INTRODUCING: MagicView – Winner of Category 5: Persons with physical disabilities
Around 80 million people experience some form of disability in the EU, the European Parliament estimates this number will rise to 120 million by 2024. Persons with disabilities are at risk of various barriers to social and economic inclusion, which could hinder their active participation in society.
The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda pledges that no one is left behind, including persons with disabilities. It reinforces the vital role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a barrier remover for persons with disabilities. Therefore, it is crucial to join efforts at an institutional and international level to identify and promote innovative solutions that leverage the opportunities of ICT to foster equal inclusion of all and bridge the digital divide, particularly for Persons with Disabilities, enabling them to participate in and benefit from the Information and Knowledge Society.
In 2021, ITU held the 3rd edition of the Regional Competition of Innovative Digital Solutions for Accessible Europe. This competition promotes the goals and objectives of ITU, as well as the SDGs, in the specific context of Europe. The competition aims at fostering the research and development of new digital solutions which seek to bring more social inclusion and interaction as well as comfort and quality of life to the daily routine of persons with disabilities, in line with SDG 10 (reduced inequality). Simultaneously, it aims at fostering the innovation ecosystem with a focus on ICT Accessibility, in line with SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure). From the call for the Regional Competition, we had received 97 submissions from 29 countries across Europe.
Philip van Houtte, CEO of MagicView & Coordinator EUR AAL project IANVS
This “Meet the Accessible Europe winners" series introduces 5 awarded winners of the Regional Competition for Accessible Europe which stepped up to develop innovative solutions that empower and make meaningful impact for all people, in particular persons with disabilities. Philip van Houtte, CEO of MagicView & Coordinator EUR AAL project IANVS, shared more with us about MagicView's story and goals.
Could you tell us more about IANVS project and how did the idea first come about?
It all started with an interview of the Dutch Minister of Health on national TV, in which he complained about “red tape" practices in home care, under which workers had to justify their time spending per five minutes. At that time, we were developing indoor positioning technology. While the Minister was talking, I had a flash of inspiration realizing that motion tracking could be used to assess the behaviour of people. This applied not only to the workers but even more so to the residents. Hence, the two faces of IANVS.
We jotted the idea down in an AAL (Active Assisted Living) proposal, an EU programme promoting digital solutions to help seniors living independently. We won the grant with flying colours and were sponsored by EU, VLAIO (Belgium), InnoSuisse (Switzerland) and PCT (Portugal) to work out IANVS. Of course, it took a few twists and turns during the last 2 years to arrive where we are now.
How does your solution impact the lives of persons with disabilities?
Ageing, regretfully, comes with declines in physical and mental abilities, that is a fact of life. IANVS takes the long-term approach: start early with an attractive “Comfort" proposition (i.e., Home Automation), which integrates Digital Monitoring in their daily life. This way, older persons get used to Digital Solutions at home, because it is fun to do. When decline kicks in, the Digital hurdle is already taken and more “Vitality" services may be introduced, helping older persons achieving “Health Literacy", e.g., by trying to nudge them towards a healthy lifestyle. And even further down the line, “Safety" services help older people to stay longer in their own space while guarding them from incidents such as falling or forgetting things.
What aspects related to the human-centric approach would you like to highlight about MagicView?
What we learned over and over again is to look upon Older people as grown-up customers and not like patients! We really need to avoid patronizing and stigmatizing them, else they mistrust Digital Solutions and shelve the gear.
Our way to present Digital Solutions as a fun lifestyle proposition rather than some form of disability remedy is greatly appreciated. Evidently, the “Vitality" concept is walking on a thin line in this respect, so much more (behavioural) studies have to be undertaken to tune the proposition.
What are your plans for 2021?
The comments received by our AAL end-users, as well as winning this ITU Accessible Europe award, confirm our feeling that we are on the right track. In the coming two years, we need to mature our technology and scale up our business. We will do that by engaging in various new EU projects.
How can the international community help innovators like you in achieving further digital inclusion and accessibility?
First of all, a big thanks to the EU business development and innovation programs like AAL, and the national innovation agencies! Without these, we would not be here. For us innovators, the next challenge is to overcome the “chasm" between innovation and the go-to-market. To make impact, the innovation needs volume. Making volume requires a collaboration between the innovator and an established brand, or else massive amounts of capital. Despite all available incubator- and start-up accelerator support, without the right patron, this is not an easy nut to crack.
We will be working with the winners and finalists over the next months through the newly launched ITU-Zero Project Partnership, supporting innovators in various domains to leverage their full potential. Please refer to our website and social media channels for upcoming updates of our work. Learn more about the Regional Competition for Accessible
Europe and check the shortlisted winners and finalists here: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/Europe/Pages/Events/2020/AE21/Regional-Competition.aspx
