Digital Health Community Innovators

It is estimated that 25-35% of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have limited or no spoken language to communicate, these individuals are described as non-verbal or minimally verbal. Several Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technologies, including text-to-speech conversation, phrase banks exist for minimally verbal individuals to support their communication and to aid the development of language skills.

However, existing AAC technologies emerged from Western cultural contexts, and do not represent accents, dialects or speech patterns from diverse ethnic communities. AAC technologies are primarily limited to European languages and existing research does not design for culturally specific considerations.

Communicating in a voice that is meaningful, and representative of an individual is crucial to preserve their identity and social inclusion. This research project aims to explore how AAC technologies in the UK can better represent individuals from diverse ethnic communities.

In particular, we will deliver co-design workshops to explore both the dialects and cultural requirements for AAC applications to provide meaningful communication support for minimally verbal individuals from African, Caribbean and South Asian backgrounds. This will inform the design of an AAC application that preserves cultural identity and meaningful communication styles for people with ASD.

We are seeking additional expertise in low-resource language NLP, core engineering team, speech synthesis for culturally specific accents and clinical communication research to strengthen the linguistic and safety foundations of the platform.

I am developing a project focused on improving independent travel for individuals with dual sensory loss (both sight and hearing loss). Dual sensory loss affects over 400,000 individuals in the UK and often leads to reduced independence, increased isolation, and significant challenges in completing everyday tasks.

The project explores a wearable haptic device that provides navigational information through vibrations, supporting users as they navigate public transport such as buses and trains. While technologies exist to support people with either hearing or vision loss, there is a noticeable gap in solutions designed specifically for those with impairments in both senses.

This project aims to address that gap by developing a travel-assistance technology that delivers live public transport updates to a haptic smart device. The device would communicate information through distinct vibration patterns, potentially using systems like Morse code, enabling users to receive essential travel updates non-visually and non-auditorily. Future extensions could include onboard support, such as integrating LIDAR sensors to detect nearby obstacles and enhance safety during travel.

I am particularly interested in connecting with individuals with lived experience of dual sensory loss to help shape the design and testing stages. Additional expertise in accessible/inclusive design or human-computer interaction would also be valuable.

A wearable, conversational aide-memoire designed to support people with short-term memory difficulties. The device detects movement, asks simple questions like “Where are you going?” and “Why?”, records the answers, and can remind the wearer later – helping reduce confusion and maintain independence.

We’re working with Innovations in Dementia to make sure it meets a wide range of memory needs and exploring a proof-of-concept prototype with Lemon-Aid.

I’d like to connect with an electronics designer, engineer, or manufacturer to refresh and build on my old skills, and also someone who understands how to eventually put this on a chip.

I believe the device should be commercially available for under £100 and also provided free of charge by the NHS (similar to hearing aids) once someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As NHS approval is likely to take time, anyone who can help get things moving on that front would be a hugely valuable addition to the team.

Innovations addressing menstrual and hormonal health, including the experiences of neurodivergent menstruators, within the research ecosystem.

Emily Nielsen

Our challenge is understanding NHS and stakeholder requirements for inclusive digital exercise programmes for women with long term health conditions. We would like to be recognised by NICE guidelines as the leading inclusive exercise provider so that people are referred to us while they are waiting for a diagnosis, are newly diagnosed or have been living with the condition for a while.

Too many women with long term health conditions cannot access exercise that is safe, adapted and realistic for life with pain, fatigue and flare days. Mobilates delivers live, interactive online classes with a strong community, meeting people where they are, in bed, in a chair, in a wheelchair or standing. We are seeing a huge impact on the quality of life for our members, but to be taken seriously for the NHS to refer to us we need evidence and reporting that matches what clinicians and commissioners expect.

We are seeking support from Integrated Care Boards, consultants, GPs, social prescribers, physiotherapists, data analysts and health economists.

Matthew Wragg

Lupus SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) is a long-term chronic auto-immune condition where the human immune system attacks healthy tissues. Lupus SLE affects 0.1% of the population of the UK, with 90% of the cases being females. Lupus often presents with other co-morbidities, which makes disease management more difficult. In addition, Lupus SLE often causes brain fog which makes it hard to marshal thoughts and maintain a personal remembered narrative of flares in the condition and changes to health across time.

Managing all the health-related aspects of Lupus, means juggling different approaches, tools, apps, and NHS services, which complicates keeping track of everything. Having co-morbidities alongside Lupus complicated the picture further, as patients need to discern which specialist needs to be contacted, whilst being unsure which condition symptoms relate to. Yearly or Bi-yearly lupus consultations then rely on remembering or aggregating sources from multiple locations, often under-reporting important events.

We propose to co-design a digital technology (e.g., phone app and wearables) to allow each user to create their own journalling narrative across time. The tool could help them identify who to speak with when a specific issue is presented, and provide highlights and summaries during consultations with specialists. Such a tool could be used in the future to improve our understanding of Lupus SLE and the other co-morbidities, and the app could potentially be used for other conditions.

Miquel Perello Nieto

Our project proposal focuses on Next Generation Intelligent Predictive Virtual Healthcare. The aim is to make home healthcare smarter and more proactive, driven by a deep personal motivation to prevent the pain and frequent emergency visits experienced in reactive care.

Our study will lay the groundwork for AI-powered Remote Patient Monitoring, helping spot early warning signs and prevent hospital admissions.

Our aim is to create a clear, standardised, and user-centric blueprint for developing trustworthy AI in virtual care. We’ll explore how data flows from wearables and home sensors to AI systems, tackling the challenge of getting reliable, continuous data. Solving this will turn reactive care into proactive prevention – improving outcomes and reducing costs.

Please note we are looking for clinical specialists, researchers interested in admission avoidance and CIOs (Chief Information Officers) with an interest in overcoming bottlenecks to get data flowing.

Matthew Wragg

Our challenge is the digital exclusion faced by adults with learning disabilities in residential care across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire, which limits their access to health services and increases isolation.

Our project aims to co-produce an accessible digital health support model that improves confidence, wellbeing, and inclusion in local digital transformation efforts.