Inclusive Design and Assistive Technology Reimagined
Affordable technology solutions for people living with disability.
The TOM@University program is the first of its kind: a unique three-way partnership between a global philanthropic organisation, inter-disciplinary student teams within a university, and Need Knowers (a person living with a disability or a person from their support network) who want solutions for individual challenges in their daily lives.
Run from 2016 to 2024, TOM@University is a pioneering collaboration with Swinburne Design Factory Melbourne and TOM:Melbourne, an innovative assistive technology organisation committed to delivering affordable solutions for people living with disability.
The program shifts thinking in the way assistive solutions are developed. All too often people living with disability have products designed ‘for’ them, not ‘with’ them. TOM@University is unique as Need Knowers and student teams co-design solutions.
The experience is an example of the melding of three diverse disciplines that results in bespoke products that have a real and direct impact on people’s lives.
The Program
Human-centred
Need Knowers and student teams co-design solutions. Often, Need Knowers have a particular need in mind that they’d like to address.
Collaborative
Working closely with the Need Knower, the teams identify new opportunity areas for solutions that the Need Knowers would benefit from.
Interdisciplinary
The program brings together students and experts, from across occupational therapy and design, as well as engineering disciplines.
Impact through open-source technology
The program disrupts assistive technology and the device industry as part of a larger healthcare industry paradigm shift.
It also creates economic and social impact in a unique way, as the aim is to create solutions that are as affordable as possible and all outcomes are open-source, building instructions available for everyone through the TOM:Global digital platform.
Some of the solutions to date include:
- an automatic wheelchair cleaning station
- a bowling-launching device
- pool cue stabiliser
- Accessible Learning Materials
- training and communication app for support workers
- a solution for craft work with limited arm use.
Keep on exploring
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Wheebo
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Metaflora
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