David is a trained product designer with direct experience of taking one design from a student project into the real world, creating an internationally recognised and respected non-profit/social enterprise organisation and developing a range of products that have been used in over 130 countries in partnership with some of the major development and humanitarian response organisations worldwide, including the WHO and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

With 40 years of lived experience of disability and working in low income countries, David has a good understanding of the relevance of appropriate design innovation and provision in the right context. He has worked closely with organisations both ‘of’ and ‘for’ people with disabilities.

He also played my part in leading Motivation to become the internationally recognised ‘go to’ organisation for advice and training on wheelchair design and provision for low income countries. He has worked closely with the WHO serving on the Development Committee to develop and publish the ‘WHO Guidelines on the Provision of Manual Wheelchairs in less resourced settings’.

A regular public speaker on subjects such as; lived experience of disability, Motivation’s work, also focussing on design, innovation, assistive technology and rehabilitation. In approaching any subject in this field, he brings a focus on the ‘practical’ to ensure solutions are relevant for real world situations.