Congratulations to the team behind the Virtual Reality Motorised Wheelchair Project, which received the Judges’ Choice Runner-Up for Excellence in Consumer Partnerships in Non-Commercial Research at the 2025 Australian Consumer Partnerships in Research Awards. The project was also a finalist in the People’s Choice category.
Held online on the 13th of August 2025, the inaugural awards celebrated excellence, innovation and extraordinary partnerships between health consumers and researchers across Australia.
The successful team entry from John Hitchens (Consumer lead), Dr Robert Cuthbert (Co-lead) and Helen Gray, is a leading example of what true partnership can achieve. Sparked by an idea from wheelchair user John (JJ) Hitchens, the project brings together a diverse team of people with lived experience, rehabilitation professionals, VR game designers, and researchers. Working side by side, they combined practical insights with technical expertise to co-design a tool that genuinely reflects the needs of wheelchair users. This collaboration is built on mutual respect, shared learning and a commitment to inclusion—where every voice shapes the outcome.
This recognition highlights RECOVER's strong commitment to consumer-led innovation and meaningful collaboration between researchers and people with lived experience.
Read more about the Virtual Reality Wheelchair Simulator project
