Living Labs and Applied Innovation
Access Insights supports the development of inclusive technology through living labs and applied innovation environments.
These are real-world settings where new ideas are shaped, tested, and refined alongside disabled people in the context of everyday life. Rather than abstract pilots or short-term engagements, our work emphasizes continuous learning, community participation, and solutions designed to scale responsibly.
What We Mean by Living Labs
Applied innovation environments embedded in real places.
- Direct participation by disabled people and community members.
- Ongoing feedback rather than one-time evaluation.
- Technology tested under real conditions, not simulated ones.
- Clear pathways from experimentation to adoption.
- Learning through use reflects lived experience and practical realities.
Applied Innovation in Practice
Strategic expertise and structure for flexible living labs.
- Framing problem spaces based on real community needs.
- Supporting early-stage concept validation in live environments.
- Translating observations into actionable design and technical guidance.
- Identifying signals that indicate readiness for scale or further investment.
- Ensuring learning leads to meaningful outcomes rather than isolated insights.
Principles That Guide the Work
Outcomes and impact from well-structured living labs.
- Disabled people are active participants, not test subjects.
- Accessibility and inclusion are foundational, not add-ons.
- Learning is continuous and iterative.
- Solutions should minimize cost barriers and support broad access.
- Innovation should be designed with long-term sustainability in mind.
- Clear insight into what works in real conditions.
- Stronger alignment between technology and user needs.
- Reduced risk before broader deployment or investment.
- Solutions better positioned for adoption and scale.