Wireless Innovation Hackathon

October 3-5, 2025 | In Person | University of Pittsburgh (Benedum Hall 157) 

Overview

Vision

We envision a future where innovation is shaped by diverse perspectives and grounded in lived experiences. Through this hackathon, students from across disciplines will come together to prototype bold new ideas, supported by direct collaboration with individuals with disabilities, transforming how we think about accessibility, independence, and inclusion. 

Mission

To empower interdisciplinary student teams to collaboratively design innovative, user-centered, wireless technology solutions that enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities. By centering co-design, inclusivity, and direct engagement with the disability community, we aim to foster inclusive innovation that addresses real-world challenges and drives meaningful impact. 

Core Pillars

• Innovative Wireless Solutions through Collaboration - In a fast-paced, time-bound hackathon setting, students will form interdisciplinary teams to ideate, design, and prototype creative wireless technologies that address key challenges faced by people with disabilities. 
• Grounded in User Perspectives - Students will conduct research and engage directly with members of the disability community to better understand their needs, preferences, and day-to-day challenges. This engagement grounds design decisions in lived experiences and emphasizes the value of co-creation. 
• Fostering a Culture of Inclusive Innovation - By centering user perspectives and bridging technical and human-centered approaches, this event inspires a mindset shift. Participants leave with a deeper appreciation for inclusive design, ready to integrate accessibility as a core principle in their future work.  

Details

About the Hackathon

This 3-day, impact-driven event brings together interdisciplinary student teams from Pittsburgh-area universities to prototype wireless tech solutions, ranging from apps and IoT devices to voice-controlled tools, that promote independence and participation of individuals with disabilities. 

Who Can Join? 

• Undergrad & grad students from any Pittsburgh-area college  
• All majors welcome  
• Register solo or as a team (3-5 people) – we’ll help match you! 

Why Join?  

• Cash prizes: $1,500 (1st), $1,000 (2nd), $500 (3rd), plus $200 for special awards 
• No experience needed—just creativity and curiosity! 
• Each team paired with a community mentor with lived disability experience 
• Additional mentorship from tech, accessibility, and healthcare experts  
• Inclusive design experience & resume boost 
• Free food, swag, certificate of participation 
• Opportunities for follow-up mentorship and potential pilot project collaboration  

What Will We Work On?   

Wireless technologies power everyday tools by transmitting data without physical connections. At this Hackathon, you’ll design solutions that leverage: 

• Apps – Voice-controlled and mobile applications  
• IoT Devices – Smart tools that interact with users and environments  

We will provide a library of IoT devices (e.g., EPS32, motion/contact sensors, and Beacons) that teams can borrow during the event – but you’re also welcome to bring your own. A full list of available items, basic specs, and setup resources will be posted in advance to help you prepare. 

Innovation Tracks  

This Hackathon will tackle challenges face by individuals with disabilities in three general areas: 

• Employment – Inclusive tools for productivity and workplace access  
• Healthcare – Wireless solutions for self-management (e.g., exercise, nutrition, medication) and care coordination (e.g., remote support) 
• Community Living – Smart devices and services for safer, more accessible homes and neighborhoods, enabling more people to live independently. 

Pre-Hackathon : Must Dos

All Hackathon participants are required to complete the following by Sept 29, 2025: 

Watch Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution 
A powerful documentary about a group of teen campers who became trailblazers in the disability rights movement, laying the foundation for the ADA and accessibility advocacy in the U.S. 

Watch Disability Sensitivity Training Video and review Disability Etiquette – A Starting Guide 
The resources provide an overview of the rules of etiquette for interacting with people with different types of disability. They will help you understand how to interact and work with someone with a disability. 

Watch PWDA Disability Language Guide and refer to Disability Language Style Guide 
These resources provide insights on how to use appropriate language when talking about disability. 

Review An Advanced Approach to Accessibility 
This resource provides an overview of accessibility, including its guiding principles and benefits to people with disabilities. 

Submit Hackathon Participation Agreement 
All participants must complete this online form before September 29.
You will not be able to participate without submitting this form.  

Pre-Hackathon : Explore Resources

If you’d like to start brainstorming ideas, we encourage you to explore the resources below. These materials are curated to help you better understand the needs of the disability community and develop more thoughtful, inclusive, and impactful solutions for the Hackathon.  

The Inclusive Design Guide - The Inclusive Design Guide can be applied to digital design as well as to the design of services, the built environment and physical products. It can be applied to processes like workshops, meetings, conferences, and even our daily interactions with one another. 

Lived Experience Library – Spinal Cord Injury from Facingdisability.com 
Watch interviews with individuals and families impacted by spinal cord injury. These powerful firsthand stories reveal real challenges and unmet needs across mobility, independence, caregiving, community, and daily life.  

United Spinal’s Tech Access Program 
Explore how this national initiative empowers people with spinal cord injuries and other mobility disabilities to engage with emerging technology.  

Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Resources 
Explore real-world tools and examples of assistive tech to inspire solutions that enhance access and independence. 

DisabilityTech Market Analysis by Howe Innovation Center of the Perkins School for the Blind 
Gain insight into the rapidly evolving disability technology landscape, including gaps in innovation, emerging trends, and opportunities for inclusive design  

InclusionHub 
Explore case studies, tools, and best practices for building accessible digital experiences. This resource can spark ideas on how to design tech that removes barriers and includes people of all abilities from the start. 

