Dr Gerald Craddock

Chief Officer

Centre for Excellence in Universal Design at National Disability Authority

Biography

Dr Craddock is the inaugural Chief Officer of the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, a statutory body established by the Irish Government in 2007. It is part of the National Disability Authority which is the lead state agency on disability in Ireland. The Centre’s key domain areas are the built environment, products and services, and information and communication technologies (ICT). The centre’s focus is on infusing universal design into educational curricula at all levels, developing standards in professional and industrial services and creating awareness of the benefits of universal design within Ireland as well as at European and International level.

He is an expert evaluator for the European Commission’s research and innovation funding programme, the Horizon 2020). He is past president of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE),. Prior to his role with the Centre, Dr Craddock managed a national assistive technology service delivery department. He has also headed up projects at both national and European level.

Dr Craddock is a graduate of Dublin City University with an Electronic Engineering degree, a Postgraduate Diploma in Social and Vocational Rehabilitation Management from University College Dublin (UCD), and a PhD from the Centre of Disability Studies in UCD. He has published widely in peer reviewed journals.