Katrin Dorfschmid
Katrin Dorfschmid is the head of communications for CYBATHLON – a unique competition in which people with physical disabilities compete against each other to complete everyday tasks using state-of-the-art technical assistance systems. She’s passionate about explaining not only the competition but also the underlying goals and promoting dialogue with the public about chances and limitations of technical assistance systems, including robotic technologies. Prior to her engagement at the ETH Zurich, she has worked as a spokesperson in the fair trade and sustainability sector, as communications consultant and journalist.
Why I 
Tech
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Because technology can be used to make everyday life easier – especially for people with physical disabilities, smart technical assistance systems can help to empower them. At CYBATHLON we do exactly this: Looking for technical solutions with the human being as the primary concern.
#ada18’s motto is ideas to change the world – my tech idea is
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The idea of CYBATHLON is that technology developers exchange ideas and collaborate closely with people with physical disabilities as they develop their devices. Only this close collaboration leads to practical solutions – e.g. to devices that are actually used by those who need them. At a unique event, teams from all over the world compete in obstacle courses and demonstrate the potential and limitations of state-of-the-art technology in overcoming challenges in daily life. The competition format doesn’t only promote research, but also raises awareness in the broader public and stimulates the discussion on inclusion and equality of people with disabilities in everyday life. We believe that the CYBATHLON as a platform and competition has the power to change the world towards more inclusion.