****Media Release****
Innovating remote care solutions and raising awareness for spinal cord injuries
The second in a series of workshops aimed at innovating solutions for people living with spinal cord injuries will take place in Cairns on 9th September during Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week (SCIAW). An initiative of Spinal Life Australia (SLA), HabITec at The Hopkins Centre and ARM Hub, the Innovation Workshop Series – Technology Solutions for All seeks to create new solutions through a facilitated co-design process.
Advanced Queensland Fellow, Dr Camila Shirota, will lead the workshop series. The workshop will host 10 people with lived experience of spinal cord injuries, 2 practitioners and 4 facilitators, and 8 manufacturers from across Australia at the SLA Healthy Living Centre in Cairns, as they continue co-designing solutions for people living with injury.
With specialists in additive manufacturing, robotics, defence and medical technology involved, this series has great potential to create innovative solutions for commercial development. “I am excited to be part of the Innovation Workshop Series. I know contributing to finding solutions to challenges I have, whether it’s commuting independently in the rain or even just holding hot drinks while on the move, will help many more people in similar circumstances,” says Bernadette Nolan, an SLA workshop participant.
“Our Spinal Life Australia community here in Cairns, has this great opportunity to contribute to innovating solutions that will change the daily challenges they face. The co-design process has the potential to turn challenges into ideas and eventually into real life-changing solutions,” says Margaret McDonald, Regional Manager, Spinal Life Healthy Living Centre.
The benefits and impact of these workshops, plus the future developments, will not only serve to deliver real solutions with lasting positive impacts, but also promote inclusivity on a greater scale. “Drawing upon the capabilities and expertise from the nation’s leading universities and working with our highly skilled manufacturing industry, we will see technologies like artificial intelligence being applied in new ways,” explains Dr Cori Stewart, CEO, ARM Hub.
“By bringing end-users on the innovation journey will mean we are identifying new technology applications that will improve day-to-day life, as well as change rehabilitation approaches forpeople living with spinal cord injuries.” The Innovation Workshop Series is an initiative of Spinal Life Australia, ARM Hub and Advance Queensland Fellow Dr Shirota at The Hopkins Centre.
The initiative has been supported by Queensland Government’s Department of State Development, through the Essential Goods and Supply Chain Program.
