THE
ACCESS TO SUCCESS
CHALLENGE

February 9 to 10, 2018

The Challenge

Create a business proposal for a product or a service that solves an accessibility barrier and is also universally usable.

Examples

Self-driving cars allow quadriplegic and vision-impaired people to commute independently.

Voice activated assistants make seemingly basic tasks like setting an alarm infinitely easier for someone with cerebral palsy.

Many of today’s technological innovations, such as self-driving cars and voice-activated personal assistants are perceived as features aimed at making our lives easier. For people with disabilities, these innovations carry the potential of transforming life as they know it.

Imagine the kind of innovations we could come up with if we flip the script – design products that solve accessibility limitations, while ensuring universal usability. For instance, the humble electric toothbrush was originally created for people with mobility impairments. Audio books were developed for people with visual or reading impairments. We invite you to challenge yourself and design potentially ubiquitous products or services which solve accessibility barriers. What will you create?

View the Case Competition Details

The Dates

26th January

Registration Deadline

4th February

Submission Deadline

9th February

Team Presentations

10th February

Top 3 Presentations

The Details

  • The first prize is C$3,000; second prize is C$2,000, and the third prize is C$1,000
  • Each team should have 3 to 4 members consisting of current or graduating MBA students from the same school
  • Only one registration per team is required in the Case Competition category
  • Case competition registration closes on January 26th, 2018
  • Each team will submit a presentation outlining their proposed product or service, the accessibility barrier that it addresses, how it is universally usable, and the business case
  • The submission deadline is February 4th, 2018
  • Each team will present their proposal in a 7-minute pitch to a panel of judges on February 9th, 2018, at the Rotman School of Management
  • The top 3 teams selected by the judges will present to the entire audience at the Accessibility, Inclusion, and Universal Design Conference on February 10th, 2018
  • Participating in the case competition gives your entire team full access to the conference
  • For any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]