There are 14.6 million disabled people in the UK. Disabled people are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. Many workplaces across the UK are not accessible to accommodate the needs of people who have a physical, cognitive or sensory disability including neurodiversity. Most businesses aren't aware of what is required to design for employees with a wide range of needs including Autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, dyslexia, dyspraxia and Tourette's as these inclusive design principles are not currently captured in building regulations. Technology is required to provide a source of information to understand the challenges in current workplaces and plan how to design more accessible and inclusive spaces for everyone. Employers are also struggling to attract and retain the best talent and if offices can be designed to be more accessible, it will help unlock a new talent pool, bringing new skills and diversity to the workplace. Motionspot plans to develop innovative technology to help businesses evaluate their buildings against a set of inclusive design principles that exceed the minimum standards set out in building regulations and empower employers to understand the challenges in their buildings for disabled people. The technology will also provide recommendations on the changes required to spaces to make them more accessible. The technology will be developed and piloted in a workplace over 100,000sqf and learnings will be taken to further improve the technology before it is launched to the industry. After successful adoption of this technology in workplaces, there is the opportunity to expand this innovation to other sectors including hospitality, retail, housing and healthcare. Data generated from the project can also be shared with Government departments to help shape new standards and future regulations. This technology has the potential to positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of disabled people and help create more diverse, equitable, inclusive and successful workplaces.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, currently no vital home adaptations can be carried out to bathrooms, kitchens, ramps and living spaces to make properties accessible for the 1.5 million vulnerable people being shielded at home and the 12 million elderly and disabled people who are isolated in non-decent homes. The risks of unsuitable housing for this group is ill health due to accidents and falls, over reliance on care givers for support and pressures on Health and Social Care budgets due to unnecessary hospital admissions. Motionspot plans to overcome these challenges and, inspired by Innovate UK funding, will kick start a design sprint to build and launch a unique home adaptations website and virtual assessment service. This will harness innovative technology, specialist advice and design, market leading accessible products and a trusted installer network trained in Covid-19 working practices. The intention is to develop and launch the website and complete a pilot project in August with a view to rolling out the offer across the UK from the end of September. It is anticipated that this service will continue to be available after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted as the new model of adaptations delivery can be adopted by Local Authorities and Commissioning groups and can be scaled internationally. Extension for impact funding 23rd Oct 2020 Feedback from initial customers was that they wanted to visit a Covid safe space to see and test the products and a greater product range was required to meet their needs. The Innovate UK extended funding will therefore be spent on bathroom and kitchen adaptations in a designated Covid safe product testing space with a charity called The Extra Care Charitable Trust in Solihull. The intention will be for ExtraCare residents to visit and test products as well as encourage residents from the local area, including Local Authority funded residents and Commissioning Groups to visit and test the adaptations in a Covid safe show home before having them installed in their own homes. Local contractors would also be encouraged to come and visit the facility for training on Covid safe working practices and how to install the adaptations. During the initial project, it became clear that the range of accessible products available on the market is currently very small so the additional money will also be spent on increasing the product range offered in this product testing facility. This will include market research to identify the product gaps and demand before producing working drawings by end January 2021 before manufacturing partners are sourced to produce product prototypes which could be tested in the Solihull testing facility.