David Constantine MBE
Doctor of the University (HonDUniv)
Year conferred: 2006
David Constantine is co-founder of Motivation, a charity which sets up self-sustaining projects to improve the quality of life of people with mobility disabilities in developing countries.
David is an alumnus of Oxford Brookes, having come here in 1983 to study computing, a year after breaking his neck in a diving accident which left him a quadriplegic. Following completion of his degree, David worked for I.B.M. for two years and then studied Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art, where he co-designed with Simon Gue a wheelchair for developing countries.
David teamed up with Richard Frost (also Alumni of and Honorary Doctor of Oxford Brookes University) to form Motivation. After 18 years, Motivation is now an international disability and development organisation working in low-income countries to reduce poverty and enhance the quality of life of people with mobility disabilities. Motivations' aim is to improve opportunities by positively impacting on disabled people's physical, social and economic situation to enable their full participation in society.
David has won many awards for his services to people with disabilities all over the world, including the 1992 'Person of the Year' Award from the Royal Association for Disability, and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art.
David was awarded an MBE in the 2010 New Year's Honours List for services to the disabled.
