Organization · Community
Global Disability Innovation Hub
The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) is an academic research and practice center based at University College London, focusing on driving disability innovation through co-designing solutions and fostering partnerships.
Overview
What Global Disability Innovation Hub does
What Global Disability Innovation Hub is
The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) is an academic research and practice center based at University College London, focusing on driving disability innovation through co-designing solutions and fostering partnerships.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports community capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Community
- Founded
- Founded in 2016
- Approximate age
- About 10 years
- Structured capabilities
- Community
- Last reviewed
- April 10, 2026
Official channels
Find Global Disability Innovation Hub elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Global Disability Innovation Hub as a community
Community overview
The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) is an organization founded in 2016 and based at University College London (UCL). It serves as a leading academic research and practice center focused on disability innovation. GDI Hub is recognized as the first WHO Global Collaborating Centre on Assistive Technology and operates in over 40 countries, having reached 64 million people.
Community focus
GDI Hub invests in and provides services related to accessible and assistive technology (AT). Their work encompasses various categories, including inclusion, inquiry, incubation, investment, integration, and imparting knowledge. They focus on improving access to life-changing assistive technology, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and aim to embed disability innovation into national policy landscapes.
Member value
Members benefit from access to a network of experts in disability innovation, opportunities for collaboration on projects, and resources related to assistive technology. The Hub also provides insights into best practices and emerging trends in the field.
Membership
- Pricing models
- free
Format and cadence
- Modality
- hybrid
- Schedule
- rolling-admissions
- Commitment
- light
Availability
- Membership state
- Accepting
- Next recorded event
- June 3, 2025
Audience and fit
- Audience
- Founders · Students · Researchers
- Benefits
- network-access and mentorship
- Program types
- community and fellowship
- Selection criteria
- open
- Regions
- Global
Community activity
Events and activity
GDI Hub hosts and participates in various events, including the Inclusive Africa Conference 2025, scheduled for June 3-6, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on digital accessibility and assistive technology. Other events include the Second World Summit for Social Development and the Disability Inclusive Solutions for the Climate Crisis Roundtable.
Notable members
Notable team members include Iain McKinnon (CEO and Co-founder), Vicki Austin (Associate Professor of Social Justice and Innovation, UCL; Co-founder and Director), and Prof Catherine Holloway (Co-founder & Academic Director; Professor, UCL).
Common questions
What to know about Global Disability Innovation Hub
Upseed classifies Global Disability Innovation Hub under the Community organization type. Its current public profile includes community capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
April 10, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.