Hackathon25 sparks healthy ideas for a more inclusive future
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Published
23 June 2025
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Innovation, imagination and inclusion took centre stage this week at the University of East London (UEL), as more than 80 changemakers gathered for Hackathon25 - a unique event where people from all walks of life came together to rethink health and wellbeing. With visitors flying in from the US and New Zealand, a podcast recording by the BBC, and hands-on creative sessions, the day was a powerful showcase of what inclusive collaboration can achieve.
Now in its second year, the Rix inclusive hackathon is believed to be the first of its kind in the world. Hosted at UEL’s Docklands campus by the Rix Inclusive Research Institute, the event brought together people with lived experience of disability, researchers, artists, designers, students and community members to co-design solutions to everyday challenges. This year’s theme, Healthy Living, formed part of the University’s Year of Health - a university-wide initiative celebrating work that supports healthier lives and communities.
Held at the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS), Hackathon25 blended design thinking with creativity and accessibility. Participants worked in diverse teams to explore barriers around employment, mental health, access to services and independent living. From designing inclusive job platforms to prototyping smarter assistive tech, groups used clay, crayons, cardboard, and laptops - with craft materials sponsored by creative partner Makedo - to bring their ideas to life. Speakers included inclusive design experts from the BBC and representatives from East London NHS Foundation Trust.
A live graphic facilitator, Charlie Minnion, visually documented the ideas and themes as they emerged throughout the day, creating an illustrated “map” of shared insights, barriers and potential breakthroughs.
We’ve been looking at changes we can make, and challenges we face around healthy lifestyles,”
explained Craig Wilkie, Research Fellow at the Rix Centre. “What prevents us from being healthy? We’ve explored sleep, stress, access to healthcare, and how people with different disabilities experience those challenges. We co-produced this event months in advance with our co-researchers - people with learning disabilities and lived experience - and planned it to be multi-sensory and genuinely inclusive.”
Craig continued, “Hackathons don’t usually include diverse voices - they happen without the people most affected by the problems. We flipped that. Here, those voices are at the centre of everything, and the result is radical collaboration. People bring ideas we’ve never heard before because they’re drawing from real, lived experience - and that leads to real innovation.”
One of the strongest examples of that innovation came from last year’s Hackathon. What began as a cardboard model has now evolved into RoboRamp - an autonomous ramp concept that allows disabled passengers to board trains without needing to book assistance.
“We’ve taken it to prototype stage with support from Transport for London,” said Craig. “That’s the kind of journey these ideas can go on - this isn’t just a one-day event, it’s the start of something much bigger.”
Among this year’s international visitors was Grace Melanie Brown, a Churchill Fellow from Auckland, New Zealand, whose research focuses on the integration of sign language, neurodiversity and digital media.
“I contacted the Rix Centre in advance and this event really resonated with my project,” she said.
Being able to sit in groups and listen to other people’s ideas and perspectives has been so valuable. I’ve become more confident in sharing my own thoughts. The seminar on AI and neurodiversity was particularly helpful - seeing both the benefits and the risks, especially around the accuracy of AI-generated information, really gave me something to think about and to take back home.”
Gavin Grimaldi, a political science student from the University of Florida, also attended. His work explores the intersection of disability and policy in the US.
“Disability is inherently political. Access to healthcare, education - it’s all up for debate back home. I’ve never been in a room with so many disabled people treated as equal, respected individuals,” he said. “This event is challenging some of the internalised bias I’ve carried growing up in a society that often sees disability as less. It’s eye opening.”
He added, “Being here, I’ve had space to reflect, to speak freely. People are open here. They don’t avoid tough conversations - and that makes a difference.”
Also attending the event was BBC journalist Alex Collins, who recorded a special edition of the Access All podcast. The episode will spotlight the voices of people with disabilities at the forefront of the event, featuring interviews with three participants and capturing the ideas, energy and challenges tackled throughout the day. Access All is the BBC’s flagship podcast exploring disability stories and inclusion, and its presence helped amplify the reach and importance of Rix Inclusive Hackathon25 to a broader national audience.
The Rix Inclusive Research Institute is recognised for its pioneering approach to inclusive research. By working in partnership with people with disabilities, the Rix team champions co-production, accessible technology and creative methods to shape more inclusive systems and services for all.
Gosia Kwiatkowska, Director of the Rix Institute, said, “This hackathon reflects our mission at RIX - to work with people with disabilities, not just for them. Since 2004, we’ve championed co-production, universal design, and person-centred practice, making sure those who face the biggest barriers are part of every conversation. Events like this are not one-offs - they’re part of a long-term movement toward genuine inclusion, innovation, and change.”
The day ended with each group sharing their ideas and prototypes, with prizes awarded and new collaborations sparked. But the work doesn’t end there.
“We don’t just take one idea forward - we put all the challenges up on the wall and come back to them throughout the year,” said Craig. “When we bid for research projects, we use this insight. And we keep those conversations going.”
Building on the success of its world-first format, Hackathon25 once again proved that when you centre lived experience and creativity, real change becomes possible.