TECH FOR GOOD
90
Author Jill Twiss
“[ These are ] my thoughts ,” said Yvonne , a participant . “ I couldn ’ t have written it any other way .”
Beyond the technological benefits of the book , Stevenson adds , “[ We ] wanted this to be an enjoyable experience for a range of readers . It ’ s not just for the person who is diagnosed — it ’ s also for the family .”
Here was an opportunity to increase awareness of MND , while making assistive technology more accessible and empowering .
“ We need to fit tech into people ’ s lives and not the other way around ,” says Cave . “ Mainstream tech has to provide people with access to the tools they need from the beginning , instead of relegating it to a specialty category .”
According to a report by the World Health Organization and the World Bank , 15 % of the global population experiences some form of disability , which amounts to more than one billion people worldwide . Such a statistic only highlights the need for more projects like “ I Will Always Be Me ” that employ “ co-design ,” an approach that centers the input of people with disabilities to create more accessible experiences .
“ We need to fit tech into people ’ s lives and not the other way around . Mainstream tech has to provide people with access to the tools they need from the beginning , instead of relegating it to a specialty category .”
— Richard Cave , speech and language therapist , MND Association
COLLABORATION FOR A CAUSE Historically , the MND Association has provided support to people living with MND in a variety of ways : They set up care centers throughout the U . K ., created a telephone hotline and offered cash grants to support patients . They also worked with wheelchair manufacturers and other voice banking services to set up smart speakers and environmental controls in people ’ s homes , which made day-to-day living easier . But the unique collaboration with Dell , Intel and Rolls-Royce offered new possibilities :
As more people take advantage of the voice banking capabilities of the book , Goldup envisions additional applications for the tool on the horizon . “ We want to make sure that it gets into as many people ’ s hands as possible ,” he says . “ There ’ s so much tech to develop and together we have a conveyor belt of ideas that could solve accessibility problems for the world .”
Beyond this project , Goldup says the ultimate goal is to find a cure for MND . “ And tech can help us get there .” ■