Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) An Ontario undergraduate competition. Presented by: Reid McNaughton

What is IDeA?  IDeA seeks innovative, cost-effective, practical solutions to accessibility- related barriers in the community.  IDeA encourages students to work individually or in teams with industry, government and community partners, including members of the disability community, to identify an accessibility-related issue, develop a plan to address the issue, and create an innovative and unique solution to it.  There are three prizes awarded:  1 st Prize:$1,500  2 nd Prize:$1,000  3 rd Prize:$500 2 COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES

IDeA Categories There are 5 submissions categories, which reflect the barriers defined within the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA): ● Attitudinal; ● Architectural/Physical; ● Information or Communications; ● Technological; and ● Systemic/Organizational. 2 projects in each category will be selected by Western for submission to the COU competition. 3 COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES

What’s in a submission? All submissions will be required to be submitted in electronic format. ▫ Video ▫.pdf,.doc, or.ppt ▫ Website All submissions must include an 18”x 24” poster. 4 COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES

5 What’s new for IDeA 2013? ● Emphasis on Accessibility: All submissions are now required to be created in an accessible format. ● Elevator Pitch: Students will have the opportunity to present their ideas to the panel in person at the celebration event. ● Extended Showcase: Various partners of the competition have agreed to work together to spotlight the top 10 submissions. Opportunities that involve both online and traditional exhibition spaces are currently being investigated.

IDeA 2012 Winners ● 1 st : Tandem Cycling - A tandem bike designed to provide accessible cycling to wheelchair users and their support persons (Technology) 6 COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES

IDeA 2012 Winners 2 nd : NÜ VIÜ – Helps blind persons navigate interior spaces. A guide strip in the floor relays commands to the cane, which dictates them to the user. Users dictate verbally to the cane where they want to go, and it dictates commands back that tell how to navigate the space (Architectural/Physical). 7 COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES

IDeA 2012 Winners 3 rd : Everybody Hurts Campaign - Addresses attitudinal barriers to people with mental illnesses using a mental health continuum with maximal and minimal mental health at each end. People place dots on the continuum where they feel they are that day. If you reflect on where you are and your daily changes, and look at where other people are, you see nobody is in a set position of being mentally healthy or unhealthy (Attitudinal).Everybody Hurts Campaign 8 COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES

IDeA Important Dates ● Submission Deadline: April 14, 2013 ● Announcement of Winners & Celebration Event: OCE Discovery Conference May 27 th /28 th, COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES

For more information: IDeA website: Contact me: Talk to me: during the break 10 COUNCIL OF ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES