Date: Monday, April 6, 2015
Category: General
RESNA is a proud partner with New York University and AT&T on the first ever Connect Ability tech innovation challenge, which will offer over $100,000 in prizes to developers for software, wearable and other technology solutions aimed at enhancing the lives of people with disabilities at work, home and play. Launched April 6th in New York City, the competition seeks to honor the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, which celebrates its 25th anniversary on July 26, 2015.
Leveraging NYU's ABILITY Lab, an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to the development of adaptive and assistive technologies for people with disabilities, the Connect Ability Challenge will offer developers the unique opportunity to interface directly with four individuals with diverse disabilities, who will share the challenges they face and help guide innovators to find solutions. The challenge directs developers to solve for four functional categories and one category addressing public policy, namely:
- People with sensory disabilities
- People in need of mobility solutions
- Social and emotional solutions
- Solutions for people with communicative and cognitive disabilities
- Solutions impacting policy and society
NYU and AT&T are partnering with national experts such as RESNA, who will advise on the formation of teams of engineers and persons with disabilities in at least six metro regions with large numbers of computer science, rehabilitation science, and engineering students. RESNA Fellows Anita Perr, Clinical Associate Professor at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; Jerry Weisman, Principal, Rehabilitation Technology Services and President, Assistive Technology Solutions, Inc.; and Paul Schwartz, Assistive Technology Services Manager, Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institution (SVR), University of Wisconsin-Stout will also serve as judges.