Assistive Tech & Disability – Let's talk about it

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Did you know that more than 1 billion people, or 15 per cent of the world population, are people with disabilities? That is 1 in 7 people around the world.

Ok, and how does that concern you?

First of all, the likeliness of any of us experiencing a disability during the course of our lives is extremely high (and is on the rise). And most importantly, disability is not just what most people think. In fact, it is any continuing condition, permanent or temporary, that restricts everyday activities and hinders people's effective participation in society on a equal basis with others. This can mean a lot of things, including mental health issues (and yes, that includes depression, anxiety, burnout and a whole lot of other conditions that we are sure you or someone you know have been through or are going through right now).

The rise of affordable 3D printing (and technology in general) has led to a surge in people designing and creating their own prosthetics for physical disabilities, for example. And guess what, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist, or have extensive knowledge of engineering for that matter, to create assistive tools (and not just for physical needs).

Because disability is a topic dear to us, we will discuss challenges and solutions during this meetup. We will talk about Assistive Technology, the general ideation process used to create them, and we will also skim through how these tools have been enabling people.

Also, did you know that majority of the web content is virtually inaccessible to a lot of people and this is down to small things like color contrast and font size? Silly, right?

It’s about time we start making a difference, especially when we know it doesn't take much!

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***This is NOT a workshop - just a bunch of people interested in the topic who want to talk about it and maybe start a project, so don't be shy and don't worry if you don't know a thing about it! We will figure it out together.

***About the costs of projects: Sadly Xinfab does not have funds to fund projects. The group splits the costs among its participants. Or if you're going to make something for yourself, its cost is on you.

Price: Free for members

Not a member or your membership expired? Either become a member, renew your membership or get a one day membership (30 RMB) - No need to prepay, just show up!