Accessibility Design Competition ideates the future of workplace equality

Accessibility Design Competition ideates the future of workplace equality

An AI-based speech companion app for stutterers has become the winning idea of the Accessibility Design Competition 2023 (ADC 2023).

ADC 2023 is an annual student competition hosted by RMIT Careers, Alumni & Industry Relations in partnership with RMIT Wellbeing, aiming to create innovative ideas that promote inclusivity for people with disabilities in the workplace.

With ‘Make Change. Make Possible.’ as the motto for its third season, the contest brought together around 110 students from across the Asia-Pacific region and 40 industry professionals who served as mentors, trainers, and judges.

After two months and four rounds of competition, Team ATP from RMIT University Vietnam emerged as the winner thanks to their originally designed application for stutterers and individuals who struggle with delivering speeches in their daily lives.

Notably, their remarkable achievement extended to winning the Microsoft APAC AI for Accessibility Hackathon 2023 in Vietnam as well.

Team ATP pitched their AI Speech Companion app during the final round of ADC 2023. Team ATP pitched their AI Speech Companion app during the final round of ADC 2023.

Team ATP consists of Bachelor of Communication (Professional Communication) students Pham Khanh Phuong and Nguyen Ha Thanh, and Bachelor of Information Technology student Nguyen Quoc An.

After coming across studies and stories indicating that stutterers experience various forms of discrimination and disadvantage at work, the team came up with the AI Speech Companion idea.

The app aims to help stutterers thoroughly prepare for important activities such as presentations or interviews.

Team leader Pham Khanh Phuong explained: “The app can support users in creating content and provides an environment to practice that content. Stutterers will feel less stressed and more confident going into their workplace.”

“AI Speech Companion is designed for the whole journey. This even includes offering emergency help when users feel nervous or restless during activities requiring communications,” she added.

Commenting on the Team ATP’s prototype, General Manager of Sofitel Saigon Plaza Mr Mario Mendis noted: “It’s an amazing support mechanism. I think it could help a lot of people by providing them with a personal speech therapist.”

Adding to that, Ms Anne-Cathrine Koch, Head of Digitalization and Operations IT Asia-Pacific at Schaeffler commented: “I really like the user interface and user experience design. Also, the seamless integration of the different AI functionalities is very impressive.”

Attendees at the ADC final pitch and awards ceremony ADC 2023 brought together around 110 students from across the Asia-Pacific region and 40 industry professionals.

ADC 2023 encompassed a wide range of activities over the span of two months, from master classes and workshops to mentoring sessions and a networking night. This chain of events equipped students with the necessary knowledge and skill set to come up with accessibility solutions for people with various types of disabilities and ace the competition.

Not only did participants gain knowledge of the real lives and struggles of people with disabilities in the workplace, but they also learned how to develop a realistic and sustainable business plan with their proposed prototypes.

Out of the 36 teams who registered for ADC 2023, the final pitching day welcomed six outstanding teams to present their ideas in front of a live audience. The finalists came from several Vietnam-based universities, with one team consisting of members from RMIT University in Melbourne and the University of Melbourne.

ADC 2023 had the support of Microsoft as Strategic Partner, Sofitel Saigon Plaza as Venue Sponsor, AIESEC as Community Partner, and over 40 other companies who are striving towards a more inclusive workplace.

Story: Lan Anh Pham and Ngoc Hoang

29 June 2023

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