An Evening at Horse Guards Parade. European Space Solutions Conference

Just a quick post on my thoughts after visiting the European Space Solutions Conference in London -@ Westminster Hall. I went as a space fan - i wasn't there to represent my company. I saw the tweets about the conference, that it was free, and that there was food - So I took a day off and visited.

The last Glass.
I went to the evening function on the first day Monday and met the great character Paralympian Tennis Player Peter Norfolk also known as "The Quadfather". I was really interested in the space and disability theme that was being discussed on this first evening. Unfortunately it was a short and packed meeting in a small dome-like tent on Horse Guards parade. Peter got stuck in a corner, and managed somehow to miss getting a glass of wine, which had run out by the time he had finished his speech. He was very upbeat and was happy to talk to me, as a software engineer, about the sorts of technologies he thought was of interest to himself, and some of his disabled colleagues.
The Cost of Autonomy 
The word autonomy came up quite a few times in the conversation. Peter said he thought that tools giving better autonomy to the disabled individual were probably the most desirable to obtain a better quality of life. During the conversation I asked he thought the main problems were with the current tools/technology provided for the disabled at the current time. "The cost" he replied. Most of the technologies proposed to assist the disable were very expensive and out of reach for most individuals.
On further discussion it appears that Germany have a large amount of the current development in this area. some SME  firms that have been looking into technologies such as autonomous wheelchairs.
Caring about the Carers.
I kept thinking to myself about this "cost" of developing technologies. Surely if the technology already existed wouldnt it be relatively cheap put things together "maker" style. Perhaps if it was agreed to donate licences to use a technology for non-profit or charitable purpose?.
The other subject I briefly discussed was if not a technology to help the disabled what if there were technologies for the helpers and carers. Some disabled people of course, due to their disablity, would never be autonomous. Peter is part of an elite sporting fraternity in spite of his disability, the differences inside the disability community may have differences of opinion regarding the sort of help that would be useful from the technological (space) community.
Re-cycled Cardboard.
After I spoke to him I thought about the cost of some of the top class formula 1 style wheelchairs that had been created for the atheletes. I then thought about the article I had read in the economist about the cardboard bicycle -economist. I wonder if we would be able to build cardboard resin dipped wheelchairs for £5 in the way the bicycle designer was hoping to do for his budget bicycle market. Perhaps we could print custom individual wheelchair seats on a 3D printer with cardboard chassis parts. With a few like minded individuals we could resolve some problems that have, up till now seemed insurmountable - isnt that what space engineers are trained to do? After my glass of champagne hobnobbing amongst the great and good of space and sport I feel I certainly have a lot to think about, I hope my colleagues will feel the same way..