Disability innovation: designing around one person’s need
Disability and Innovation: Thinking Beyond Flying Wheelchairs
By Mark · Originally published 8 February 2017
Original article and dated context
Mark is a researcher, consultant, and wheelchair-based humanoid. By day, he works for Dyson Consulting Group, and by late afternoon, he’s Clickability’s data guru and pigeon wrangler. For more from Mark, visit his website.
Imagine a wheelchair that could fly, a walking stick that kills flies… no, a hearing aid that makes you coffee! So innovative! I’m a genius. Someone give me money…
… or not. Any fool (like me) can dream up crazy ideas and claim I’m innovative. The word ‘innovation’ is thrown around a lot lately in the Australian disability sector. But what is it, really, and how do we get it?
A recent experience has opened my eyes. In November, I had the privilege of being on the judging panel for the Tikkun Olan Makers (TOM) Melbourne Makeathon on behalf of Clickability. TOM is a global initiative, originating in Israel, which creates and shares solutions for the everyday challenges of people with disabilities.
Several TOM makeathons are held each year in cities across the world. The format: groups of makers (clever students, professionals, and hobbyists with skills) are teamed with a person with a disability. The person with a disability is called a ‘need knower’, and has a specific challenge. The ‘need knower’ and their team have three days – yes, three days – working together to create a solution for that challenge. And they don’t just come up with an idea; they build and test it, all in two days.
At the Melbourne makeathon, hosted by RMIT, the challenges were wide and varied. For example, one team took on the challenge of Youki, who sought an easy way to put on trousers independently; his cerebral palsy meant this was difficult without assistance. Youki and his team invented a discrete, wearable harness and pulley system that allows pulling up trousers with the tug of one cord. Because it is ideal for quick trips to the loo while out with friends on a Friday night, they’ve called it ‘the pub pants’.
Another team created a custom tablet computer interface for Kevin, a man whose disability doesn’t allow him to use a mouse, touchscreen, or eye-tracking. The custom switches attach to a wheelchair or table and allow Kevin to surf the Internet independently.
These two teams were winners of the Clickability business development prize, and will receive advice and support from Clickability to further develop these products. You can read about all the inventions from Melbourne here.
In fact, you can recreate and further develop these ideas yourself, because instructions for making TOM inventions are open source and shared online.
But what amazed me was this: every invention was designed to help one person – the ‘need knower’. Yet, for all 10 projects, I either knew someone who would benefit from the concept, or I wanted to use it myself.
The lesson appears to be twofold:
Design for an individual, be it yourself or someone you know.
Share no matter what. Even if it seems simple, or niche, you never know who needs it.
The creations I witnessed at TOM Melbourne were more innovative than flying wheelchairs and barista hearing aids, because they worked. We need more of this kind of innovation.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Begin with the task and test what would help you
Describe the difficulty, the environments involved and the result you want. Ask a relevant professional about assessment, trialling and risks before adopting a prototype. Include comfort, communication, maintenance and what will happen if the design fails.
A solution made for another person may inspire a question without fitting your body or circumstances. NDIA assistive-technology guidance provides current context for advice and purchasing. Do not treat a makeathon prize as an approval for your equipment.
Separate a promising prototype from a finished support
Explain what has been tested and what remains unknown. Involve the person in design choices and obtain consent for sharing their story or measurements. Document training, maintenance and appropriate assessment before use. Open-source availability does not remove the need to evaluate safety, quality and responsibilities.
Questions readers ask
Does an open-source design establish suitability for everyone?
No. Individual assessment and testing remain important. Official guidance
Find advice about equipment for your daily tasks
Describe the activities you want to make easier through Clickability. Compare occupational therapists and ask about assessment, trials and equipment advice.
