Meet the 2021 IDeA competition winners
The winners of the 2021 Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) student competition are breaking down physical, technological, systemic and attitudinal barriers on their campuses and in their communities to foster a more innovative, prosperous and inclusive Canada.
Learn more on how their innovative designs are making communities more accessible for persons with disabilities.
Winning proposals focus on four categories of accessibility barriers.
Category 1: Attitudinal/Systemic Barriers
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Closet
Innovative labelling system lets people with visual disabilities manage their clothes more independently
First placeCloset
Carleton University
Innovative labelling system lets people with visual disabilities manage their clothes more independently
Closet is an accessible clothing tag system designed by a team of students at Carleton University that allows people of all visual abilities to reliably access information about a garment’s size, colour, material and care instructions.
As well as displaying this vital information on the tags visually through texts and symbols, the innovative system also allows people to access it tactically through braille and digitally through mobile devices. This means those with visual disabilities can navigate, identify, match and care for their clothes independently, rather than relying on the help of sighted people.
The tags are easily designed and manufactured with existing technology, providing a low-cost solution that can be realistically implemented by clothing manufacturers.
Winning team: Liana Meere and Mandy Hui
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SHELS: Sexual Health, Education, Love, and Support
App empowers people with disabilities to help end sexual violence
Second placeSHELS: Sexual Health, Education, Love, and Support
Brock University
App empowers people with disabilities to help end sexual violence
People living with disabilities disproportionately experience sexual and domestic violence. SHELS: Sexual Health, Education, Love, and Support is the first app that provides people with disabilities much-needed sexual violence support, sexual health education and self-care practices all in one place. These tools allow people to empower themselves through education and resources to help end sexual violence occurring within the community.
Developed by students at Brock University, the app provides education on sexual health, consent, healthy relationships and boundary setting. It also offers sexual violence support, peer support and mental health support, all specific to those living with disabilities. The app guides users through practicing self-love, survivor self-care and healthy sex. Lastly, it connects users to customized emergency supports if experiencing immediate danger.
SHELS’s technical design is simple, accessible and can easily be integrated with assistive technology. Its model matches that of existing free, economically viable and easily accessible apps currently on the market that rely on funding through advertisements and grant applications.
Winning team: Talia Ritondo, Hamed Karagahi, Hannah Charnock and Mackenzie Rockbrune
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ADHD(E) Project
Destigmatizing ADHD at postsecondary institutions
Third placeADHD(E) Project
University of Windsor
Destigmatizing ADHD at postsecondary institutions
The ADHD(E) Project aims to enable dialogue about Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) at postsecondary institutions and to destigmatize the disorder through education, creating a more accessible and successful postsecondary experience for everyone.
It uses a unique three-pronged approach to enhance knowledge about ADHD within the campus community and beyond through a series of social media campaigns, seminars and informational resources. Participating postsecondary institutions would have many opportunities to customize the project to fit their individual needs and budgets.
The ADHD(E) Project’s was designed by University of Windsor student Nadia Gill, not only to help students with ADHD access the additional support they require, but also to provide neurotypical students, staff and educators the opportunity increase their awareness and understanding about the challenges their neurodiverse peers and students face.
Winning student: Nadia Gill
Category 2: Architectural/Industrial Design Barriers
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SlapBra: An Assistive Bra Dressing Device
Novel device supports ease of dress
First placeSlapBra: An Assistive Bra Dressing Device
University of Toronto
SlapBra: Novel device supports ease of dress
Every day, people living with only one functional arm due to chronic conditions such as arthritis, stroke, and amputation face struggles to dress themselves independently. While many adaptive dressing aids exist for most garments, there is a noticeable paucity of quality products to assist people put on their bras.
Designed by a team of students from the University of Toronto, The SlapBra aims to remedy this.
At a cost of approximately $20, this assistive device is affordable, accessible and ambidextrous, making it easier and more comfortable for people to don, fasten and remove a bra with one functional arm.
Winning team: Casie Lee, Luke Sandor, Lynn Li and Tiffany Igros
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MobilArm
Improving powerchair users’ independence
Second placeMobilArm
University of Victoria
MobilArm improves powerchair users’ independence
Independent living is critical for wheelchair users’ long-term health and dignity, and mechanical wheelchairs (powerchairs) can greatly increase people’s mobility and overall quality of life. However, users’ independence can still be limited. For example, while users can technically shop on their own, powerchairs typically do not provide them safe or convenient means to carry heavy bags.
To address this, the Biomedical Engineering Design (BMED) team at the University of Victoria has designed a purely mechanical retractable arm mounted on the seat rails of power wheelchairs that can be independently controlled by the user. The arm can rotate 270 degrees, allowing it to reach the user easily during loading/unloading of their bags, and be tucked away whilst maneuvering their powerchair.
Winning team: Anish Sivakumar, Kim Arklie, Jacqui Moreland, Adam Chen, Irene Lopez, Lauren Mark, Lilly Roberts and Logan O’Reilly
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The Swing Door Shelter
Simple and effective shelter offers vehicle users protection from the elements
Third placeThe Swing Door Shelter
Dalhousie University
Simple and effective shelter offers vehicle users protection from the elements
A common complaint among manual wheelchair users is getting wet, cold and discouraged when transferring to and from their vehicles in rain or snow. The Swing Door Shelter offers much-appreciated protection from the elements in a cost-effective and user-friendly design.
Fixed to the roof of the vehicle, the shelter opens and closes with the door, requiring no extra effort or time. It can be affixed to either the driver or passenger side, and is easily removable when seated or in strong winds. It was created by a team of students at Dalhousie University.
The Swing Door Shelter is composed of polyurethane laminate which is cost-efficient, waterproof and durable. With a simple mechanism and easy-to-find materials, it is a technically feasible and economically viable solution to the transferring issue. The shelter would also be beneficial to other user groups such as elderly people, temporarily disabled people, or people with small children who require more time getting in and out of their vehicle.
Winning team: Sammy Pham, Kaitlyn Busson, Kerilyn Kennedy and Jesimiel Ugbebor
Category 3: Technological/Communication Barriers
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A 3D Drawing Toolkit for Blind and Partially Sighted Drawers
Non-visual drawing tool for blind and low-vision learners
First placeA 3D Drawing Toolkit for Blind and Partially Sighted Drawers
OCAD University and Ontario Tech University
Non-visual drawing tool for blind and low-vision learners
Drawing aids problem solving, collaboration and presentation in design, science and engineering, as well as enabling artistic creativity and expression in the arts. Unfortunately, blind and low-vision learners still lack an effective drawing tool to foster their inclusion in these areas, even in our era of digital multimedia.
Raised-line drawing kits aim to provide this, but blind users claim finding these to be barely comprehensible, most likely because a line representing a surface edge reflects a visual bias that violates principles of haptic perception. In contrast, participants found 3D models to be more effective, as they afford 3D perceptual cues.
This 3D drawing toolkit prototype was developed by two students in close consultation with blind and low-vision drawers. It has a digital interface that translates 3D-haptic drawings into an online virtual environment, which makes it suitable for 3D printing and collaboration. It also allows drawers to continuously react to their prior marks while developing their drawings.
Learn moreWinning team: Mitali Kamat (OCAD U) and Lillian Fan (Ontario Tech)
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Damped Medical Arm Brace System
Arm brace helps people gain technological independence
Second placeDamped Medical Arm Brace System
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Arm brace helps people gain technological independence
Inspired by a young girl living with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy named Oriana King, the Damped Medical Arm Brace System was created by a team of students at Memorial University of Newfoundland to allow persons living with speech and motor difficulties to use electronic devices independently.
Like many others with the disorder, Oriana relies on family and caregivers to hold her arm steady so she can interact with a tablet for learning and communication, both in school and at home. The Damped Medical Arm Brace System removes that reliance. It consists of a padded armrest attached to a rotary damping mechanism which resists quick movements of the arm while allowing slower movements to occur. The system pins to the user’s wheelchair, holding their arm and allowing them to independently interact with their electronic device.
Oriana’s family was actively involved in the design process, in person and virtually. While an earlier prototype was made using aluminum, the design team is exploring using advanced 3D printed materials for some components to reduce the overall system cost and make the armrest more ergonomic for the user.
Winning team: Ian Walsh, Brad Dawe, Jesse Rideout and Tyler Lundrigan
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Hear2There
Helping hearing-impaired drivers detect emergency vehicles
Third placeHear2There
University of Alberta
Helping hearing-impaired drivers detect emergency vehicles
Safer streets are in everyone’s interest, and making sure all drivers are aware of emergency vehicles is essential to improving road safety. Drivers with hearing impairments, however, may not be able to hear sirens and are therefore at a disadvantage.
The Hear2There device was designed by University of Alberta student Tiffany Powell to increase drivers’ awareness and ability to detect emergency vehicles – regardless of their hearing ability.
The technology consists of a pair of SensorTiles. An exterior tile is programed to detect sirens and to communicate through Bluetooth to an interior SensorTile that activates an LED light that alerts the driver of a nearby emergency vehicle.
The design is simple and accessible to all socioeconomic backgrounds and ages. Users do not need to be tech savvy to use it, nor do they need a newer vehicle. It can also be paired with users’ cellphones.
Winning team: Tiffany Powell, Stephanie Martin, Brittany Eckestein, Alana Ell, Ayslin Bubar and Erin Hilts
Category 4: Virtual Learning and Distance Education
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Side by Side
Building community online
First placeSide by Side
Brock University
Building community online
Being part of a community helps increase people’s physical activity and sense of belonging – both which lead to improved health outcomes. However, adults who identify as physically, mentally or otherwise neurodiverse often face barriers to participating in exercise or social opportunities.
Side by Side is an online program designed to offer this group physical activity and social connections through online adaptive programming, thus removing external barriers such as access to transportation, inaccessible facilities and financial constraints, all which have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was developed by a team of students at Brock University.
The program offers group exercise classes and individual physical programs tailored to users’ needs as well as monthly social sessions with discussions and games.
Winning team: Michael Zutautas, Aaron Wexler, Aqui Laidlaw-Allan, Leona Noble, Nikki Nguyen, Sydney Hollander, Roxana Gilgor and Jessica Dobroski