AT&T Hackathon; $10,000 in Prizes for Best Disability App

This weekend, the 18th and 19th April sees the AT&T and NYU hosted Hackathon taking place at the NYU-Polytechnic School of Engineering. Prizes totalling $10,000 are available to developers with the best apps and wearables aimed at disabled people.

From the press release:

(New York, N.Y.) – This weekend — Saturday, April 18th and Sunday, April 19th — AT&T and NYU will challenge developers to create wearable tech and apps aimed at improving the lives ofpeople with disabilities. The hackathon is the official kick-off to the Connect Ability Challenge, a three-month, $100,000 tech challenge leading up to the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. During the hackathon, developers will get to interact with the Challenge’s Exemplars – members of the disability community who will discuss the challenges they face in their daily routines and the kinds of tech they believe can solve for these. Participants will receive their challenge Saturday morning and will work through the weekend, culminating in a $10,000 awards presentation Sunday, April 19th.

What: Connect Ability Hackathon Participants Compete for Prizes Totaling$10,000

Who: Developers, Disability Advocates, NYU Professors

When: 10:00 AM, Saturday, April 18th – 6:30 PM, Sunday, April 19th
12:00 PM, Saturday – Exemplar Presentations
4:00 PM, Sunday – Hackathon Team Presentations
5:30 PM, Sunday – Awards Presentations

Where: NYU-Polytechnic School of Engineering
2 Metrotech Center, Eighth Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201

About the Exemplars:
· Xian Horn, a teacher, speaker and writer from Manhattan who has cerebral palsy, which impacts her mobility.
· Gus Chalkias, an assistive technology specialist, career counselor and college student from Queens who is blind.
· Paul Kotler, a student, blogger, lecturer and advocate from Philadelphia who has autism. Kotler communicates using computer-assisted technology and struggles with anxiety and impulse control.
· Jason DaSilva, a filmmaker from Manhattan who has Multiple Sclerosis. DaSilva uses a powered wheelchair and has limited upper- and lower-limb use.