The University of Liverpool and Duchenne UK KTP 24_25 R5

People living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy will co-design everyday products—from adapted kitchen tools to easier-to-use computer interfaces—alongside designers and engineers in a new Assistive Technology Design Hub. This matters because Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscle-wasting condition that severely limits mobility and hand function. Off-the-shelf products rarely meet the specific needs of this community, and existing assistive technologies are often designed without direct input from the people who will use them. The project applies user-centred design methods—normally used in commercial product development—to a patient-organisation-led setting, filling a gap between clinical care and practical daily living. If successful, the hub could produce a steady pipeline of life-enhancing products that are genuinely usable, not just medically approved. Beyond individual devices, the project aims to embed co-creation as a standard practice within the charity sector, changing how assistive technologies are conceived, tested, and brought to market. This could shift the assistive technology industry itself—making it more responsive to real-world needs rather than engineering assumptions. The immediate impact is on daily life for people with Duchenne, but the model could apply to other rare conditions where commercial incentives are weak.