Help us solve real-world challenges through inclusion, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Rix Inclusive Research is based at the University of East London and specialises in inclusive research, accessible technology and co-production.
RIX Hackathon27 will bring together disabled people, neurodivergent people, students, professionals, organisations and creative thinkers to explore real-world challenges and develop imaginative, practical responses.
Participants can usedart and craft materials to help visualise their solutions
A RIX Hackathon is an inclusive, energetic, and collaborative event.
We are seeking partners who share our commitment to inclusion and would be interested in supporting next year’s event.
Partnership is not simply about providing financial support. We welcome organisations that can contribute time, specialist knowledge, equipment, resources, access to networks, or practical support.
RIX Hackathon27 will take place in June 2027 at the University of East London.
Express your interest
If you would like to find out more or explore supporting Hackathon27 through funding, expertise, resources or time, please contact Craig Wilkie, RIX Technical Director.
Please express your initial interest by 1 December 2026.
We welcome an informal conversation and will work with prospective partners to identify an appropriate and mutually beneficial way to become involved.
The Be Well Live Well Hackathon in Norwich will bring together people with lived experience, health professionals, charities and local partners to work collaboratively on practical solutions to the wellbeing challenges people face.
Putting lived experience at the heart of change
The theme of this year’s event is Be Well, Live Well, and focuses on the challenges faced by under-served communities. Norwich-based homelessness charity St Martins, alongside colleagues from the Integrated Care Board (ICB), will be taking part and sharing insights from the people they work with every day. It is well known that homelessness, severe and multiple disadvantages, and poor health are closely linked. Many people facing homelessness encounter multiple barriers to accessing healthcare, from registering with a GP and attending appointments to managing physical and mental health conditions, as do other under-served communities.
Learn from leading voices
Participants will also hear from Sir Norman Lamb, one of the UK’s most respected advocates for health and social care reform. His extensive experience and long-standing commitment to improving health services will help inspire discussion and innovation on the day.
Every day we hear stories of missed opportunities, systems that don’t connect, and people falling through the gaps, having a poor experience, struggles in accessing health and care and poorer health as a result. I have seen this first hand and know those people who use our services have the solutions. That’s why I’m excited about this hackathon. It brings together people who have something to say in a way that allows everyone to contribute equally. The challenges have already been identified, and our hope is for the hackathon to stimulate ideas for lasting change that improves access to healthcare, the experiences for people which will improve the wellbeing for people facing the greatest barriers.
Tracy Williams, Queens Nurse and Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Homeless and Inclusion Health
Who should attend?
This event is for people who face barriers and have had a poor experience in accessing Healthcare, and for those working in social care, health and community services. You do not need specialist knowledge. What matters is a willingness to listen, share ideas and work with others to find solutions.
Be Well, Live Well Hackathon
This is an opportunity to be part of a practical, hands-on day that could lead to meaningful change for people facing barriers to healthcare.
A new co-researcher-led evaluation has revealed the value of the RIX Big Ideas course for students with learning disabilities, highlighting its impact on learning, confidence, relationships and aspirations.
The RIX Big Ideas course at the University of East London brings people with learning disabilities and social work students together to learn as equals. Over 22 weekly sessions, students explored influential ideas about disability, including power, inequality, institutionalisation, the social model of disability and the history of exclusion.
Big Ideas students working together in small groups
Rather than learning about people with learning disabilities from textbooks or case studies, social work students learned alongside people with lived experience. Everyone contributed knowledge, asked questions and connected complex theories to real life.
An evaluation led by lived experience
The evaluation focused specifically on what students with learning disabilities gained from taking part.
Big Ideas Course Evaluation Wiki
The evaluation team included RIX co-researchers Baljit Taggar, Kiran Dhillon and Ros Weinberg, RIX staff member and Expert by Experience Ajay Choksi, and social work student Jessica Reynolds. The work was facilitated by independent researcher Dr Helen Evans.
Jan Walmsley, Big Ideas course tutor, talks with students
Following each class, the evaluators met to reflect on their experiences using photographs, videos and materials uploaded to a shared RIX Wiki. They used an accessible version of the Value Creation Framework to identify different kinds of value created through the course.
Importantly, the co-researchers did not simply provide information for somebody else to analyse. They helped interpret their own experiences, decide what mattered and shape the evaluation findings.
More than access to a university classroom
The evaluation found that the course created value in many interconnected ways.
Participants described enjoying learning and developing a stronger interest in theory. Several carried out their own research between sessions because they wanted to understand the ideas more deeply. They applied theories about power, choice, disability and inequality to their own lives and began identifying how these ideas could influence other people and services.
Course materials were uploaded to the Big Ideas Course Evaluation Wiki
The course also created a sense of achievement and belonging.
This course is so much better than any course I had before.
