Challenge background
This project aims to leverage mobile and AI technologies to address a critical urban accessibility challenge in Nairobi, potentially improving the daily lives of thousands of people with invisible disabilities while also raising public awareness and promoting a more inclusive society.
Nairobi, Kenya's capital, has a complex public transportation system including matatus (minibuses), buses, and the newly introduced Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. The city's population of over 4 million relies heavily on these services, but they can be challenging to navigate, especially for people with invisible disabilities.
The problem
People with invisible disabilities (e.g., autism, chronic pain, hearing impairments) often struggle to communicate their needs in Nairobi's fast-paced and crowded public transportation system. This leads to misunderstandings, lack of accommodation, and potentially dangerous situations.
Goal of the project
1. User Adoption:
- Onboard 5,000 users with invisible disabilities in Nairobi within the first year.
- Achieve a 70% retention rate after six months.
2. Communication Efficiency:
- Reduce the average time needed to communicate specific needs by 50%.
- Enable users to create custom messages within 3 taps.
3. Awareness and Accommodation:
- Train at least 500 public transportation staff on responding to app-based communications.
- Increase reported successful accommodations by 40% within the first year.
4. Localization:
- Provide full functionality in both Swahili and English.
- Incorporate at least 50 Nairobi-specific locations and scenarios.
5. Accessibility:
- Ensure the app is usable by people with various disabilities, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
- Achieve a user satisfaction rate of 85% for app accessibility features.
Project timeline
- 1
Week 1
Data collection and literature review
- 2
Week 2
Data analysis
- 3
Week 3
Model architecture development
- 4
Week 4
Research formulation
What you'll learn
1. Inclusive Design:
- Gain proficiency in designing digital solutions for users with diverse abilities and needs.
- Learn methodologies for continuous user feedback and iterative design in accessibility-focused projects.
2. Natural Language Processing for Low-Resource Languages:
- Develop skills in building NLP models for Swahili, a relatively low-resource language in tech.
- Learn techniques for efficient multilingual support in mobile applications.
3. Context-Aware Mobile Applications:
- Gain experience in developing location-aware and context-sensitive mobile apps.
- Learn to balance app functionality with privacy concerns in sensitive use cases.
4. Cross-Cultural Communication:
- Develop skills in creating communication tools that bridge cultural and ability differences.
- Learn to navigate the complexities of disability terminology and preferences across cultures.
5. Ethical AI and Inclusive Technology:
- Understand the ethical considerations of developing AI-assisted communication tools for vulnerable populations.
- Learn to identify and mitigate potential biases in AI models for diverse user groups.
6. Community-Centered Design:
- Gain experience in participatory design methods involving users with disabilities.
- Learn techniques for balancing diverse needs within a single application.
7. Impact Evaluation for Accessibility Projects:
- Develop skills in designing and conducting studies to measure the impact of accessibility-focused technology.
- Learn to use both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess improvements in quality of life.
8. Public Transportation Systems:
- Gain knowledge about the operations and challenges of public transportation systems in rapidly growing African cities.
- Understand the intersection of urban planning, public transit, and accessibility.