‍How did you discover the issue that Yoga4Health approaches?

I’ve lived with a non-communicable disease and disability for over 40 years, and after experiencing the health benefits of adaptive yoga first-hand, I was inspired to launch a charity that provided free online inclusive yoga classes for the Disabled community during the pandemic. This initiative earned us the ‘Points of Light’ Award from the Prime Minister. Building on this success, I partnered with Yoga4Health, a global leader in preventative healthcare, to create an accessible and inclusive digital offering. By collaborating with LSBU, we aim to address the UN SDG Target 3.4 by reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment, while also promoting mental health and well-being.

Our project specifically tackles the physical activity gap within the Disabled community, ensuring that everyone has access to the benefits of physical activity.

Working with LSBU and South Bank Innovation since July 2024, a lot has been achieved already:

“The decision to create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that focuses on showcasing accessibility features as the first step was driven by our commitment to inclusivity. We recognized that before diving into gamification or environment design, it was crucial to ensure that the core functionality of our app was accessible to all users, particularly those with disabilities.

By developing an MVP centred on features like text-to-speech integration, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility, we could gather valuable user feedback early on and make necessary adjustments. This approach allowed us to build a strong foundation, ensuring that accessibility is at the heart of our product from the start. Once we were confident in the accessibility of the MVP, we could then move forward with gamification and environment design, knowing that these elements would be accessible to our entire target audience.”

What has been a challenge, and what obstacles have you encountered?

One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced has been deciding whether to create a VR experience or a web-based app for our target market of people with disabilities. While VR offers an immersive and potentially groundbreaking experience, we had to carefully consider accessibility. The web is generally more accessible and inclusive, making it a safer choice for reaching a broader audience with diverse needs. However, this decision was tough because VR could have opened up opportunities in a specific commercial market that values cutting-edge technology. Balancing innovation with inclusivity has been a significant obstacle, requiring us to weigh the potential benefits of VR against the need to ensure our product is accessible to everyone.

What are the benefits to working with South Bank Innovation for you?

Working with South Bank Innovation has been incredibly beneficial for us as a small startup. We’ve gained access to advanced film studio equipment and virtual production technology that would have been beyond our budget otherwise. The opportunity to collaborate with PhD staff has been invaluable, providing us with cutting-edge knowledge and guidance that has helped us solve complex problems.

Through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership, we’ve been able to integrate innovative research into our business, driving our growth while keeping costs manageable. Additionally, the networking opportunities have opened doors to new industry connections and potential partnerships. Overall, South Bank Innovation has given us the tools, expertise, and support we needed to enhance our competitiveness and move our business forward.

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Keep an eye out – soon we'll be looking at Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – to look at how much of an impact Miranda has made thus far, and where things are heading next. Miranda's involvement with the BIG Growth Innovation Programme has been invaluable - and we want to shout about it.

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You can also visit the BIG website here.

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This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

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