Lessons learned from research projects related to developing solutions for people with disabilities

Abstract

Within the investigative process, there is an essential element to take into account: the purpose of the investigation, its application, and the impact it will have. Despite what may be believed, not all investigations come to a happy conclusion, and even many of them end up stored in the library of a prestigious university. A few more research works, perhaps with something of what we could call “fortune,” manage to be published in a journal: it is worth asking if this is the destination that the researchers had in mind for their project. After almost ten years as a researcher of projects with applications in the health sector, particularly in attention to problems related to disabilities, a fundamental aspect in the process has been the consolidation of a multidisciplinary work group. A team full of passion for creating solutions that serve people with specific needs and generate a better quality of life. However, the most critical element is to treat the end users or patients, as the main characters of the project, as a member who contributes the most valuable knowledge: their coexistence with the disability.