Story by: Sarah Duis | Elkhart Truth
A new competition in Michiana gives young inventors the chance to make independent living easier for people with developmental and cognitive disabilities.
Teams in the ADEC Technology Challenge can choose from three categories to create devices that promote independence: Munch (personal care needs), Media (independence in accessing electronics and the Internet) and Mobility (movement and communication).
The competition is open to high school, college and business teams in Michiana. To enter, teams must propose three working ideas for assistive technology solutions.
“I am hoping to see things we can easily replicate,” Don Wierenga,ADEC’s director of day services and assistive technology, said in a press release. “Simple is good. A complex thing might not be used. Really, I want to see things that will affect a lot of people, will have a big impact and answer a common issue.”
Ideas should be submitted by Friday, Dec. 12, along with an entry form and $50 registration fee. Ten teams will be chosen to build their devices and present them to a panel of judges March 28, 2015, at ADEC at the Plaza, 319 S. Main St., Elkhart.
Teams will receive $300 and two months to build their devices.
The top team will receive a fully assembled SeeMeCNC ORION Delta 3D Printer. The second place team will receive a Rostock MAX v2 3D Printer Kit. The third-place prize is a RotoMAAK Desktop Rotational Casting Machine Full Kit. Prizes are donated by local businesses SeeMeCNC andTeMAAK.
For more information or to receive a builder packet, contact Rod Tackett at [email protected] or 574-848-2443.
ADEC is a nonprofit based in Bristol that serves and advocates for people with disabilities through a variety of programs.
Source: Elkhart Truth
