Perkins School for the Blind is calling all entrepreneurs to focus on improving opportunities and quality of life for people with disabilities. As part of MassChallenge 2012, Perkins is offering the Perkins Assistive Technology Prize. The $25,000 grant, drawn from a donation earmarked for technological solutions, promotes Perkins’ mission to empower individuals with disabilities to reach their personal potential.
Administered through MassChallenge, The Perkins Assistive Technology Prize seeks to encourage competitors to develop new, low- and high-technology devices that could have a significant impact on the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Such assistive technology could apply to any sector of life (education, transportation, recreation, communications, vocational, etc.). The assistive technology could be designed for a certain group of individuals with a disability (vision loss, hearing loss, mobility, etc.), or have a more universal market application. Details and application information are at www.MassChallenge.org.
Disability pushes people to the fringes of community and society. But assistive technology allows people with disabilities to be productive workers, to process information, and to put their ideas into action. Innovation can be applied in countless ways to provide mobility for people with physical disabilities, communication access for those with impaired hearing or vision, and adaptations we have yet to imagine. Together, Perkins and MassChallenge can put entrepreneurs’ imaginations in motion to find new ways to leap over disability to greater productivity and independence.
It’s in everyone’s interest to urge entrepreneurs to consider accessibility because better access for people with disabilities means better access for all.
So spread the word… and if you have an idea, please register! Registration began March 1 and runs through April 11, 2012, at noon EST.
