Charity’s conference demonstrates leading assistive technologies for disabled children

On the 4th of March, UK charity Lifelites held its Children’s Hospice Staff Conference in Birmingham to showcase the latest assistive technology that Lifelites donates to life-limited and disabled children using every children’s hospice service across the British Isles.

Lifelites has donated technology packages to children’s hospice services for the past 20 years, including vital training to children’s hospice service staff on how to use the “life-changing” assistive technology.

The assistive technology that Lifelites presented at the conference included Eyegaze, an eye tracking technology that enables disabled children to paint pictures, play games, write and communicate just by using their eyes. This technology can transform the lives of children who struggle to communicate with their family and caregivers because of their condition.

Other technology includes the Mobile Magic Carpet, which projects interactive games and moving images onto the floor, wall, ceiling, and other surfaces. The Mobile Magic Carpet enables children in wheelchairs to kick piles of virtual leaves, play football with their brothers and sisters using a ball made of light, and paddle in a virtual fish pond. Additionally, the Mobile Magic Carpet includes 500 apps where life-limited and disabled children can bring the outside world in, to their hospice rooms, on their tray table, and onto their bed.

Hospice staff were also shown the Lifelites Virtual Reality bundle, which gives disabled children the chance to fly over Paris, swim with turtles, or walk in the snow and camp around a bonfire.

Simone Enefer-Doy, Chief Executive of Lifelites, said: “It is wonderful that so many children’s hospice staff from across the British Isles joined us at our 2020 conference eager to learn about the inclusive and adaptive technology we donate for life-limited and disabled children using their services.

“The wide range of equipment is specially adapted so that it can be used by anyone, regardless of their ability. Every moment is precious for these children and their families, and this technology gives them the opportunity they deserve to make the most of their time together.

“We couldn’t have held this conference if it wasn’t for the generosity of our supporters, especially the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and Inclusive Technology. So for this, we are incredibly grateful.”

Lifelites empowers 10,000 life-limited and disabled children and young people in hospices by providing them with opportunities to benefit from the power of assistive and inclusive technologies to learn, be creative, communicate and take control.