People With Disabilities As Active Innovators: Ars Docendi Recognition Award For A Teaching Format At UAS Technikum Wien

On September 8, 2026, a team from the Vienna University of Applied Sciences (UAS Technikum Wien) was awarded the Recognition Prize for Excellence in Teaching at the Ars Docendi State Prize for the ASSIST HEIDI teaching format. The awards ceremony took place at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. The awards were presented by Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner. Martin Deinhofer, Alija Sabic, Oliver Klein, and Susanne Buchner-Sabathy from the ASSIST HEIDI teaching team accepted the award; also present from the Vienna University of Applied Sciences (UAS Technikum Wien) were Managing Directors Florian Eckkrammer and Horst Rode, Rector Silvia Geyer, Faculty Director Michael Windisch, and the Director of the Teaching and Learning Center, Silvia Lingo. This is already the third award in a year for the successful team.

Award for Socially Oriented, Inclusive Higher Education and Internationalization

ASSIST HEIDI—Co-Designing and Implementing Assistive Tools for People with Disabilities—was recognized in the “Society and Sustainability-Oriented Teaching” category. This problem-centered, international teaching format brings together international students and co-designers with disabilities. Working in interdisciplinary teams and during four co-design sessions, they develop technical assistive devices for people with disabilities using microcontroller technology or 3D printing. Based on real-world use cases, they create adapted joysticks for wheelchairs or gaming, as well as tactile games for people with visual impairments, all released under an open license. This approach brings socially and sustainability-oriented teaching to life and promotes inclusion and digital participation in education and everyday life. Collaboration in international teams fosters intercultural exchange as part of “internationalization at home.”

To date, over 90 national and international students have benefited from this teaching format in five semester-long courses and two summer schools.

Open, Responsible Innovation

The jury particularly commended the co-design approach based on equality: People with disabilities act as active innovators, while students directly experience the social relevance of their engineering work. In this way, technology becomes a means for inclusion, self-determination, and mutual understanding. Diversity is leveraged as a strength and fosters future skills such as teamwork and inclusive design.

The open-source principle ensures that knowledge can be shared and further developed—a direct contribution to social justice and global participation in line with SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

The Team Behind ASSIST HEIDI

Group photo on the left: Sarah Langer, Martin Deinhofer, Alija Sabic (back row, from left to right), Natascha Toman, Oliver Klein (front row, from left to right), Erich Schmid (posthumous) (in the picture frame).

Photo on the right: Susanne Buchner-Sabathy (© Julia Haimburger)

UAS Technikum Wien would like to thank all students, co-designers, partner institutions, and supporters who have made this successful implementation possible.

About the Ars Docendi State Prize

Since 2013, the Federal Ministry for Women, Science, and Research has been honoring the exceptional dedication and outstanding achievements of faculty members at Austrian universities with the Ars Docendi State Prize. The award underscores the importance of excellent teaching and highlights outstanding examples.

The projects Inclusion International (No. 33-02) and StudyATHome Internationally (No. 22-07) were funded by the City of Vienna.

Images from Ars Docendi 2026:

https://cloud.technikum-wien.at/s/petcg2ecSYzTMSC

Photo credit: As indicated by each image filename

Print-ready images for UAS Technikum Wien:

https://cloud.technikum-wien.at/s/WdHJJsCS7MWo5Df

Photo credit: UAS Technikum Wien

Further Information:

APA Press Release – Ars Docendi 2026 Federal Ministry for Women, Science, and Research

Photos – Ars Docendi State Awards Ceremony for Excellence in Teaching on September 8, 2026 – Federal Ministry for Women, Science, and Research

ASSIST HEIDI – Concept Submission in the Atlas of Good Teaching

Poster: ASSIST HEIDI Teaching Format

Ars Docendi 2026 Awards

Brochure – Ars Docendi 2026

Course: ASSIST HEIDI – Designing and Implementing Assistive Tools for People with Disabilities

ASSIST HEIDI Summer School 2025: Focus on Accessible Gaming

ASSIST HEIDI Summer School 2022

3 Awards for ASSIST HEIDI:

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