HelpCamps: "Making assistive technology faster, more affordable and personalized"

In accordance with the slogan "Nothing about us without us", the HelpCamps project aims at developing and implementing concepts and ideas together. To make this a reality, people with disabilities, companies from the assistive technology, care and assistance sectors, as well as stakeholders in the so-called maker movement and researchers, are brought together to network during various different events.

REHACARE.com talked to Cinderella Glücklich, project assistant in the HelpCamps core team about the specific event concepts and their advantages.

Ms. Glücklich, what are the short-term and long-term objectives of the HelpCamps project?

Cinderella Glücklich: HelpCamps is a project that is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its "Innovationsforen Mittelstand" (English: Innovation Forums for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) Initiative. With this in mind, we want to connect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the assistive technology industry with scientific institutions to enable SMEs to take greater advantage of their innovation potential – yet we take this a step further by asserting that this goal is unattainable without the input of those people who are using or implementing these resources later on. They have to be an integral part of the innovation process right from the start to ensure the creation of a truly functional, personalized assistive device and resource.

We tap the maker movement to encourage an extra dose of creativity and out-of-the-box thinking in terms of open innovation, novel production materials and technologies for example. Ultimately, the goal of having all focus groups shape the innovation process together and on an equal footing is to create a coworking network that will make it easier to produce assistive technology tools in a more affordable, faster and especially more personalized fashion than was previously the case.

The project consists of partner meetings, a BarCamp and an Innovation Forum. What are the advantages of each of these events?

Glücklich: These events are as multifaceted and unique as the individual focus groups that are a part of HelpCamps. The partner meetings tend to be aimed at SMEs in the assistive technology sector and scientific institutions. These meetings are designed to promote an open innovation culture. Participants are encouraged to network and get to know each other to conceivably develop joint collaborations or even business partnerships down the road.

The HelpCamps BarCamp, which takes place on December 9, 2017, at the Federal Academy of Orthopedic Technology in Dortmund (Bundesfachschule für Orthopädie-Technik in Dortmund) addresses the needs of assistive technology users, meaning people with disabilities, nursing staff, assistants or family caregivers and therapists. By communicating with the affected stakeholders cooperatively and on an equal footing, we try to identify the present challenges in assistive technology provision.

Meanwhile, the Innovation Forum takes all this a step further. In this venue, our goal is to tackle the problems that were depicted during the BarCamp and deliver actual solutions within two days. For example, participants aim at a new collaboration to find a specific solution, stakeholders jointly outline a business idea or development teams build the prototype of a customized assistive device.

Why is it so important for you to build networks of different types of experts – also as it relates to your own situation?

Glücklich: I have had a mobility disability since birth and have always needed assistive technology, such as a wheelchair or a mobility vehicle. On the one hand, I see the many possibilities that are already available in this area and follow the exciting new trends in this industry. On the other hand, I keep facing barriers when it comes to new assistive devices pertaining to my specific situation. The application process usually takes forever. I repeatedly have to give a detailed account of my disabilities even though they should already be well known to the authorities. Jurisdictions are often unclear. Once the assistive technology is available, it sometimes doesn’t fit properly but can only be modified in a limited fashion and subsequently doesn’t help me as much as I had originally hoped. This is very frustrating and a shame.

In this instance, the things that should actually support me in living the same life and working the same way as others do tend to make my everyday life even more difficult. My colleagues at the matrix GmbH, a business communications consulting firm in Düsseldorf are also noticing this dilemma. After a while, we thought that all this commotion just to get the right wheelchair is simply unbelievable! There has to be an easier way! This was essentially the basic idea behind HelpCamps. We are certain that open innovation, design thinking and the creation of a coworking network between all the parties involved in the provision of assistive technology will make the provisioning process faster, more affordable, personalized and more innovative in the long run!

What does inclusion mean to you?

Glücklich: Inclusion to me means being mindful of the needs of others and finding a way to reconcile their needs with my own to ensure an equal coexistence.