Disability organisations across Australia (and globally) have been vocal in recent weeks about the serious concerns COVID-19 poses for people with disability. These include urgent issues like access to NDIS and other personal support, healthcare, employment and income support, housing, accessible information and communications and education.
In universities, remote delivery is posing new accessibility challenges with learning and collaboration technologies, and in supporting the wellbeing of vulnerable students including students with disability and students from low income backgrounds.
But while governments and health organisations scramble to ensure that no one is left behind, we have also seen some remarkable innovation bubbling to the surface.
Engaging universities in accessibility solutions
Universities, through groups like UTS’s LX.Lab, have been overhauling resources to support academics to deliver engaging and accessible online learning, while cross-sector collaborations have emerged to support people with disability with COVID-19 emergency planning.
At UTS such opportunities to support people with disability are the focus of new Disability Research Innovation Collaboration Funding which has been offered through a joint initiative of the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, Research Office and the Design Innovation Research Centre.
Three projects have been awarded grants to support innovative, multi-disciplinary research that works to enhance partnerships between UTS scholars, people with disability, community and government. These successful projects offer enormous potential for enhancing inclusion for people with disability.
Projects leading the way
The Climate Change and Disability in Australia (CiCADA) project is identifying insights from recent bushfires to understand the human impact of climate change and related emergencies for people with disability, their families, disability organisations, and communities, ultimately improving the design and delivery of support for people with disability in future disasters.
A second project is working with community partners including the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability, People with Disability Australia to explore the perspectives of people with intellectual disability on the role of former disability institutions.
This work will feed into Disability Royal Commission deliberations, and provide a basis for academics, disability advocates and people with intellectual disability to consider issues around memorials, redress for past institutionalisation and institutional violence, future law and policymaking on disability housing and support, and future urban planning and development on former disability institution sites.
Unsurprisingly, the kinds of opportunities offered by new technologies that are being so rapidly adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic are also front of mind for many researchers. Particularly in the Faculty of Engineering and IT, where UTS Rapido researches, develops and delivers cutting-edge technologies to start-ups, SMEs, and large corporate and government organisations.
In the third successful Disability Research Innovation Collaboration Funding project, Faculty of Engineering & IT Biomedical Engineers are working with colleagues from the UTS Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building to develop a new generation of exoskeletal assistive devices which can offer users mobility, freedom and personalisation.
These projects showcase some of the possibilities for innovation and collaboration on offer when academics and community partners collaborate across university campuses and beyond. With a strong focus on voice and impact for people with disability and community, such innovation offers huge potential benefits for people with disability in supporting evidence informed policy, service and practice.
For more information about the projects or the Disability Research Innovation Collaboration Group contact the UTS Research Office’s Sarah Angus or Jo Tilly at the UTS Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion.
The researchers behind it all
The CiCADA group is led by Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, and includes disability and management specialist Professor Simon Darcy, climate change and ecology researchers Distinguished Professor Alfredo Huete and Dr Brad Murray, health services management scholar Dr Deb Debono and industry partners from ABC Radio’s Emergency Broadcasting, Assistive Technology firm, Make Tech Work 4 U, along with community members with disability and family carers.
The Truths About Disability Institutions in Australia is led by Dr Linda Steele, from the Law Health Justice Research Centre and inclusive design researcher Dr Philippa Carnemolla from the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building,
The assistive devices project involves Dr Joshua Chou and Parker Liang from the Faculty of Engineering and IT, and Dr Mark Liu along iht industry experts Adjunct Associate Professor Steven Bernardi, and Dene Huntley, from the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.