UofG-Developed Accessibility Technology

Dr. Hussein Abdullah, professor in UofG’s School of Engineering, has spent the past twenty years developing technology to improve the lives of people with limb impairments.  

His latest prototype is the Smart Door Access System, an app that eliminates the need for pressing buttons at accessible entrances. Users can download the app on their smartphone, which uses Bluetooth to connect their device to the Smart Door Access System. Then users can open the door by touching their device or saying “open.” Users can set up how long they’d like a door to remain open and save their preferences for doors they have used in the past. 

The app will be available on Apple, Android, and Microsoft accessibility devices. It was initially designed to assist those with physical disabilities, but during the COVID-19 pandemic it was also found to reduce cross-contamination.  

Abdullah and his team - Steven French, Greg French, and Zeyad Ghulam - currently have a pilot project of the app installed at the Collingwood Town Hall and on doors at the Collingwood Public Library.  

Read the UofG’s full article to find out more about this revolutionary accessibility feature.