An innovation day for disability representatives

18 speakers from the world of research and innovation in Hauts-de-France, researchers and companies presented their work, advances and/or products in order to open up new perspectives for disability referents, raise their awareness of research and technological innovation and, lastly, enable them to integrate new approaches into their missions to serve people with disabilities.

Abdelhak Kabila, in charge of human resources, relations with territories and campuses, representing President Abdelhakim Artiba, mentioned that "UPHF is fully involved in this event on the one hand, as the establishment leads a voluntarist policy in favor of its disabled staff increasing its rate of beneficiaries of employment obligation from 0.8% in 2012 to over 7.67% by the end of 2022, on the other hand because our university has been conducting research into disability for over 20 years."

Isabelle Chavot, Territorial Disability Director, Hauts-de-France FIPHFP Regional Department, was delighted that in working on the agreement signed with the university last June, the subject naturally came up of supporting employers in innovative practices: "We thought it would be interesting to be able to offer this day to disability referents and partners to get them to ask themselves questions about tomorrow's practices, to project themselves".

Ivan Talpaert, Délégué Régional, Délégation régionale Hauts-de-France - AGEFIPH, confirming Agefiph's shared interest in innovation, welcomed the idea of bringing together the worlds of research and needs: "A meeting between innovation and need to generate synergy around joint interests".

Participants were then able to attend four sessions on the theme of the exoskeleton, the wheelchair, digital aids, structures and networks, and put their questions to the various speakers.