Qatar Assistive Technology Centre (Mada) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Digital Incubation Centre (DIC) at this year’s QITCOM 2017 event. This partnership will help see Mada further develop its Innovation Programme with the help of the Incubation Centre’s two and a half year business programme for entrepreneurs with Assistive Technology ideas. Mada is committed to supporting PWD in Qatar and providing them with the latest in Assistive Technologies to ensure they stay connected.
This partnership with DIC will see the centre endorse potential applicants with Assistive Technology solutions to Mada, who will then further evaluate their ideas and see if they would be feasible for PWD in Qatar. Chosen applicants will be provided with an advanced business incubation programme on behalf of DIC for successful entrepreneurs with Assistive Technology solutions. The two-and-a-half year programme will include a Launchpad and Start-Up Track sessions.
During this partnership Mada will provide mentorship and other Assistive Technology related tools and resources. They will also provide structured training to help complement the solution being developed by the entrepreneur. This will include structured training on how to interact with Persons with Disabilities to make sure that the developed technologies are successfully incorporated with end users. Throughout this whole process, Mada will have a lot of influence on the development and will be responsible for evaluating the readiness of the solution (through professional reviews and user testing) before the developed product is released.
Mada CEO Maha Al Mansouri said they were very honoured to be partnering with the DIC in further developing the Innovation Programme, which could bring new and exciting localised Assistive Technology for PWD in Qatar.
Our main focus is on Growing Arabic Assistive Technology and Nurturing Accessibility, and this partnership is a big step for the future of Assistive Technology in Qatar. The DIC will provide entrepreneurs with prospective solutions and an ideal programme to grow their ideas into reality. We are looking forward to working with the Digital Incubation Centre and learning from their talents and experience in technology.’
MOTC’s Assistant Undersecretary for Digital Society Development, Reem Al Mansoori said that partnering with Mada is a great opportunity to further develop Assistive Technologies in Qatar. She praised Mada’s commitment and said she really hoped the new technologies they will develop together will enhance the lives of PWD across Qatar.
Visit their website for more information about the programme.