Coursera Course:  Mainstream Smart Home Technology as Assistive Technology  
Understand how everyday technologies can support independence and participation for people with disabilities when properly adapted and supported.  

Pre-Hackathon : Explore the Tracks

The following tracks highlight key areas where technology can transform the lives of people with disabilities. We encourage you to focus your project within these tracks, but you are also welcome to explore other areas—as long as your project addresses a challenge that reflects authentic needs and lived experiences from the disability community.

Employment : Design inclusive tools that enhance productivity, workplace access, and job retention for individuals with disabilities. Think about solutions that improve digital access, physical workstations, communication, or job-specific adaptations using wireless or hands-free technologies. 

Healthcare : Create wireless solutions that support self-management of health, wellness, and care coordination. This could include tools for exercise, nutrition, medication tracking, symptom monitoring, or remote communication with caregivers and clinicians, especially those that work with alternative access methods like voice or touch-free control.  

Community Living : Reimagine everyday life with smart, connected devices and services that make homes and communities safer, more accessible, and easier to navigate. Focus on enhancing independence in areas like home automation, transportation access, information access in public spaces, or emergency communication.

Pre-Hackathon: Explore Challenges Shared by the Disability Community

Healthcare : Real World Challenge #1

The Problem
Because of my spinal cord injury, I often have to keep essential medical supplies such as catheters, wound dressings, and medications in places I can't reach, like high shelves or the basement. That means I can't easily see what I have, track what I've used, or tell when I'm running low. I depend on caregivers to fetch supplies and note what's been taken—if they remember to track it at all. The process is inconsistent, sometimes delayed or forgotten, so mistakes happen and I risk running out of critical items.

Why it Matters
When I run out of, or fail to notice expired, critical supplies, it can quickly turn into a serious health emergency. Having a reliable, accessible way to monitor and manage my medical inventory isn't just convenient; it's essential for my independence, safety, and wellbeing.

What's Been Tried and What Falls Short
I've tried using smart cameras and inventory apps like Sortly as a workaround, but they weren't built with accessibility in mind. I run into barriers such as no voice control support, tiny fonts and cluttered screens, and caregivers sometimes forget or skip logging items. There's also a lack of automation or personalized reminders that actually fit my needs. 

Hackathon Timeline

Pre-Event

• Register here at your earliest convenience. You will receive a confirmation after registering.  
• Registration closes at 5:00pm on September 24th, 2025. In-person registration will not be available.  
• Pre-Hack materials must be completed by September 29th, 2025.  
• Team pairing is ongoing and will be finalized by September 29th, 2025. Individuals with be matched with teams with open slots as soon as possible.  
• Each team will be matched with a community mentor with lived disability experience by September 29th, 2025. Teams must schedule a one-hour Zoom meeting with their mentor between September 29th and October 3rd. 

Event Days

• Day 1: Friday October 3rd
  
  • 5:00pm – 6:00pm | Registration and Welcome Mingle (Pizza & Networking) 
  • 6:00pm – 6:30pm | Official Kickoff & Keynote
  • 6:30pm – 10:00pm | Team Problem Selection & Brainstorming  (mentors from the disability community will be available for guidance from 6:30pm-7:30pm) 

•  Day 2: Saturday October 4th
  • 9:00am – 9:45am | Breakfast and Team Check-in
  • 9:45am – 12:00pm | Hacking Work Block 1 and Mentor feedback 
  • 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Lunch
  • 1:00pm – 5:00pm | Hacking Work Block 2 and Mentor feedback 
  • 5:00pm – 6:30pm | Dinner
  • 6:30pm – 10:00pm | Hacking Work Block 3 
• Day 3: Sunday October 5th
  • 9:00am – 9:45am | Breakfast and Team Check-in
  • 9:45am – 12:00pm | Finalize Presentations & Submit Project.  
  • 12:00pm – 1:00pm | Lunch 
  • 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Team Presentations (5-Minute Pitch/Demo + 3-Minute Q&A per team)  
  • 2:30pm – 3:00pm | Judges deliberate and choose winners
  • 3:00pm – 3:30pm | Awards Ceremony, Feedback Survey, and Closing Remarks  

Hackathon Logistics

The Wireless Innovation Hackathon for Accessibility will be held at Benedum Hall 157 on the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. 

3700 O'Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Judging Criteria

The criteria for judging are as follows:  

• Problem and Empathy: Is the problem well-defined and clearly tied to user needs or lived experience?   (10 points)
• Innovation & Creativity: Is the solution novel, imaginative, or offering a unique approach?  (10 points)
• Feasibility & Impact: Is the solution practical, realistic, and likely to improve users’ lives? (10 points)
• Technical Execution: How ambitious and complete is the solution? Was a working prototype developed? (10 points)
• Accessibility & Inclusion:  Is the solution accessible to its intended users, and designed inclusively? (10 points) 
• Communication & Teamwork:  Was the presentation clear? Did the team collaborate effectively? (10 points) 

Partners

 

Ready to apply?  
Click here to fill out a short registration form

Want more information?   
Check out our FAQ page here!   
For any other questions, please email Robert Peckyno @ bop38@pitt.edu