What an assistive technology can do for equal opportunities

“People simply aren’t equal,” Jetske Brummer begins. “If you want equal opportunities, you sometimes must give some people a little more in certain areas and others a little less. If someone cannot reach the bus stop without an assistive device, they should be given a 

middle-income countries. Jetske explains: “We always start by finding out locally what walking stick. That, to me, is what a just society is about.” Jetske is a researcher involved in the Assistive Technology 4 All (AT4All) programme, run by the Assistive Technology for Mobility and Sports and Technology for Healthcare research groups.

Walking sticks, walking frames and frame runners

The research group develops mobility aids for people with physical disabilities, particularly in low- and the target group needs. We then look at what is technically feasible, develop a design through co-creation, and make sure the assistive technology can be produced and maintained locally.”

Most of the current projects are in Africa. In Gambia, the focus is on walking sticks, crutches and walking frames. In Tanzania, the team is developing a frame runner – a three-wheeled running bike – for schoolchildren.

If a good wheelchair is developed in Tanzania, perhaps it can also be made in Rwanda.

Different assistive technologies, different countries, different target groups. “We see that the different projects within the AT4All programme – all those small contributions – are already making a difference,” Jetske continues. “Our goal is to bring all those small contributions together and create an impact on a larger scale. If a good wheelchair is developed in Tanzania, perhaps it can also be made in Rwanda. Or in India or South America. It’s about learning from each other’s experiences and adapting where the local context requires it.”

Collaboration: what works?

A strong network is crucial to achieving this. This is exactly what Jetske hopes to develop guidelines for soon. Thanks to a grant she recently received, she will spend the coming year focusing on the methods behind these collaborations. She will review the literature and gather practical experiences. This will allow her to map out how the design, production and maintenance of assistive technologies can be organised effectively. What works? How do you ensure that projects become sustainable in the long term? How do you bring partners together?

Above all, we want to make it easier for people to find each other and learn from one another.

At the same time, an AT4All student is thinking about developing ‘something’ that would allow partners to exchange knowledge. “We don’t want to put a label on it just yet, because we haven’t fully decided what form it will take,” Jetske says with a smile. “But ultimately, we want to make it easier for people to find each other and make sure that connecting people doesn’t depend on just one individual.”

Projects in Gambia and Tanzania: the current situation

The projects in Gambia and Tanzania have been running for several years. The assistive technologies are now being produced and used. Students from the Industrial Design Engineering programme at The Hague University of Applied Sciences have been involved in both projects. What role do they still play today?

Jannis works on the project in Gambia. Jetske explains: “When a new crutch or walking stick has been made, he receives a photo. And if something breaks or is damaged, he discusses with the technician there what could be improved in the design. Another nice development is that a group of local women has worked on giving the assistive technologies a culturally inspired print, so they now fit better into the local environment.”

Through the NGO he founded, Jannis is still involved in AT4All. “He has worked on an improved version of the bike,” Jetske says enthusiastically. “And that’s exactly what we like to see: students who stay involved, or students who take over from one another.”

Owen, who graduated at the time on the frame runner project in Tanzania, has recently returned to the country.

Taking it one step further

For now, Jetske is focusing on the research for which she received funding, but she is already thinking about what comes next. “You could also research the need for assistive technologies in the first place. Or evaluate what has been developed. I think I’ll probably start working on a new project proposal towards the end of the year.”

Read more on the AT4All project page.