A(I)BILITIES Technical Meeting at USV Advances Accessibility-Driven Design
Reflecting its dedication to innovation and inclusive digital solutions, ASSIST is committed to transforming research insights into impactful tools that improve accessibility and enhance user experiences. Although this commitment underpins all of ASSIST’s projects, in the A(I)BILITIES project it takes shape through the development of digital solutions aimed specifically at empowering people with disabilities.
On September 19th, the team joined USV partners at Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava for the project’s second face-to-face meeting. While collaboration has been sustained through regular online sessions and a shared digital workspace since January, this in-person event created space for deeper dialogue, technical alignment, and strengthened teamwork between ASSIST and USV.
The agenda covered a broad review of project progress, combining technical updates with user-focused perspectives. With the first progress report scheduled for submission in the coming months, partners reviewed the status of planned deliverables, aligning priorities and responsibilities to ensure a smooth reporting process.
USV researchers revisited the research papers produced as part of the project, providing additional context and insights to guide ASSIST’s implementation work. This deeper discussion highlighted the project’s collaborative approach, where research insights directly inform the development of accessible, inclusive digital solutions.
As part of the visit, the teams explored the MintViz Lab at USV. This offered a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing research activities and fostered informal exchanges between the teams. For ASSIST, the visit provided practical perspectives on integrating predictive models and user performance metrics into digital tools that enhance accessibility.
Looking ahead, A(I)BILITIES is steadily moving toward defining the first blueprints of a disabilities digital twin — an innovation envisioned as part of a broader Human Virtual Twin. Integrating accessibility into such a framework opens the way for more inclusive and empowering digital experiences for people with disabilities.
Funding and Support
The A(I)BILITIES project is funded with the support of UEFISCDI, through PNCDI-4, and has been submitted under project ID PN-IV-P7-7.1-PTE-2024-0434.
