacy for people who are blind or partially sighted (BPS) and deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) across three research settings: Brazil, India, and Kenya. Using an adapted Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (MDPQ) administered at pre- and post-intervention, we measured the impact of the digital skills training intervention on the perceived proficiency in smartphone use.
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Ndingathe I'MPOSSIBLE Teacher Handbook
Malawi Paralympic CommitteeMarch 17, 2026MalawiAT2030 ResourcesInternational Paralympic Committee’s I’MPOSSIBLE education programme was first introduced in Malawi in 2019 through implementation by the Malawi Paralympic Committee. The programme aimed to use the power of Paralympic sport and athlete storytelling to challenge perceptions of disability and promote inclusion through sport and physical education. Developed by the Malawi Paralympic Committee in close collaboration with the University of Malawi, this tool is intended to support more independent and widespread use by teachers, schools, and community organisations across the country.
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Supporting the support systems: Integrating assistive technology access into aging policy frameworks
Jamie Danemayer, Catherine Holloway, Vicki Austin, Shereen HusseinMarch 12, 2026GlobalAcademic Research PublicationsIndividuals who can obtain and effectively use assistive products, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and accessible software, are understood to have reliable access to assistive technology (AT). Such access is increasingly recognised as critical support in the context of global population ageing, where the prevalence of functional difficulties is rising and the demand for supportive solutions and services is expanding. In response, AT outcomes such as need, use, and unmet need are more often included in routine data collection systems, including censuses and household surveys. Similarly, dedicated surveys, such as the WHO Rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA), have been successfully administered in dozens of countries, expanding the portfolio of available AT data.
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Integrating disability related data into national Health Management Information Systems
Global Disability Innovation Hub, Clinton Health Access InitiativeMarch 3, 2026AT2030 ResourcesThe AT2030 programme tests ‘what works’ to improve access to Assistive Technology (AT) and will invest £20 million over five years to support solutions with a focus on innovative products, new service models, and global capacity support. The programme will reach nine million directly and six million more people indirectly to enable a lifetime of potential through life-changing AT. The programme is funded by UK aid and led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub. Under Cluster 3: Country Implementation of the AT2030 programme, CHAI is partnering with country governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone to drive access to AT by improving disability data availability. Below is a case study of one such piece of work
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Unlocking Investment in Assistive Technology: Blended Finance and the Path to Market Scale
Global Disability Innovation HubFeb. 25, 2026GlobalCase Studies and ReportsAssistive technology — such as wheelchairs, hearing devices, glasses and communication tools — enables disabled people, older adults and others with support needs to participate fully in society. More than 2.5 billion people need AT, yet fewer than one in seven can access it. The issue is not a lack of demand or innovation, but a lack of suitable finance to help effective solutions scale. This report argues that blended finance can unlock the AT market by combining philanthropic, public and private capital to reduce risk and attract investment. Drawing on ten years of GDI Hub research and engagement with more than 150 AT ventures, it sets out practical recommendations to expand access globally. The pipeline exists, the mechanisms are available, and the opportunity is within reach.
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Beyond Stigma Workshop - ideas, learning and sharing
Loughborough UniversityJan. 27, 2026Case Studies and ReportsThe Beyond Stigma knowledge sharing workshop created a conversation that moved beyond awareness or attitude to focus on how stigma is produced through systems, and what that means for efforts to address it. Capturing reflections, experiences and learnings from the AT2030 Para Sport Against Stigma programme, the event provided an opportunity to step back and reflect - as is captured by the visual illustration of the disussions.
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OPD Country Level Strategy for Kenya
Global Disability Innovation HubDec. 19, 2025KenyaAT2030 ResourcesThe primary aim of this project is to develop an OPD Country Level Strategy for Kenya, titled: ‘How can technology support OPDs to build capacity, impact and influence’ - through a lens of Assistive Technologies which will include an OPD Capacity Building Framework co-created by OPDs.
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Communication for Localisation: “Making” the Paralympics Malawian
Jennie Wong, Prof. Mufunanji Magalsi (UofMalawi), Jo Tacchi, Jessica Noske-TurnerNov. 27, 2025MalawiAcademic Research PublicationsLike many media and communication initiatives for development and social change that are highly global in nature, the social impact of expanding the broadcast footprint of the Paralympic Games to regions such as sub-Saharan Africa is often simply assumed, and the markers of success are underpinned by a reach-centric logic. In this paper, we explore whether and how the Paralympics can become a platform for social change. Informed by findings from a four-year participatory action research project, this paper analyses experimentation with different communication for social change approaches related to para sport and the Paralympics, with a focus on Malawi.
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Building a Case for Disability-Inclusive Local Climate Action.
Global Disability Innovation Hub, Mikaela Patrick, Bala NagendranNov. 21, 2025GlobalAT2030 ResourcesThe Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) presents this White Paper titled ‘Building a Case for Disability-Inclusive Local Climate’ as an effort to synthesise available insights at this intersection and frame a narrative for future research, innovation, and action.
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Empowering Mobility in Kenya: The Journey So Far
Harrison KamauOct. 25, 2025KenyaCase Studies and ReportsOver the past year, we’ve built a consortium of innovators, including MATT from Colombia, NeoMotion from India, EbikesAfrica, TAI (The Accessibility Institute) and Kounkuey Design Initiative from Kenya. Each partner has contributed insights from their respective markets and communities. This global exchange of ideas, supported by the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) and the AT2030 programme, positioned us to launch practical trials in Kenya.
