FIRST INNOVATION ACCELERATOR DEDICATED TO DISABILITIY OR LOSS OF AUTONOMY

Who are you?

My name is Stéphane Houdet, I am the ambassador for HANDILAB and I started out as a bad motorcyclist who had to switch careers. I was a veterinarian first and upon discovering the world of sports, I became a Paralympic tennis player. Paralympic tennis is a discipline practiced in a wheelchair. So, for many years it has been my main activity. I am a three-time paralympic champion in men’s doubles and for the Tokyo Games, I was the flag bearer for the French delegation during the Games.

Why did you decide to join the HANDILAB project?

The HANDILAB project was introduced to me just before the Tokyo Games, in the summer of 2021. It immediately resonated with something that I had been working on for many years, both as a Sports & Disability counselor for the Ministry of Armed Forces and as an injured individual, who had thought about innovations for many years as well as various structures which could have developed solutions to issues that, as injured individuals, we face in our daily lives. Thus, captivated by the project, I wanted to be part of the team and joined as soon as I returned from the Games.

What is your role within the project?

As part of the HANDILAB project, I revisit a story that I have experienced, a personal journey during which I brought together a team of experts to conceive a tool that I needed to be able to play tennis at the time: an all-carbon wheelchair. A technological innovation which allowed me to rediscover the sensations of the standing player I was when I was younger. This process brought together researchers, bio-mechanical engineers, doctors, surgeons, specialists in video capture, video analysts as well as movement analysts. Well, we gave birth to an entity, a Formula 1 that enables tennis practice. We wanted this project to become accessible to as many people as possible, that was my first commitment. At HANDILAB, we are looking for the same thing. Building on ideas that we source left and right, with very specific goals, while thinking about what could benefit a larger audience. Through our various encounters, these niche innovations for a very specific audience could actually become projects for mankind.

What are the values you adopted in this project?

The main reason I wanted to be part of the HANDILAB project was to join a team which started out from a blank page and was not necessarily familiar with these issues. Therefore, was more inclined to think outside of the box, starting from a clean slate, without judgment or prejudices. They would say, "You are describing a problem, I will think of a solution. And since I have no biases, I think I am likely to invent things.” Inventiveness is something that is very important within the HANDILAB project. Since there are no prejudices, and consequently an open-mindedness turned towards different perspectives, another approach. In a world we often call inclusive, I would like to think of it as sharing : a world in which we want to think together and come together.

What makes the HANDILAB project special?

The main difference I experience here at HANDILAB is working with people from different backgrounds, who do not care about differences when it comes to disability and autonomy loss as we know it. This uniqueness in their approach also brings agility and quick thinking, linked to the fact that there aren't multiple layers of decision-making. When we want to decide something, we can act on it. We don't have to fill out paperwork wondering if we can do something tomorrow. As soon as we decide together to do something, we do it. It's the private sector aspect that allows us to say "okay, let's go" and move forward, without biases, and without going through layers of validations that could be barriers. So, we have the advantages of a private group with decision-makers who can snap their fingers and say "Let's go."

How is HANDILAB perceived in your meetings?

From my own experience, since the beginning of the project, and from what I have been told, as I was not here from the beginning, my role as an ambassador and as an individual directly affected by these issues is to provide a sort of legitimacy to our various interlocutors. They see that we know what we're talking about and that we're seeking solutions for identified needs, which is a form of guarantee. This guarantee makes our first exchanges very positive. I feel that today, and since I have been back from the Games, disability has become a real societal issue, not only for businesses but for political, media and social spheres which are increasingly interested in the subject. Suddenly, people who are affected are identified and doors seem more open. People want to take part because they are faced with people with needs and want to answer them. There’s an awareness and an approach from HANDILAB that has been enticing to me. The world of sports and Paralympic sports is undergoing a transition from reliance on patrons and foundations, which sometimes have a compassionate angle, towards being seen more as market actors, economic players, and consumers. When we talk about consumers, it becomes easier to engage with the entire population rather than segmenting and isolating. By considering ourselves potential travelers, renters of vehicles, guests in hotels or apartments—consumers of this world—we also see ourselves as citizens, customers, and this brings meaning to the civic aspect of our society. I believe this new perspective is worth exploring further.

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Handilab partners with France Digitale and BFM Business to create, for the first time in history, the Tech for Good Awards. Featuring various awards and a special disability category which will showcase, each year, particularly innovative startups. To follow what we’re up to, subscribe to our newsletter and join us on each event hosted by Handilab.