Changing Lives Together

Individuals with disabilities face a multitude of accessibility challenges in various aspects of their daily lives. According to World Bank statistics, approximately 15% of the global population, or around one billion people, live with some form of disability. With the scope of the problem being so large, if you are not personally affected, then someone close to you likely is. As such, solving these challenges is personally important to many of the innovators in the Hackster community.

People with disabilities face challenges in many areas of life, but there are a few areas where accessibility is particularly poor. Traveling, for example, can be a daunting task, as many destinations and transportation services lack proper accessibility features. Airports, train stations, and bus terminals often lack ramps or elevators, making it difficult for individuals with mobility impairments to board and disembark vehicles. Additionally, the limited availability of accessible accommodation and facilities in tourist destinations can further hinder their travel experiences.

Swimming poses another significant challenge for people with disabilities, especially those with physical impairments. Accessible swimming pools with proper equipment, such as lifts or ramps, are not widely available. This exclusion from swimming facilities denies them the opportunity to participate in a popular recreational activity and can also have adverse effects on their physical well-being and social inclusion.

Even in the world of gaming, individuals with disabilities often encounter barriers that prevent them from fully enjoying and engaging with digital content. Many video games lack accessibility features, such as customizable controls, subtitles, or audio descriptions, making it difficult or impossible for players with visual, auditory, or motor disabilities to participate.

We have seen many incredible assistive technologies built by Hackster members over the years, ranging from devices that give the power of speech to those with severe communications problems, offer independence to quadriplegics with a puff-controlled robotic arm, or help the visually-impaired to get around with a smart walking stick. We have also reported on technological advancements made by academic researchers that allow the brain to control prosthetic arms or monitor blood flow to the brain to provide a warning before fainting occurs.

Your voice has been heard here at Hackster, so we have teamed up with ETH Zurich along with partners Blues, Google, M5Stack, PCBWay, and Useful Sensors to launch the Build2gether Inclusive Innovation Challenge! This is your opportunity to showcase your skills in developing assistive technologies that have the potential to transform the lives of millions of people. Oh, and not that it matters, but there are some small monetary prizes for the winners of the contest as well, in the unlikely event that you would be interested in winning more than $40,000 in prizes!

There are also hundreds of free hardware kits and gift cards available from the sponsors to get you started with your projects. Be sure to submit your project ideas early so that you can take advantage of these free goodies. The contest is not limited to these devices, however. In the spirit of making the biggest impact for individuals with disabilities, the selection of hardware you can use is unlimited. You can start hacking today with the hardware you already have at home.

We are looking for innovations in three areas where accessibility is presently very poor — gaming, traveling, and swimming. If you cannot decide, then enter a project for each of the categories (you can win a prize for each). Moreover, there is an Inclusive Innovation Challenge Ultimate Award with a cash prize of $10,000 available that is awarded to the person with the best score across all of their projects, so the more entries you have, the better. We have also introduced a new type of award called Lucky Draw Prizes that are chosen at random. All you have to do is submit at least two projects (but you will have better chances with three!), and you will be in the running for up to $500.

The overarching goal of this competition is to transform the lives of people in the disabled community, so we want to give you the resources you need to ensure that your project can solve real-world problems. Towards that end, we have set up a number of discord channels where you can directly engage with our Contest Masters that serve as representatives of the disabled community. You will have the opportunity to ask them questions, show them what you are working on, and ensure that your device will help them with real problems that they have.

By working with the Contest Masters, you will also be helping ETH Zurich understand how actively involving individuals with disabilities in every stage of product design and prototyping helps innovation. And the results of that research could pay future dividends in the development of new assistive technologies. We did mention that we are very serious about transforming the lives of disabled individuals, right?

Well, what are you waiting for? Head on over to the contest page to get all the details on the categories, drool over the prizes, then get hacking for good! But first, make sure you click the button to register as a participant, then join the discord channel. Oh, and get yourself some free hardware while you are at. Together, we can build a more inclusive and equitable future for all.