Baljit
Participants reported increased confidence, stronger self-advocacy and new ambitions. Some wanted to help deliver future courses, present at conferences or encourage other universities to adopt similar approaches. Kiran expressed a desire to continue into higher education.
I still want a black cap to get a degree.
Kiran
The findings also show what genuine inclusion requires. Accessible rooms, reliable transport, speech-to-text technology, flexible online participation, easy read information and skilled technical support all affected whether people could participate fully.
The evaluators also identified improvements for future courses, including better transport arrangements, more accessible technology and information about forthcoming sessions so that Experts by Experience can prepare their contributions.
Learning through inclusion
The report demonstrates that inclusive education is about much more than inviting people into an existing course. It requires universities to value different forms of knowledge, remove barriers and enable people with and without learning disabilities to learn from one another.
Get people with learning disabilities and people without learning disabilities to work together.
Ajay
The RIX Big Ideas course shows what becomes possible when people with learning disabilities are recognised not only as contributors to professional education, but also as students, theorists, evaluators and creators of knowledge.
This year’s Big Ideas course runs from 4 November 2026 until 26 April 2027.
The Newham Citizen Science Fair (NCSF) 2026 was a busy, friendly and dynamic community event where people of all ages and abilities came together to learn, explore new ideas and participate in hands-on activities.
Now in its third year, this was the first time the NCSF was hosted at the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS), adding an exciting new dimension to the fair.
Members of purpleSTARS, RIX co-researchers and social work students hosted an exhibit inviting visitors to share their lived experiences by contributing to a multi-sensory collage map of Newham. Through creative sensory artworks and personal reflections, the exhibit brought together diverse perspectives and highlighted the real-life challenges, strengths and stories of Newham’s communities.
Ajay at the event and checking out PhotoSYNTH with Zen
Lots to see and do
There were many different stalls and activities. People explored new technology, science projects and fun hands-on demonstrations. Ajay said:
I enjoyed the Newham Citizen Science Fair. It was very exciting. I saw different sections like Smile Powered Music with the PhotoSYNTH, the Newham Community Research Network and the UCL Citizen Science Academy. I also liked the Newham mind-mapping—it reminded me of growing up in old school, secondary school and sixth form. It was a very busy day and a lot of fun!
A fun and inclusive community event
Visitors said the event felt welcoming for everyone. Mary-Ann said:
It was a lovely, fun and engaging community event with lots to do for different ages and abilities. It was thought-provoking and there was lots to learn in a fun and interactive way.
Samantha and Renee-Deborah with visitors and tactile sound ‘Be Kind’ card created by visitor to the fair
Inspiring technology for accessibility
Many people were impressed by how technology is being designed to support people with learning and physical disabilities. Tofunmi said:
The fair was eye-opening and inspiring. I saw amazing projects showing how technology can be customised for people with disabilities. It reminded me how important it is to make new technology accessible for everyone. I loved seeing researchers, developers and community members working together. It deepened my understanding of what accessible technology can do, and why inclusive voices matter.
Gavin Sealy highlighted the need for us to approach Artificial Intelligence, AI, as a conversational tool that will strengthen our ability to think clearly as individuals and to think well together as communities. He argued AI is not about replacing people with machines but about highlighting the value of people in the age of the machine.
Gavin Sealy’s presentation
Working together and sharing ideas
The fair created opportunities for collaboration, conversation and co-production. Nic said:
It was a positive experience participating in the Newham Citizen Science Fair. I met a wide range of people and explored many different projects. The event felt open and collaborative, with informal conversations and hands-on activities helping people learn together. I especially enjoyed projects like the LEGO Mindstorms (which I spent ages playing with!) and the musical instruments created by Zen. These showed the creativity and technical skill in the community and highlighted how citizen-led innovation can bring people together.
Building skills and confidence
The fair was also a great place for students and young people to practise communication skills. Ifeoma said:
The fair was informative and insightful. I got to put my signing skills into practice while talking with others. It helped build my confidence in communication. It was a positive opportunity to participate and contribute. I enjoyed seeing local residents sharing high-quality research that supports our borough. I used my Makaton skills when talking with children who are D/Deaf or hard of hearing. It was a rewarding day that showed the power of inclusive community research.
Ifeoma with purpleSTARS member Jas
A successful day for Newham
The Newham Citizen Science Fair 2026 showed how powerful community-led research can be.
People shared ideas, learned from each other and explored new ways to make Newham a fairer and more inclusive place.
Inclusive creative sensory mind map of Newham co-created by visitors to the Newham Citizen Science Fair – now on display in the RIX office
Rix Inclusive Research at UEL is proud to support events like this, where everyone’s voice matters and everyone can take part.
We use cookies to help us understand how people use this site and to provide a better user experience. The cookies do not store any sensitive information and are never shared with third parties. Manage cookiesAccept cookies
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
