Displaying Articles 1-73 of 73.
The Path of SS12 Alum Thuy Truong
Thursday, May 16, 2013
SS12 Alum Thuy Truong is applying the lessons she learned as an SS12 participant now as a full-time entrepreneur.
Read about how her journey began as a participant on the Orb SS12 project team back in 2007. She shares how her latest work on the collaborative Smartboard app was inspired by the unique needs of children with autism.
SS12 Alumni -- Tell us your story about how the SS12 shaped your view on accessible technology today.
SS12:Asia Initiates Call for Projects
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Five universities across Asia are partnering to host SS12:Asia, and we are inviting you to participate.
· St.Xavier's Catholic College of Engg., Nagercoil, Kanyakumari Dist, India
· Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
· University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
· Usman Institute of Technology, Pakistan
· Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, India
If there is a piece of AT software you would like to see developed, let us know about it at: info@projectpossibility.org
In particular, we are looking for project ideas that address the unique needs persons with disabilities living in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Pakistan face. But send us any ideas you have, and it may be included in this year’s Asia SS12, or next year’s SS12 in the US or Europe.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Oracle Sponsors 2013 European SS12
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Oracle is proud to be a sponsor of the 2013 European SS12 Finals to be held at the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) Conference in Vilamoura, Portugal. Oracle is committed to creating accessible technologies and products that enhance the overall workplace environment and contribute to the productivity of their employees, their customers, and their customers' customers. For more information, please visit Oracle’s Accessibility Program.
2013 European SS12
Monday, March 18, 2013
The 2013 European SS12 has begun! This year's European competitions will experiment with a new semester length competiton, which Project:Possibilty hopes to adapt to a new academic year competition in Fall 2013. For more information on the competition and this year's competitors visit the 2013 European SS12 page.
2013 U.S. SS12 Champion
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Congratulations to CSUN Audio Alert System (Orange) Team on winning the title of 2013 U.S. SS12 Champion. The CSUN, UCLA, and USC all produced great projects. We invite the competitors to continue their work and consider collaborating with fellow competitors to make their projects even greater.
CSUN Audio Alert System (Orange) Team
- Kyeong Hoon Jung
- Matthew Newbil
- Chris Cederstrom
- Ismael Gonzalez
- Joshua Licudo
Project:Possibility GitHub Repository
US SS12 Series Quickly Approaching
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The 2013 US SS12: Code for a Cause series begins in just a few weeks. The first event will be held at the University of Southern California (USC) the weekend of February 2-3, 2013. The events at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University Northridge (CSUN) will be held the following weekend. The US SS12 series will culminate with the SS12 Finals held 28th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (also known as the CSUN Conference) on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 9:00 AM.
More information on the SS12: Code for a Cause
Series Schedule
- 2013 USC SS12
- Saturday, February 2, 2013 and Sunday, February 3, 2013
- 2013 UCLA SS12
- Friday, February 8, 2013 and Saturday, February 9, 2013
- 2013 CSUN SS12
- Saturday, February 9, 2013 and Sunday, February 10, 2013
- 2013 SS12 Finals at 28th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference
- Saturday, March 2, 2013
Call for SS12 Projects
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
With the next SS12 less than six weeks away, we are gathering project ideas for our students to work on. Is there is an AT software program you would like to see developed? Or does someone you know have a great idea for an accessibility mobile app? No matter what the case it, we'd love to hear from you.
If you have any ideas for open source AT software that you would like to see developed, share them with us.
The first events are coming up quickly. SS12:UCLA is scheduled for January 19-20, and SS12:CSUN is soon after February 9-10. So let us know soon what project ideas you'd like to suggest for our students.
More information will follow in the coming months about the SS12s we have planned at other universities in California, Europe and India. If you'd like to get involved at any of our upcoming events, get in touch with us at: info@projectpossibility.org
We look forward to seeing you at the SS12 soon. Happy holidays!
Project:Possibility Honored with FCC Award
Thursday, December 6, 2012
On Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Project Possibility will be recognized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with a Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility for the SS12: Code for a Cause. Awards and honorable mentions will be presented by Chairman Julius Genachowski at FCC Headquarters at 2:00 P.M. (EST). As well winners and honorees will have an opportunity to demonstrate their work at the FCC's new Technology Center.
