Language is a robust device. It may empower individuals and it may disempower them.

On this planet of incapacity, there are such a lot of items of language that we may take a look at and argue each for and in opposition to use of phrases and terminology. That dialogue is for an additional weblog.

On this weblog, I’m going to speak a bit about innovation. My understanding of the phrase, what I see the phrase imply to others and an thrilling alternative that has come up for me to discover that phrase a bit extra.

Since I arrange my social enterprise, lots of the terminology that I used to make use of has modified. It is a results of needing to attach with totally different audiences and higher talk a message with them.

Phrases that I hadn’t used that usually earlier than, lived expertise, person led, innovation, now repeatedly come up in conversations and items that I write.

These phrases maintain totally different which means to totally different individuals and are depending on the context that they’re talked about in.

I’ve at all times understood innovation to imply bringing in one thing new, an concept of some kind. So it might be a brand new product or it might be a brand new manner of working.

That’s why when establishing The Wheelchair Abilities Faculty, I noticed it as revolutionary. There’s nothing and nobody on the market now that’s ensuring that each individual receives wheelchair expertise coaching in the event that they want it. Designing one thing that may meet that want is an innovation.

How unique is innovation?

Though wheelchair expertise are about way of life, lots of the advantages that you just get are well being associated. That’s why after I arrange, I began exploring how I may work within the healthcare setting. There may be a lot speak of coproduction and innovation that I believed I’d discovered a strategy to get wheelchair expertise out to the lots.

How these issues look in actual life are very totally different to how they’re talked about.

The deal with funding for innovation within the well being setting appears to be geared towards monetary return on funding, the cash that buyers are going to get again from promoting a merchandise to the NHS or Trusts.

What about these issues that gained’t usher in cash, however will reserve it?

The NHS actually is geared towards acute care and preventative companies at all times appear to come back throughout as an afterthought or not less than a a lot decrease precedence. Whereas preventative companies supply big enchancment to way of life and large social return on funding that may result in financial savings for the healthcare system.

Redefining innovation

Folks don’t have entry to innovation and that’s an issue. Why? As a result of there are such a lot of wonderful concepts on the market that aren’t at the moment being shared. Concepts that might doubtlessly have big impacts on so many individuals.

There’s so much that we have to do to search out individuals with these concepts and take them from an idea to a scalable, impactful resolution. Designing a pathway giving individuals entry to assets, each monetary and non-financial, could be an incredible place to finish up.

That’s the tip objective. However the place will we begin?

I’d prefer to recommend that we begin by altering the best way we speak about innovation. In altering how individuals speak and perceive it, we take away among the boundaries to being revolutionary and open the door to extra innovators and their concepts.

Innovation is about concepts. Concepts for change. They are often massive; nationwide, international. Or they are often small. One thing that makes a distinction for you and the issues that you just do on a regular basis.

Let’s speak about innovation being micro, meso and macro. Innovation of any measurement making innovation extra accessible.

Collaborating with the International Incapacity Innovataion Hub

Innovation is available in all styles and sizes. Final month I began engaged on a challenge with a chunk of expertise that I have not had the chance to make use of earlier than.

I have been collaborating with the International Incapacity Innovation Hub (a part of UCL) to map out the motion concerned in wheelchair expertise and apply that to a digital exo-skeleton.