Transcript www.coe.montana.edu

COURSE PROJECT – ABILITYONE NETWORK
DESIGN CHALLENGE
Goal: Develop an assistive technology that can empower people with
disabilities to overcome barriers to employment.
One of the fundamental concepts in ergonomic design is to fit the task to the worker. In the
case of disabled workers, the challenge may be greater, but this objective remains the same.
First place: $10,000
Second place: $5,000 Third
place: $3,000 + Travel
paid for…
The AbilityOne Program and NISH
(National Industries for the Severely
Handicapped)
Providing employment opportunities to tens of thousands of people,
the AbilityOne Program is the largest single source of employment
for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities in the
United States. Close to 600 participating NPAs employ these
individuals and provide quality goods and services to the federal
government at a fair price. To learn more about the AbilityOne
Program visit abilityone.org.
NISH is a national nonprofit agency whose mission is to create
employment opportunities for people with severe disabilities by
securing federal contracts through the AbilityOne Program, for its
network of community-based, nonprofit agencies (NPAs). To learn
more about NISH visit nish.org/designchallenge.
Objective:
NISH will accept functioning prototypes or systems that
create greater access to employment for people with
disabilities in these areas:
•Computer Access
•Environmental Accommodations
•Functional Control and Access
•Transportation/Mobility
•Communication Assistance
•Cognitive Accessories
•Any device or system that gives access or improved
•earnings to people with disabilities
Keep in mind:
If you or your team is selected as one of the finalists, a representative
from each award-winning team will be invited to attend a NISHsponsored conference during the Spring/Summer of 2010. This
representative will be expected to provide a poster display at the
conference and may be requested to give a presentation on the device
during a conference session.
To ensure that these devices meet the workforce needs of people with
disabilities they must be developed in collaboration with a person
with a disability. Additionally, greater consideration will be given to
those applicants who have consulted with a nonprofit agency (NPA),
that is part of the AbilityOne network, in the design process. NISH
can connect students and universities with NPAs who are interested
in collaborating in the development of assistive technology devices.
NISH can also provide technical consultation to assist students in the
design process.
Contact [email protected] for more information.
Course Project Requirements:
• 4 groups of 3 and 1 group of 2
•Work with a disabled person assigned
• Contacts number of the contact services
specialists from Reach Inc, will be assigned
over the next couple of weeks.
• Utilize a survey to understand their needs and to
identify the problem.
•Paper format, please refer to sections IV. –VI.,
following the specified format guidelines will be
part of your grade.
• Keep it to ~4-5 pages, this doesn’t include
illustrations or other graphics, videos, etc.
• Consider
anthropometric needs, ADA guidelines, see
pgs. 206 in text book.
General Notes
•See section IX. – a prototype must be built, however as part of your
413 project grade you do not have to build a prototype. However, you
must use CAD (or a similar application) to illustrate your design.
• After presentations are made by each group at the end of the
semester, all students including myself and Len will select their top
designs.
• The project ranked the highest will be chosen to apply to the
competition, I will work with you to find the means to build
your prototype (so keep in mind as you are designing keep it
feasible given cost and time constraints) here at MSU
(fabrication lab) and submit that to the competition end of
spring semester.
•Even if yours isn’t the chosen one, and you think it’s a strong
candidate – I encourage you to APPLY!
Due 10/8 - 1 page typed summary on what
your course project idea and approach will
be (this includes the survey and tools you
plan to administer).