The Project:Possibility Board of Directors would like to thank all the students, mentors, judges, and sponsors that have participated in the SS12: Code for a Cause. We would also like to thank our friends, family, associates, and colleagues that have helped support us and Project:Possibility.
More information regarding the 2012 FCC’s Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility.
The Chairman’s 2012 AAA Winners are:
- Consumer Empowerment Information
- Project StAR: Accessible Radio 2012/The Narrator
- Mobile Applications
- WGBH National Center for Accessible Media: “Media Access Mobile”
- Civic Participation Solutions
- Prime III: A Universally Designed Voting Machine
- Education: College or University
- Project:Possibility’s SS12: Code for a Cause
- Video Programming
- Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
- Geo-Location Services
- Tiramisu Transit
The Chairman’s 2012 AAA Honorable Mentions are:
- Civic Participation
- Google+ Hangouts
- Mobile Applications
- Virtual Braille Keyboard
The awards ceremony is free and open to the public. Individuals interested in attending this event are asked to send an RSVP to ChairmansAAA@fcc.gov. Please include your name, title, organization affiliation (if any), and contact information in the e-mail.
Audio/Video coverage of the meeting will be broadcast live with open captioning over the Internet from the FCC's web page at fcc.gov/live. The FCC’s webcast is free to the public and does not require pre-registration.
Project:Possibility Goes to India
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
We are excited to be partnering with the Kumaraguru College of Technology in Coimbatore, India to bring the SS12:Code for a Cause event to Asia for the first time.
Dr. Ramalatha Marimuthu, Department Chair of Information Technology at KCT will be hosting a conference on assistive technology in July 2013. As part of the conference, universities across India will send student teams to participate in the SS12:India Final Round.
More information to come, so stay tuned.
SS12 Goes International - SS12:EU Finals Held in Linz, Austria
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Congratulations to the Accessible Event Guide Team from the Technical University of Košice for winning the first-ever SS12:EU coding competition!
The runner-ups were the team from Johannes Kepler University of Linz team, which presented their project: Scannable Matrix for Keyboard and Commanding on Android Platform.
Thanks to both universities for hosting the SS12, and to the ICCHP for hosting the Finals. Recognition also goes to our panel of judges: Erik Zetterstrom (Qatar Assistive Technology Center), Colin Clark (Inclusive Design Research Centre in Toronto) and our own Steve Lee (OpenDirective).
If you would like your university to participate in the 2013 SS12, contact us today.
First Ever SS12:EU Fast Approaching
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The SS12 will be launching in Europe at four universities: the Johannes Kepler University of Linz (Austria), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), Utrecht School of the Arts (Netherlands), and the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia).
The SS12 campus events will be held on May 12-13. The top team from each event will represent their university at the SS12:EU Finals at the International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP).
This series of events represents the first time the SS12 will be held outside of the United States. We are thankful for our partners at eAccess+ and especially Klaus Miesenberger for making this possible.
Best of luck to all the participating students!
Meet Word Predictor User, Michael Lytton!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Michael Lytton is a 47 year old father and software engineer who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. Hear his story in a recent TV feature for Eugene's KVAL station. He has been raising awareness about ALS through Twitter and other social media.
To communicate online, Michael has found the Word Predictor software beneficial. The Word Predictor was developed by student volunteers at previous SS12: Code for a Cause competitions. Michael says their efforts are "not only helping me stay productive - but they have given me hope."
We wish Michael all the best in his battle against ALS. To learn more about him and his journey, follow him on Twitter @mglytton
USC Wins US SS12 Championship
Friday, March 2, 2012
Congratulations to the USC SS12 Team, which won first place at this year’s SS12:US competition with their Haptic Mobile Game! Hear the winning team talk about their project and their SS12 experience here.
The teams from CSUN and UCLA were runner-ups in the close contest, with the UCLA team submitting an Accessible Sudoku Web App, while Team CSUN submitted their own Haptic Mobile Game.
