The Simply Open Awards is a competition offering individuals with a disability or other specific access needs, a carer, friend, colleague, teacher or family member, to demonstrate a solution they have created in a 2 minute video. Showing how it reduces experiences of exclusion or how to better manage access challenges in a way that enhances independence, capability or joy.
The definition of the word ‘solution’ means to find novel ways to work around or reduce barriers, so that the individual or someone very close to them can live a life with greater dignity, independence and joy.
“Open Inclusion is delighted to launch the Simply Open Awards to help people with disabilities share and find solutions that remove barriers in a range of areas in our lives. We have the opportunity to find and celebrate creative ingenuity! With global disability-inclusive brands as sponsors, we can accelerate the awareness of where difficulties arise in people’s lives.” - Christine Hemphill, Open Inclusion Managing Director
The Simply Open Awards will have $25,000 in cash awards available.
There will be 5 key categories for applicants to submit their videos:
● Daily living and wellbeing
● Employment and Advocacy
● Education
● Getting out and about
● Communications
Each category will be given $3,850 of awards, which is spread between the top 5 awardees per category:
● 1st - $2,000
● 2nd - $1,000
● 3rd - $500
● 4th - $250
● 5th - $100
Applications
Applications will open on Thursday 19 May 2022, and closes at 23:59 on Friday 2 September 2022
Eligibility
● Applicants must be residents in the:
○ United Kingdom and Ireland
○ United States and Canada
○ Australia and New Zealand
● Applicants must have a disability or have another specific access need.
● Applicants can also be a caregiver, friend, colleague, teacher or family member of someone with a disability or specific access need.
The awards are not eligible for:
● Solutions that are commercial already
● Individuals or entrepreneurs who are not willing to share their solution publicly for others to learn from and adopt for their personal use
● Where intellectual property protection may be a concern
For full details, prize structure and how to enter the Simply Open Awards, please visit: www.simplyopen.io/awards
If you have any difficulties with submitting applications, eligibility concerns, or require an alternative format, please email josh@openinclusion.com.