The Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities program was launched back in 2015 and has now finally concluded; granting assistance to 29 organizations around the globe.
The Google-initiated program aims to distribute $20 million to nonprofit organizations that aspire to bridge the gap between technology and people with disabilities.
With Google's funding and through Impact Challege, these organizations can now get a head start on their individual projects and causes that hopes to expand opportunities and give independence to people with disabilities.
Google's selection was guided by people from around the world through the search query, "What if," and then affixing a phrase that would describe a condition.
In addition, the winning grantees were also chosen based on four categories: "Big ideas," or changes the organizations want to implement and not just address.
"Technology at the Core," meaning projects that do not just improve efficiency, but are also innovative of the current tech and allow entirely new solutions and approaches; "Potential for Scale," or the applicant's ability to fully describe the organization's future plans in reaching a wider public.
Lastly, the category "Team," because such projects are not easy to take on and need a "strong and nimble" group to follow through until the very end.
The winning organizations that passed the four requirements and have been awarded grants by Google to "bring their projects to life" are:
| e-Nable |
| Mission Arm | exiii |
| Royal National Institute for Blind People | Smart Glass |
| J'accede |
| Wheelmap |
| My Human Kit |
| The Arc of the United States |
| Motivation |
| Royal London Society for Blind People / Wayfindr |
| Center for Discovery |
| UCP Wheels for Humanity |
| Ezer Mizion | Click2Speak |
| DAISY Consortium |
| Benetech |
| Dan Marino Foundation |
| Miraclefeet |
| Perkins School for the Blind |
| Inclusion without Borders | Livox |
| Beit Issie Shapiro | TOM |
| Neil Squire Society |
| TDI |
| ProPortion |
| Leprosy Mission Trust India |
| Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust |
| Nia Technologies |
| APAE Brasil |
| Beit Issie Shapiro | Sesame |
| Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled | University of Washington |
| World Wide Hearing |
Like the organizations mentioned above, Google is also running its own projects that help people with disabilities. It has released a couple of handy apps for physically-challenged people to help them interact better with technology.
Some of these apps include Vision Settings, Voice Access Beta app, and the Accessibility Scanner. Through its partnership with Lift Lab, the company has also produced a Liftware Spoon for people who suffer tremors.
For more information, this blog post tackles what these individual organizations have in mind to aid the disabled community and how Google is helping them reach their goals.
