My work around assistive technology in the Global South is primarily linked to the AT2030 programme led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub and funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development office.
My research in this areas has been really diverse and I had the opportunity to collaborate with many different partners from NGOs such as Motivation UK, to other academic institutions such as the University of Nairobi, or innovative start-ups like Amparo.
Over 80% of all people with disabilities in the world actually live in the Global South, and almost 9 out of 10 do not have access to the assistive technology that they need. My interest is to explore new ways to make assistive technology more accessible to the people who need them. I am also interested in finding ways to reduce stigma around disability and assistive technology use, taking into account the contextual differences that shape the experiences of disability and technology access. For example, some of our research has shown that while material resources and digital literacy might be scarce amongst people with disabilities in Kenya, social bonds are generally stronger, meaning that people are better able to leverage the power of their communities.
Below you can find a quick summary of publications from my research on AT in the Global South and you can contact me if you like to know more.
Disability Stigma and Assistive Tech Use
This work was done in partnership with Shujaaz Inc and investigated how young people without disabilities in Kenya perceive their peers with disabilities and the role that AT plays in all this. You can read our two papers below if you would like to get more details about it.
A revolution in wheelchair provision
This work was the result of a collaboration between Motivation, GDI Hub and Bethany Kids and tested the potential of a new model to produce bespoke wheelchairs for local communities leveraging a hybrid system that combines digital manufacturing and personalised assessment. Below you can find the two papers that were published containing more details about the results of this research.
Value beyond function: analyzing the perception of wheelchair innovations in Kenya
Uncovering unexpected impacts: the case of digital manufacturing of wheelchairs in Kenya
Mobile phone use and disability
This work, carried included a series of studies (carried out with multiple partners ranging from GSMA to the University of Nairobi and the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa) that attempted to understand how people with disabilities in the Global South make use of mobile phones in their daily life, the advantages that this offers, the barriers they encounter and the mediating effects of one’s social network. Some of the papers listed below are primarily ethnographic accounts from individual participants, whereas other are looking more a larger cross sectional surveys.
The social network: How people with visual impairment use mobile phones in kibera, Kenya
Mobile phones as assistive technologies: gaps and opportunities
Challenges and disparities in global AT research
Rather than being focused on a specific project this work has emerged a result of the reflections shared amongst colleagues working across different institutions, on the challenges encountered when conducting research with AT users living in the Global South. Across various workshops, panel discussions and other initiatives we also try to raise awareness about the existing barriers and disparities that disproportionately affect colleagues working in academic and community research in the Global South in getting recognition for their outputs. This is very much an ongoing effort! So, if any of these arguments resonate with you, feel free to get in touch with me at any time.
Challenges and Strategies for Accessibility Research in the Global South: A Panel Discussion
Disability Design and Innovation in Low Resource Settings: Addressing Inequality Through HCI
Disability design and innovation in computing research in low resource settings
Other research on AT in the Global South
Beyond the specific projects mentioned above, worked on a variety of studies looking at different aspects that influence how people with disabilities in the Global South are able (or unable) to access the assistive technology they need and how innovation can address these challenges. Resulting publications from this research is listed here.
Evaluating the use of a thermoplastic socket in Kenya: A pilot study
Supporting the Voice of People with Disabilities in Kenya, Uganda and Jordan
AT innovation ecosystem design – a kenyan case study
