At AccessHack, we encourage participants to embark on a journey of understanding disability and creating technologies to make the world more accessible. In this hackathon, your team will have 48 hours to prototype a new assistive technology or a solution to an accessibility barrier experienced by people with disabilities. You can focus on any disability or multiple disabilities. Prototypes can be anything from paper prototypes to digital mock-ups to fully realized code and hardware—lean into your strengths and show off your accessibility skills.
You can plan your project before the start of the hackathon. However, you cannot start building your prototypes until the start of the hackathon. When planning your project, we strongly encourage you to connect with people with disabilities to learn firsthand about what would make the world more accessible to them. If you or someone on your team is disabled, consider projects that will address your own accessibility barriers.
Prizes
Your projects will be reviewed by a panel of students with accessibility expertese. The highest-scoring projects will be awarded Visa Gift Cards with amounts to be distributed across your team.
1st Place: $500
2nd Place: $300
3rd Place: $200
Before The Hackathon
- Research and Connect: Reach out to local disability organizations, support groups, or individuals with disabilities to set up interviews or focus group discussions. Take the time to understand different types of disabilities and their unique challenges.
- Identify Key Barriers: Based on the insights gathered, identify the most significant accessibility barriers that must be addressed. It could be related to mobility, communication, digital access, or any other aspect where technology can make a difference.
- Brainstorm Solutions: Collaborate with your team to brainstorm solutions to the identified barriers. Think creatively about how technology, whether in the form of software, hardware, or a combination, can be harnessed to overcome these challenges.
During The Hackathon
- Prototype Development: Use your learnings and insights to develop prototypes that address the identified barriers. These prototypes can be mobile applications, digital interfaces, physical devices, or even system-level changes.
- Feasibility and Creativity: Evaluate the feasibility of your prototypes, ensuring they are practical and implementable. Simultaneously, challenge yourself to think outside the box and bring creative ideas to the table, pushing the boundaries of what is currently possible.
The Judging Criteria:
AccessHack submissions will be evaluated based on the following four categories:
- Accessibility: The extent to which the submission adheres to the principle guidelines set forth by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The focus will be on ensuring that the solution promotes inclusivity and provides equal access to information and functionality for users with disabilities.
- Realism: The consideration of whether the submission addresses a realistic accessibility barrier or proposes a practical solution to an existing accessibility problem. Judges will assess the viability and relevance of the approach taken and its potential impact on improving accessibility for users with disabilities.
- Evaluation Plan: The appropriateness and realism of the evaluation plan presented. This includes the proposed methods and metrics for assessing the solution’s effectiveness in terms of accessibility improvements. Judges will evaluate the evaluation plan’s clarity, thoroughness, and practicality.
- Presentation: The quality of the submission’s presentation encompasses several aspects. It will be assessed based on including all relevant information, the clarity and organization of the content, and the demonstration of preparedness by the participants to discuss their submission in detail. Judges will evaluate the presentation’s overall coherence, effectiveness, and professionalism.
What to submit? Participants are expected to workspace URL & a 3-minute video presentation in MP4 format. Examples of a workspace URL include but are not limited to, a GitHub Repository, a public Google Drive folder, or a Figma prototype.
Participants are encouraged to focus on these criteria to enhance their chances of success in the AccessHack hackathon. By addressing accessibility, realism, evaluation planning, and delivering a well-prepared presentation, participants can showcase their dedication and expertise in creating inclusive solutions for individuals with disabilities.
After The Hackathon:
After the Hackathon, consider taking our prototype one step further and seek feedback from disabled individuals. Incorporate their input and iterate on your designs to enhance their effectiveness and inclusivity. Mentors and organizers from AccessHack will be available to help make your prototypes a reality.
By engaging in conversations with disabled individuals and learning about their experiences, you will gain valuable insights to develop meaningful and impactful prototypes. Remember, the ultimate goal of AccessHack is to empower disabled individuals and promote inclusivity through innovative solutions. Best of luck on your journey of discovery and innovation!