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Understanding the Video Content Creation Journey of Creators with Sensory Impairment in Kenya
Catherine Holloway, Lan Xiao, Maryam BandukdaOct. 22, 2025KenyaAcademic Research PublicationsVideo content creation offers vital opportunities for expression and participation, yet remains largely inaccessible to creators with sensory impairments, especially in low-resource settings. We conducted interviews with 20 video creators with visual and hearing impairments in Kenya to examine their tools, challenges, and collaborative practices. Our findings show that accessibility barriers and infrastructural limitations shape video creation as a staged, collaborative process involving trusted human partners and emerging AI tools. Across workflows, creators actively negotiated agency and trust, maintaining creative control while bridging sensory gaps. We discuss the need for flexible, interdependent collaboration models, inclusive human-AI workflows, and diverse storytelling practices. This work broadens accessibility research in HCI by examining how technology and social factors intersect in low-resource contexts, suggesting ways to better support disabled creators globally.
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Understanding Professionals’ Needs in Integrating AI Chatbots for Wheelchair Assessment Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Wen Mo, Catherine Holloway, Aneesha SinghOct. 22, 2025GlobalAcademic Research PublicationsWhile AI chatbots have been proposed to support wheelchair provision services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the perception of physical therapists regarding how they could be integrated into their service workflow remains unclear. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 professionals from Africa and South Asia, using two design probes to investigate the potential and limitations of using chatbots in their everyday wheelchair assessment services.
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Designing with Tensions : Understanding Professionals’ Needs in Integrating AI Chatbots for Wheelchair Assessment Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Wen Mo, Catherine Holloway, Aneesha SinghOct. 22, 2025GlobalAcademic Research PublicationsWhile AI chatbots have been proposed to support wheelchair provision services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the perception of physical therapists regarding how they could be integrated into their service workflow remains unclear. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 professionals from Africa and South Asia, using two design probes to investigate the potential and limitations of using chatbots in their everyday wheelchair assessment services. Our findings revealed 13 tensions that arise when the envisioned chatbot use misaligns with three interconnected domains - professional values, practice structures, and contextual readiness, such as conflicts in professional autonomy, evolving responsibilities, and confidence in AI.
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Toward a Multi-layer Framework to Assess the Quality of Life Impact of Smartphones as Assistive Technology for People with Sensory Disabilities in Kenya
Vicki Austin, Catherine Holloway, Dr Giulia Barbareschi, Lan Xiao, Maryam BandukdaOct. 22, 2025KenyaAcademic Research PublicationsRecent advances in smartphone technology have elevated their potential as digital assistive technologies (AT) for blind or partially sighted (BPS) and deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) individuals. However, there is a gap in fully understanding the use of smartphones as AT and their impact on the quality of life (QoL) of BPS and DHH individuals. To address this gap, we conducted a mixed-methods longitudinal study over six months with 193 participants in Kenya. The study involved a baseline survey, smartphone digital skills training, and a follow-up survey and interviews to examine the impact of smartphones as AT. The findings emphasise the significant impact of smartphones on their quality of life, including impact on their identity and well-being, social inclusion and leisure, access to information and education, and material well-being. Building on the findings, we contribute an AT Impact Framework, which highlights the behaviours enabled by smartphones and their impact on the individual
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A Cookbook for Community-driven Data Collection of Impaired Speech in LowResource Languages
Gifty Ayoka, Catherine Holloway, Richard CaveSept. 30, 2025GhanaAcademic Research PublicationsThis study presents an approach for collecting speech samples to build Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) models for impaired speech, particularly, low-resource languages. It aims to democratize ASR technology and data collection by developing a "cookbook" of best practices and training for community-driven data collection and ASR model building. As a proof-of-concept, this study curated the first open-source dataset of impaired speech in Akan: a widely spoken indigenous language in Ghana. The study involved participants from diverse backgrounds with speech impairments. The resulting dataset, along with the cookbook and open-source tools, are publicly available to enable researchers and practitioners to create inclusive ASR technologies tailored to the unique needs of speech impaired individuals. In addition, this study presents the initial results of fine-tuning open-source ASR models to better recognize impaired speech in Akan.
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More Than Games: Why Sport Must Matter in the Assistive Technology Agenda
Loughborough UniversitySept. 30, 2025NamibiaCase Studies and ReportsHow participatory research, co-creation with Global South partners, and extended project cycles can lead to policy change for disability inclusion. Exploring how the African Union Sport Council Region 5 Youth Games (July 2025, Namibia) brought together 100 delegates from government, NGOs, and the Olympic and Commonwealth Sport Movements.
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Sex and Gender in AT2030 V2 funded projects Involving Primary Data
Dr Dilisha Patel, Elizabeth Mc GuinnessSept. 30, 2025GlobalAcademic Research PublicationsThe UK International Development funded AT2030 programme, which focuses on improving access to Assistive Technology (AT) across more than 40 countries, has reached over 37 million people till the end of AT2030 V2. As AT2030 enters its third phase (v3), an evaluation of its past work from 2019-2024 (v2) highlights the need for improved inclusion of sex and gender-disaggregated data in its research outputs.
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