Three projects from students in Carleton’s research-intensive Faculty of Engineering and Design and Sprott School of Business have been named finalists in the 5th annual Council of Ontario Universities’ annual Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) competition.
The IDeA competition challenges Ontario undergraduate university students to use their creativity in order to identify an accessibility-related issue and create an innovative and unique solution. Students work individually or in teams, engaging with industry, government and community partners including members of the disability community.
IDeA is inspired by the goal of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) to make Ontario the most accessible province by 2025.
Carleton finalists include:
- Accessible Closet Storage: This storage unit allows for clothing to be stored in the vertical space that is usually inaccessible. It also allows for the use of high vertical space in the office. Melody Chen – Industrial Design
- Lift: An accessible, height adjustable work surface and storage cart for home cooks. Lift is designed to provide more freedom to older individuals and those with disabilities. Micah Rakoff Bellman – Industrial Design
- Pursue Your Potential – An assessment of strengths and weaknesses of RBC’s current recruitment initiative aimed at helping individuals with different abilities through RBC’s recruitment process. It includes a recruiting conference for individuals with different abilities. Katie Baird, Kyle Taylor, Madison Dedora, Cara Lord, Luigi Mion, Gregory Posavad, Devon Colquitt – Sprott School of Business
Eight finalist teams from five Ontario universities will showcase their inventions on May 9-10 at the Ontario Centres of Excellence Discovery conference, hosted at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The announcement of the 2016 winners will take place on May 10 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Carleton has placed first in the IDeA competition every year since its inception.
The winner and two runners-up will receive prizes of $1,500, $1,000 and $500 respectively. A bonus prize of $1,500 will be awarded to the IDeA that best addresses a barrier in business.
For more information, please visit 2016idea.wordpress.com.