International Red Cross ‘Makeathon’ To Help Persons With Disabilities In Rural Areas

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will launch in November the Enable Makeathon, a programme aimed at developing affordable solutions for persons with disabilities in rural areas.

The organisation is calling on engineers, designers, the scientific and innovation community, persons with disabilities, humanitarians, manufacturers, investors, and entrepreneurs to join forces.

The Enable Makeathon is a 60-day programme, to take place between November 2015 and January 2016, according to a press release issued this week.

The programme includes a series of events in Bengaluru, India and an “Online Track” for teams from all around the world. The teams are expected to find innovative solutions to nine challenges, which would come to practical results, such as improving individual autonomy of persons with physical disabilities.

Innovations could lead to prototypes and further to mass production of technical solutions, according to the release. The project is a collaboration between the ICRC, and several institutions, such as Internet of Things, the Association of People with Disability India, and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

The application deadline for teams around the world is 31 October. Prospective teams can apply here.