86Views9Replies
Recommendation for Contest: Accessibility and Assistive Technology
On behalf of Kiteman, NachoMahma, and myself, I would like to propose to the Instructables staff a contest theme of accessibility (in the sense of disability access, adaptive equipment and assistive technology, and the independent living movement).
We'd like to see the contest include not just hardware (devices), but also software and online design (Web, PDF, etc.) which is fully accessible. Both specific designs and descriptions of the guidelines and tools to use should be included.
For my own selfish benefit, I would like to have already published I'bles eligible for such a contest, but that's a policy decision for Instructables, not for me.
Discussions
6 years ago
How are you going to get inside the mouth of every one in five who doesn't have dental care?
These people are disabled.
Reply 6 years ago
Huh?
Lack of access to expensive dental care is not, in itself, a disability. Maybe you mean disadvantage?
But, the original idea was not political in any way, but about the kind of one-off, bespoke project that is required by a unique individual's unique requirements (eg a cheap way to make prosthetics fit the almost infinite shapes and sizes of amputated limb).
11 years ago
Neat idea! I've put it on our list of potential contests. What would be a good prize for winners?
Reply 6 years ago
Any plans to make this a competition? I'm teaching an assistive technology and engineering class in February and my students would love having a competition to enter their devices into
Reply 11 years ago
Again, an excellent question. Here are some concrete ideas.
-- Admission or/and travel expenses to the annual Assitive Technology
conference at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).
-- Admission or/and travel expenses to the Abilities Expo (held in both northern
and southern California, and I think in other states).
-- A subscription to one of the disability community magazines (I can provide
a list).
-- A kit or components for commercially available adaptive equipment. Here, I
envision some dollar amount specified in advance, but the particular item
being requested by the winner based on their own needs.
-- Smaller scale prizes could include various T-shirts (my wife has a great one
with the international access symbol and the text "I'm only in it for the
parking"), books on disability issues, various AT devices like grabbers, and
so on.
I don't know whether any of these ideas would fit within Instructables' budget, but it has been pointed out that you nice folks did give away a laser cutter as a prize, once ;->
Thank you again, canida, for picking up my idea.
Reply 11 years ago
Ooohhh...that is an excellent question. I'd like to think about it and try to come up with something(s) which are both practically and thematically appropriate. I'm hoping NM, K, and others might chime in with ideas as well. Do you all have a budget to purchase prizes? Do you solicit vendor donations for prizes? Or are they in-house goodies? If you'd rather limit this discussion to e-mail, feel free to PM me within the I'bles interface, or check my internal records and send me a real e-mail.
Reply 11 years ago
How about a whole bunch of things (like handrails or...a kit to build a ramp for a wheelchair) to use to make your home, or your business, or anywhere, a bit more accessible to the disabled? Or is that a dumb idea? Otherwise, maybe some type of shirt with a special design. Or a biography of Helen Keller? Hard to think of cool prizes for a contest like this... :\
Reply 11 years ago
Not dumb ideas at all -- but those examples are just the reason I asked about budget. If they can acquire materials, equipment, etc., that would open up different possibilities. Thanks very much for the post!
Reply 11 years ago
Thanks. :) I don't work there, so of course I can't speak for them, but I think, based on past contest prizes, that they do have some budget to buy some pretty neat prizes (one year they gave away a laser cutter!).