" Education is all about how we can change ourselves, it's not about getting degrees. "
Ankit R. Patel
One of the few researcher in the world who have been collaborating with MIT (1st in Technology) and Royal College of Art (1st in Design)
नमस्ते, Let's Talk!
5th Symposium on Human-Computer Interaction for Work
(CHIWORK)
June 22-25, 2026
Linz, Austria
MOVING TOWARD EQUITY: SEAMLESS MOBILITY AS A BRIDGE TO FUTURE WORK
June 22, 2026
Room No. TBD
(Time: TBD)
The future of work is undergoing profound transformation driven by digitalization, automation, and evolving employment models, yet equitable participation remains uneven for people with disabilities. Everyday mobility—the ability to move independently and safely between home, work, and public spaces—continues to be a critical determinant of employment access, productivity, and wellbeing. This theme foregrounds the intersection of disability, work, and mobility, examining how emerging work practices and transport systems can either enable inclusion or reproduce systemic barriers.
By adopting human-centered, inclusive, and participatory perspectives, this work explores the social, technological, and policy dimensions shaping accessible mobility in future work environments. It highlights the role of assistive technologies, smart and shared mobility, remote and hybrid work arrangements, and universal design in supporting diverse abilities. Emphasis is placed on lived experiences, intersectionality, and contextual differences across regions, particularly in rapidly urbanizing and resource-constrained settings. Collectively, contributions aim to inform inclusive design, evidence-based policymaking, and ethical innovation that advance dignity, autonomy, and equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the evolving world of work.
The aim of this workshop is to open up a discussion among scholars and practitioners in the mobility sector about the following topics, among others:
• Inclusive mobility for people with disabilities
• Workplace access, barriers, and last-mile connectivity
• Meanings and perceived values of inclusive mobility services
• Assistive technologies and accessible transport for future work environments
• Remote, hybrid, and platform-based work and their mobility implications
• Human factors in accessible mobility and workplace design
• Smart cities, intelligent transportation systems, and disability inclusion
• Policy frameworks, governance, and standards for inclusive mobility and employment
• Gender, aging, neurodiversity, and intersectionality in work and mobility
• Safety, trust, and usability of autonomous and AI-enabled mobility for disabled users
9:00 TO 9:15 -- INTRODUCTION
Introduction and discussion of workshop's objectives. Expectation setting among the organizers and workshop participants.
9:15 TO 9:55 -- KEYNOTE ADDRESS - I (Remote)
Cyriel Diels, Deputy Director, Intelligent Mobility Design Centre, Royal College of Art, UK
9:55 TO 10:35 -- KEYNOTE ADDRESS - II (Remote)
Peter Smith, Director, Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice, Australia
10:35 TO 11:00 -- TEA/COFFEE BREAK
Time for a break and informal networking.
11:00 TO 11:40 -- KEYNOTE ADDRESS - III (Remote)
Claire Davies, Professor, Queen's University, Canada
11:40 TO 12:10 -- SESSION - I
Open discussion among participants (in groups if feasible) in the light of key questions raised.
12:10 TO 12:40 -- SESSION - II
In continuation with the Section-I discussion, participants will create an affinity diagram. More extensive discussion on the factors presented by the participants.
12:40 TO 13:00 -- CLOSING REMARKS
Discussion on the learning outcomes from the workshop, future challenges, and how to address these challenges and opportunities in the coming time.
Cyriel Diels
Deputy Director, Intelligent Mobility Design Centre
Royal College of Art, UK
TITLE: TBD
Professor Cyriel Diels serves as the Deputy Director of the Intelligent Mobility Design Centre (IMDC) at the Royal College of Art (RCA). With a background in psychology and over 20 years of experience spanning both industry and academia—including Jaguar Land Rover and the Transport Research Laboratory—his work is situated at the critical intersection of people, mobility, and technology. Motivated by the transitioning towards more sustainable mobility, his research is fundamentally driven by a people-centred participatory design philosophy, aimed at creating desirable mobility propositions that prioritise people's needs and behaviours within complex, changing global environments.
Peter Smith
Director, Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice
Australia’s independent centre of excellence advancing inclusive employment for people with disability
Mobility as a Structural Determinant of Employment Stability: From Access to Viability
Dr Peter Smith is Director of the Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice (CDERP), Australia, and Founder of CDERP College, the only Australian provider aligned to the competencies of the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators in Customised Employment.
He is the developer of the Equilibrium Systems Model of Employment (ESME), a framework that examines how individual capability, provider practice, employer engagement, and policy architecture interact within mainstream labour market programs. His work focuses on strengthening service fidelity, performance integrity, and sustainable employment outcomes within structured reform environments.
Dr Smith advises governments, policy leaders, and institutional partners on embedding inclusive employment architecture within national workforce strategies. His approach emphasises systems alignment, workforce capability development, and the translation of individualised employment practice into scalable, performance-based labour market frameworks.
Claire Davies
Professor and Director of Building and Designing Assistive Technology (BDAT) Laboratory
Queen's University, Canada
TITLE: TBD
Since 1992 Claire Davies has been collaborating with persons with disabilities; as a therapeutic recreationist, a Special Olympics coach, a rehabilitation engineer and, more recently, a researcher and supervisor. Her research transcends educational boundaries. All her projects are interdisciplinary, participatory, and include clinician input resulting in the development of therapies and devices that are usable and effective, ensuring equity and inclusion in design.
Dr. Davies’s academic outputs demonstrate significant interdisciplinary research. While her home department is Mechanical and Materials Engineering, she holds cross-appointments in Cultural Studies, Rehabilitation Sciences, and the Centre for Neuroscience at Queen’s University. Her funding comes from both the natural sciences (NSERC) and social sciences (SSHRC). She is the Queen’s University representative on the Canadian Accessibility Network and the co-Lead of CAN’s Community of Practice in Research, Design and Innovation. The CAN brings together organizations from across Canada to minimize duplication of effort while establishing Canada’s new accessibility standards.
Her BDAT (Building and Designing Assistive Technologies) research group has made significant contributions in translational research in the area of assistive technology design and development. The team conducts research into technologies to increase independence of persons with disabilities and seeks to ensure that community members who need devices can obtain them.
Location
Ars Electronica Center, Linz, Austria
Contact
If you need help or more details about this workshop, please contact:
Ankit R. Patel at majorankit@gmail.com
