Media Release - Citizen Challenge Program Launch - Designing for All - 6 November 2020

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
6 November 2020
Australia, National

The Hopkins Centre’s Citizen Challenge Program Launch

The Citizen Challenge Program – Designing for All is a first-time event to create technology solutions for people who have a lifelong, serious disability. The Program seeks to promote access to technology for people living with disability through better design and better adaption of technology to the challenges people face each day.

What is unique about the Citizen Challenge Program, is its focus on pivoting existing products and systems offered by local Brisbane entrepreneurs. Together with people who have lived experiences and other experts from rehabilitation healthcare, academia and industry, the Program will put forward new, cocreated solutions for development. This first Citizen Challenge Program will be seeking to simplify the technology used for online rehabilitation and will address the issues faced by people with poor internet access and accessibility issues.

We are thrilled to have Citizen experts Mr Lindsay Nott and Mr William Peacock driving forward the Challenge as well as entrepreneurs from local Brisbane company Conpago and rehabilitation specialists from the Division of Rehabilitation, Metro South Health and Menzies Health Institute Griffith University. “I am contributing to the Citizen Challenge Program with the aim to increase my access to a full range of rehabilitation support, as well as support from my GP in a more seamless and accessible environment” Lindsay Nott, Consumer Advocate, MyC5Life “Conpago’s contribution to the Citizen Challenge program is aimed to provide a simple, co-designed digital platform for Citizen’s to connect with their care workers to deliver rehabilitation services, and other services via an online presence.” Ali Galadari, Co-founder Conpago.com.au.

The Citizen Challenge Program will run from Friday 6th November to Wednesday 18th November with the final pitch presented at The Hopkins Centre Seminar Series on Wednesday 18th November at 1.30pm (register here to attend online pitch: https://bit.ly/35yefnJ). The Citizen Challenge Program is an initiative of HabITec a socio-technical space to see, experience and codesign technology for people living with disability following traumatic injury or chronic and complex conditions.

The Citizen Challenge Project has been supported by the Business Entrepreneurs Program, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science as well as The Hopkins Centre. It is a proud collaboration with the Division of Rehabilitation, Metro South Health, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, TT Academy and Spinal Life Australia.
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Media Contacts:

Dr Kara Burns, Adjunct Fellow, The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University
Citizen Challenge Program
Mobile: 0414 294 967
The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University

Professor Elizabeth Kendall, Executive Director
Mobile: 0478 550 880
The Hopkins Centre
[www.hopkinscentre.edu.au]

The Hopkins Centre is a leading translational research center in the field of rehabilitation and severe disability. We are renowned for our research methods that bring people with disabilities and their families, clinicians and practitioners, policy makers and researchers together to develop practical solutions that promote measurable improvements in quality of life.

Social Media:

Twitter:
Hopkins: @hopkins_centre
Kara Burns @karaburns
PAH: @pahospital
MSH: @MetSthHealth
Conpago: @conpagoco
SLA: @SpinalLife

Tags:
#CitizenChallenge
#Designing for All
#InclusionMatters
#dignity
#codesign
#CitizenScience
#disability
#research

Supporter Websites:
TT Academy, https://tttrainingacademy.com/
Spinal Life Australia https://www.spinal.com.au/
Business Entrepreneurs Program, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
https://www.industry.gov.au/funding-and-incentives/supporting-business-and-innovation

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