Our judges had the uneviable task of selecting a winning among these quality projects. Thanks to Dr. Art Karshmer of the University of San Francisco, Mr. Jennison Asuncion, Co-director of the Adaptech Research Network and Dr. Hiro Takagi of IBM Tokyo for serving on the judging panel.
Special thanks to the CSUN Conference for hosting the SS12 Finals, and to Google for making this year’s events possible. Thanks to the CSUN Center on Disabilities, and the ACM chapters at USC and UCLA for hosting their campuses’ SS12 events.
Let us know if you would like your university to participate in next year’s SS12 hack-a-thon!
Upcoming SS12 Finals at the CSUN Conference
Monday, February 27, 2012
We are excited to announce that the SS12: Code for a Cause Finals will once again be held at the International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference hosted by the CSUN Center on Disabilities on March 2, 2012.
The top teams from CSUN, USC and UCLA will showcase the innovative open source projects they have been working on for months. A panel of expert judges on accessibility will select the SS12 Champion. Microsoft has generously sponsored an award for the winning team.
If you will be attending the CSUN Conference, or expect to be in the San Diego area next weekend, we hope you will join us for this exciting event!
Call for Project Ideas for 2012 SS12 Opens
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Do you have an idea for a piece of accessible software you would like to see developed? May be a phone app that aids a person who is blind or has low-vision utilizing mass transit? Or may be an accessible way for someone to make and use digital flash cards on their computer or mobile device? These are two of ideas submitted last year that were developed into prototypes for the 2011 SS12 Code for a Cause competition.
Project:Possibility is looking for project ideas to be developed during the 2012 SS12 Code for a Cause competition. Ideas submitted by those from the community of person with disabilities help us choose projects that will have a meaningful impact. It also allows the student developers to better understand the accessibility issues that exist today and what they'll face in their future careers.
Take a moment to review the projects from past SS12 competitions and then share with us your idea for an accessible piece of software. Any platform, any end-user, as long as it benefits persons with disabilities.
Have an idea? Share it with us.
Join the Project:Possibility Team!
Friday, August 12, 2011
We are now recruiting for volunteers to join our leadership team! We are announcing the creation of the following positions:
Coordinator of College Programs
Disability Software Project Coordinator
Public Relations Director
If you or anyone you know is interested in applying, contact us at volunteers@projectpossibility.org
Three Campuses Compete at SS12 Finals, CSUN Takes Grand Prize
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The winning teams from each of the three SS12 campuses met in San Diego for the SS12 Finals this weekend hosted at the 26th Annual International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities.
Each of the teams kept working long after the SS12 weekend concluded. Some conducted accessibility testing while others added new features & functionality. All represented their campuses well, showcasing solid projects with polished presentations.
It was CSUN's Accessible Flash Card team who came out ahead, winning the grand prize and becoming the 2011 SS12 Champions!
A special thanks goes to our panel of judges:
- Mike Paciello, The Paciello Group
- Dennis Lembrée, Research in Motion, AccessibleTwitter.com, WebAxe Podcast
- Annuska Perkins, Microsoft Accessible Technology Group
Thanks to all of our sponsors who made the SS12 2011 possible:
And thanks to all the volunteer coordinators, student participants, and industry mentors who gave their time this year toward coding for a cause!
If you're interested in joining the cause, contact us to find out how you can be a part of SS12 2012!
The 3rd Annual SS12:UCLA a Success
Sunday, February 27, 2011
UCLA just concluded its third SS12 -- thanks to all the students, mentors and judges for volunteering their time and coding for a cause!
Congratulations to Zachary Policzer, Nicholas Wong, Brian Garfinkel, Kevin Takeshita and Jake Stothard of the Audio Preview for Venues Project for taking home the first place prize!
Thanks to Trevor Carothers for turning the event into reality, and thanks to Google for their generous continued support of the SS12 and Project:Possibility!
The 4th Annual SS12:USC a Success
Sunday, February 20, 2011
USC just wrapped up yet another great SS12. Many students returned for their second or even third SS12 experience, and everyone was excited to start coding as soon as possible!
