SourceAmerica Design Challenge Announces High School and Collegiate Winners of Annual Engineering Competition
Vienna, Va (PRWEB) April 14, 2016 -- National competition highlights productivity of employees with disabilities through assistive technology
Duke University placed first in the SourceAmerica College Design Challenge, a national engineering competition to address employment issues faced by individuals with disabilities. Concord High School of Wilmington, Delaware, won the high school division of the challenge.
Duke’s multidisciplinary team was recognized for its innovative device called Hanging with DECI. The team worked with Durham Exchange Club Industries (DECI) to modify two work tasks― straightening wire hangers and opening pill bottles―to minimize the need for complex movement and evaluation skills. Three devices were designed and built: a hanger straightener and two bottle openers. All three devices showed improvements in productivity and made the jobs accessible to those who were not previously able to perform the tasks.
Concord High’s multidisciplinary team was recognized for its innovative device The Scan 'n Sort, a barcode scanning device that alphabetically categorizes recycled medicine making sorting in pharmacies easy for employees with disabilities.
This year's winners also included:
College Design Challenge
2nd Place: California State University, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California)
Nonprofit partner: MVLE (Springfield, Virginia)
Project: Be All You Can Be
3rd Place: Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon)
Nonprofit partner: Willamette Valley Rehabilitation Center (Lebanon, Oregon)
Project: The Pencil Packager
Winners in the High School Division:
2nd Place: Poolesville High School (Poolesville, Maryland)
Nonprofit partner: Sunflower Bakery (Gaithersburg, Maryland)
Project: The Change Maker
3rd Place: Gardner Edgerton High School (Gardner, Kansas)
Nonprofit partner: Johnson County Developmental Supports (Lenexa, Kansas)
Project: CAPS
4th Place: Copley High School (Copley, Ohio)
Nonprofit partner: Weaver Industries ProPak (Akron, Ohio)
Project: The Fomo Nozzle Production and Packaging System
5th Place: Indianapolis Metropolitan High School (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Nonprofit partner: Goodwill Commercial Services (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Project: K.I.T.
"Through the dedicated work of students, coaches and nonprofit partners, the Design Challenge has a tremendous impact on communities,” said Charissa Garcia, Design Challenge coordinator. “We are addressing employment issues in a multi-faceted manner; the tools enhance employment success for those with disabilities, the projects help the students become better engineers and conscious employees, and the whole program showcases what can be accomplished when we work together.”
For more information, contact Charissa Garcia at cgarcia(at)sourceamerica(dot)org or 703-584-3940. Visit http://www.sourceamerica.org/design-challenge and follow SourceAmerica on Facebook and Twitter.
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About SourceAmerica
Established in 1974, SourceAmerica creates job opportunities for a skilled and dedicated workforce of people with significant disabilities. SourceAmerica is the vital link between the federal government and private sector organizations that procure the products and services provided by this exceptional workforce via a network of more than 1,200 community-based nonprofits. Headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, SourceAmerica provides its nonprofit agency network with business development, contract management, legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and public relations materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training needed for successful nonprofit management. SourceAmerica is an AbilityOne-authorized enterprise.
Kerry McGinley, SourceAmerica, +1 571-529-0218, [email protected]
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