News

Opportunities for people with a disability

August 22, 2011

QUT students go head-to-head inventing new disability technologies

Endeavour Foundation is joining with other disability service providers to support The Engineering for Humanity challenge, challenging Queensland University of Technology (QUT) students to invent assistive devices for people with a disability.

Working in small teams, QUT engineering students will vie for a $10,000 prize, and have been given a month to come up with brand new concepts for assistive technologies and enabling devices – to make the lives of people with disabilities easier.

Dale Gonelli, 18, who has cerebral palsy and uses a communication device to speak, encouraged QUT students to come up with new independence-giving devices at the Engineering for Humanity Challenge launch during Australian Engineering Week.

Endeavour Foundation CEO, David Barbagallo said that continued innovation was an important key to greater independence and other lifestyle benefits for people with a disability.

Endeavour Foundation provides support for more than 3,350 people with a disability across Queensland and Sydney to help them lead an ordinary life.

“Technology which allows people with low vision to read and work on computers, educational software designed for people with intellectual disability and assistive technologies which help people communicate are making a real difference in people’s lives,” Mr Barbagallo said.

“The Engineering for Humanity Challenge is a great way for our creative thinking students to put their ideas to the test. We look forward to seeing the innovations they will develop,” he said.

Professor Doug Hargreaves, Deputy Dean of QUT Built Environment and Engineering, said the Challenge was an opportunity for students to put their learning into practice.

“Changing the world or deciding to try to improve the lives of others is not an easy task, but it is the first step towards these goals,” Professor Hargreaves said.

While the focus of the Challenge is to develop and implement immediate responses to disability issues, the inventions will also have a broader application to the whole community.

Challenge finalists will be announced in September and asked to develop prototypes of their innovations, winners will be announced in November this year.

CONTACT
Louise Latimer
Media and Communications Intern
P (07) 3908 7138
M 0429 077 886
F (07) 3253 7271
E l.latimer@endeavour.com.au

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