We interact with designs all day, everyday. But what if the substance of that design was your lifeline to quality of life, or that it opened up new career and social opportunities? Design has the potential to change lives. We know this because we’ve seen it time and time again.
Pete, the founder Remarkable, tells this story..
“In 2012, some colleagues at Cerebral Palsy Alliance were launching a celebration day for people living with cerebral palsy all over the world, called World Cerebral Palsy Day, but they didn’t just want it to be another ‘Global Day’ with little to show for it at the end, only to rinse and repeat each year after that. So it launched with a campaign called ‘Change my world in 1 minute’ – it invited people with cerebral palsy to state one thing that could change their world and then we would see if we could use the power of open innovation to bring the most popular ideas to life.
A man by the name of Alper, who was living in a small country town called Bursa, outside Turkey pitched his idea for a solar powered wheelchair – he said that would be the thing that could change his life. Where Alper could afford to live was outside town and his current powered wheelchair didn’t hold enough charge to get him into town and back again. He couldn’t worship at the temple on the other side of town; he couldn’t have a job – one endless cycle of exclusion.”
The idea for the solar powered wheelchair got lots of votes from the world CP community and was selected as one of the top ideas. So we invited makers and creators to pitch to make the solar powered wheelchair and the University of Virginia put up their hand. In a very short period of time, they had created a functioning solar powered wheelchair. It definitely wasn’t pretty, but it worked.
The University shipped the prototype over to Alper and within days we had selfies of Alper in front of the Temple he wanted to worship at.
This is autonomy.
This is independence.
This is technology removing barriers to inclusion.
This is what we dream of at Remarkable.
We’re inviting people of all ages who are advocates for an inclusive future and creative game changers to join us for this year’s Design-athon!
Join us from October 7 to 29, 2020* for a 4 week immersive online Design-athon experience! You and your team members will be asked to take on one of three challenges and gain first-hand experience of how good design can change the lives of people with disability. Our problem statements for this year include the following:
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Challenge #1: REMOTE SERVICE AND SUPPORT
How might we increase access and effectiveness of services and support for people with disability and acquired injuries when they can’t access face to face support (in rural, regional and emergency situations)?
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Challenge #2: TECH FOR THOSE IN CARE
How might we empower those receiving supported care (small group homes or independent living) to live their best life with each and every support staff aligned to their goals, aspirations and desires?
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Challenge #3: ADAPTIVE SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
How might we enable greater inclusion and access to eSports for people with disabilities to build competitive skills, connect with others and create identity as part of the gaming community?
How to get involved?
If you’re passionate about one of these three challenge statements we encourage you to rally your troops and apply now. We are looking for teams of three to six budding entrepreneurs to join us for a four week immersive design-thinking sprint which will take you through the core methodologies from idea to solution. If your application is successful not only will you gain credible design-thinking knowledge but you’ll also have a chance to gain funding to invest back into your solution! What are you waiting for…
You may still have a few questions for us so we’ve listed a few of the more popular FAQs below…
- Where will Design-athon take place?
The Design-athon will be a complete online experience and will be accessible by anyone anywhere. - What are the prizes?
There is a total funding pool of A$36,000 which will be allocated to winning teams to invest in the development of their product post event. The winners will be selected by our judges after pitching in the final week of the Design-athon. Total prize money per youth team is A$1000. - How many members can be in one team?
We allow teams to apply who have no less than 3 and no more than 6 members. - Can I apply if I already have a business that answers one of the problem statements?
Yes. No matter how far down the line you are with your business idea, so long as it answers one of the three problem statements we encourage you to apply. Applicants will be required to complete further user research during the Design-athon to ensure that solutions are well suited to customer needs. - How old do you have to be to be part of the youth team?
All youth team members must be under the age of 18 to apply. You will also need consent from a legal guardian for your application to be accepted. - I live with disability, will this event be accessible for me?
This is an accessible environment where everyone is welcome and included. Our events are a safe and innovative space for people across every gender, race, ethnicity, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, visible and invisible disability, and age. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or if you require assistance accessing this virtual event. You can reach us at rd20@remarkable.org.au
For more FAQs head to, https://remarkable5.wpengine.com/events/designathon/
Applications close on Tuesday 22 September 2020.
*Participants can expect to spend approximately 8 hours per week on the Design-athon