72 hours of collaboration. 19 advancements in accessibility.

When you're on crutches or a walker, there isn't a way to carry your food or drink without spilling it. Carriers exist, but they aren’t spill-proof. I recently broke my femur and was on crutches for 8 weeks. Since I live alone, moving around on crutches was very frustrating. –Daisy

I’m an adapted PE teacher and work with students with moderate to severe disabilities. Adapted PE has to be creative and challenging, but within their reach. I've created a device that attaches to the side of a student’s wheelchair so when they pull the handle, the target strikes the ball. Students who have lower limb mobility issues can now be included in ball games. But what about students who can't move the handle?

My daughter is nonverbal and has limited mobility. She is very social and engaged, but her biggest frustrations come from the inability to share her thoughts and ideas as quickly as they come. Current communication devices require excessive "scrolling" through information to find what you want to say, or demands someone with limited motor skills to type out individual letters in a message. It’s impossible to communicate in real time. –Tanya

I have Parkinson’s Disease, and take medications to treat my condition. I would like to have a better overall understanding of how my medications actually impact the shaking resulting from Parkinson’s. I would like to know how long it takes until the medicine impacts my shaking, and how long the effect lasts. I’d also like to find the optimal time to take my medication and maximize those benefits. Ideally, this product will also generate data which can be utilized and shared with drug companies and medical providers to better the drugs they provide. –Drew

Disabled women, like all women, need to pee. But wheelchairs are designed as if men’s and women's bodies are the same. Disabled males don’t need to transfer out of their wheelchairs to pee, but women and girls do, which is difficult to do independently. And power wheelchairs don’t have a feature to make it easier for people to pee who can’t get out of their wheelchairs by themselves. I know many women with power wheelchairs who don’t work simply because there is no easy way to use the bathroom. –Corbett

I use a wheelchair every day of my life. While I am otherwise independent and self-reliant, the challenge of safely moving myself from the chair to the toilet seat is really dreadful. Some existing solutions are impractical in terms of their size or the cumbersome process that I need to go through to use them. It would be great if a simple, safe, light and reliable device could be developed that would help me become independent in this intimate part of my life which we all have to take care of.

I have a neuromuscular condition, and due to my disability I sit in my wheelchair 14–16 hours every day. Any wheelchair user will tell you that the seat cushion is a critical part of their body/wheelchair relationship. But changes in the body (such as weight, balance, weakness) can create differences in a person's weight distribution in the seat. Inadequate inflation of a seat cushion or lack of support can lead to a list of dangerous health issues, which are magnified by people who have no sensation in their lower body.

My little brother receives meds, water, and food through a tube that feeds directly into his stomach. Most of his medication is in pill form so it must be crushed before administered. We currently use a mortar and pestle, but with this method it’s tricky to pour powdered medicine, there’s always some left behind in the mortar, it’s time-consuming and difficult for someone new to learn, and it’s inconvenient in travel situations.

I would love create a lightweight quick release adaptive gripping system so that people with hand and grasp issues could hold a paddle with agility and confidence so they could independently raft, kayak, canoe, etc. I would also create an inflatable adaptive seat and adjustable back that provides excellent support for people with mobility issues so they could sit upright and paddle a raft, kayak or canoe independently. –Diane

For a person with limited hand control, holding and using a spoon, fork, or knife to eat is a challenge. Typically, a person with limited hand control must rely upon someone else to feed them, which is logistically unsustainable and costly. There are feeding devices available, but they typically cost thousands of dollars and often promise more than they deliver. I have limited assistance during mealtime and must often eat like an animal once my plate is in front of me. I doubt I need to describe how that makes me feel. I believe that an independent feeding device could make a significant difference in the lives of many people with a similar need. –Zebreda