During one of their conversations, Laurent, FORVIA’s Product and Process Development Leader at FORVIA Clean Mobility, mentioned that the FORVIA Foundation was launching a new initiative called The Disability Hackathon. He explained the concept and asked Édouard if he had any ideas to share. Édouard had plenty.

Edouard has worked as a technical support assistant for medical equipment for 17 years, supporting users, adapting devices and troubleshooting failures and their causes. He's also lived with cerebral palsy since birth and uses a wheelchair daily. That dual perspective - professional and personal - gives him a view others might miss. "I know very well where the needs are," he says. "For me, of course, but for many other people as well."

The first question he asked the hackathon organizers focused on scope before solutions. "It was mainly about setting goals - knowing what we could actually build together." From there, two projects emerged.

One focused on a modular rearview camera for electric wheelchairs. Existing manufacturer systems cost around €3,000 and the hackathon team set out to create an accessible alternative that could easily adapt to different wheelchair models. The second project addressed a voice-controlled medical bed. When the remote control is out of reach and you need to adjust your position, there's no way to do it independently. Voice control would solve this issue.

Édouard was present at the hackathon hosted by Paris’ Learning Planet Institute, working directly with both teams on the two solutions. “It was essential for me to be there,” he says. “You cannot design something like this without the person who will use it.” 

Following its successful completion, the rearview camera is now part of Edouard’s daily life. The medical bed, however, proved more complex. "We managed to create a functional concept," he says. "But to be completely usable, it still requires work." The coding demands exceeded what a three-day hackathon could deliver, and the project now continues with engineers and partners from the APF France Handicap. *

Edouard believes in collective engagement, and his experience with the FORVIA Foundation was another opportunity to see the power of community action. "What makes me feel good is to bring something, to share with others," he says. "When people invest their skills, it has meaning. Working like this shows that even in a world that can be individualistic, we can still build something together."

Here at FORVIA, we call this the Blue Effect: individual experiences and skills coming together to create progress through shared commitment. 

* a French association, who defends, advocates for and represents persons with disabilities and their families.