Up to £200k of funding available to make assistive tech accessible in Africa
The Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub is launching the Assistive Technology Impact Fund Global Call (ATIF), which is set to drastically transform the lives of disabled people in Africa through assistive technology innovations.
GDI Hub says that of the one billion people globally live with disability, 90 percent of these people lack access to affordable assistive technology innovations that would improve their quality of life.
This failure is not due to a lack of assistive technology products, GDI Hub says, but that products are not getting to the people who need them. The Assistive Technology Impact Fund (ATIF) exists to change the prospects of the innovators in this space by supporting the growth of the sector in Africa.
ATIF has been launched out of the UK Aid-funded AT2030 programme, led by the GDI Hub. It is a collaboration between GDI Hub, Brink, Tamara Giltsoff and Catalyst Fund. The partnership combines expertise in assistive technology, innovation and venture building in Africa, respectively.
The ATIF supports assistive technology innovators as well as those in other sectors, key to unlocking sustainable scale, like manufacturing and distribution.
Successful applications will receive: up to £200k of grant funding; Tailored Venture Building support and coaching from world-leading experts; brokering and matchmaking to partners, investors and experts; and access to a growing global network of disability pioneers.
To learn more about the ATIF, GDI Hub is hosting a launch event on Wednesday 10th of February form 10:00-11:30am.
During the launch event, GDI Hub will be joined by world-leading assistive technology experts:
- Welcome from Cathy Holloway, Professor of Interaction Design & Innovation at UCL’s Interaction Centre and Academic Director of the Global Disability Innovation Hub
- Special words from Chapal Khasnabis, World Health Organisation and Magdalena Banasiak, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office
- Introduction to the fund and how it works
- Words from ATIF’s launch grantees hearX and Wazi Vision
Register for the launch event here
Read the full ATIF investment timeline here