Congratulations to Ankit Sharma and Nilay Khandelwal of the Mobile Bus Route Tracker Team for taking home first place!
Thanks to Ben Walker for planning the event, and to the Microsoft for their contribution to the success of the event.
A special thanks goes to USC ACM for their hard work behind the scenes to make the event a reality. USC ACM has been instrumental since the first ever SS12 took place at USC back in 2008. Once again thanks to their help, SS12:USC 2011 was another success.
Raytheon to Sponsor SS12 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thanks to Raytheon for joining Project:Possibility as a general sponsor! Raytheon has been generous enough to provide us with a grant to continue the SS12 program in 2011.
This grant will support all of our 2011 SS12 campuses (USC, UCLA and CSUN). A portion of the grant will be dedicated to continuing development on the open source projects that the students begin at the SS12 competition.
Thanks to Elias Sayfi, P:P Board Member for connecting with Raytheon.
Google to Sponsor SS12:UCLA
Friday, February 11, 2011
Google will be partnering with Project:Possibility to bring the SS12 to UCLA! Google will be the primary sponsor for UCLA's third-ever SS12:Code for a Cause competition.
Thanks to Trevor Carothers, UCLA's Campus Coordinator for making this happen.
The First Annual SS12:CSUN a Success
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Cal State Northridge just wrapped up its first ever SS12 and it was a great success! The students all worked long hours through the weekend and prepared some impressive projects.
Congratulations to David Brotz, Chistopher Cederstrom, Barack Karavani, Hung Quoc Nguyen and Victor Perez of the Accessible Flash Card Team for taking home the first place prize!
Thanks to Doris Chaney and Sean Goggin for their hard work planning the event, and thanks to the CSUN Center on Disabilities for their contributions which made the entire event possible!
Microsoft to Sponsor SS12:USC
Monday, January 31, 2011
Microsoft will be partnering with Project:Possibility to bring the SS12 to USC! Microsoft Game Studios will be the primary sponsor for USC’s fourth-ever SS12:Code for a Cause competition.
Thanks to Ben Walker, USC's Campus Coordinator for making this happen.
Last Call for Project Ideas
Monday, January 24, 2011
We’re wrapping up the call for project ideas this Weds, Jan 26th. Now is your last chance to submit project ideas to be considered for this year’s SS12:Code for a Cause competition.
Let us know what kind of accessible software you’d like to see our students develop. We will be reviewing all the proposals we’ve received and will be announcing the slate of project ideas at the first SS12 this year.
CSUN Center on Disabilities to Sponsor SS12:CSUN
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thanks to the CSUN Center on Disabilities for partnering to bring the SS12 to Cal State Northridge for the first time ever!
The 2011 SS12 Finals will also be held at the CSUN Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities in March 2011.
Special thanks to Sandy Plotin and Mary Ann Cummins Prager of CSUN and Sean Goggin of the P:P team for making this possible!
Call for Project Ideas Opens
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Is there a software idea you’d like to see developed? What would make life easier for you or your loved one?
We’re now accepting project ideas for the Spring 2011 SS12s. Take a look at the projects our students have developed at previous SS12s, and let us know what ideas you would like to see turned into reality.
SS12 Finals to be Held at CSUN Conference
Monday, September 6, 2010
Project:Possibility and the Center on Disabilities at CSUN will bring the 2011 SS12 Code for a Cause Finals to the 26th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, also known as the CSUN Conference. The top teams from the CSUN, UCLA, and USC SS12 competitions will compete at the SS12 Finals for the title of SS12 Champion.
The CSUN Conference will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in Downtown San Diego, CA from March 14th to the 19th, 2011. The SS12 Finals will be held on the final day of the conference, Saturday, March 19th, 2011.
New look to SS12.info -- now fully accessible
Monday, August 23, 2010
Check out the brand-new look to the SS12.info site. We’ve made the site accessible and compatible for Firefox, IE, Chrome and Opera.
What do you think – is there anything we should add or change? We’re also planning to revamp the main site sometime next year. Let us know what you’d like to see and we’ll incorporate it into the new design.
CSUN to Hold SS12
Friday, August 13, 2010
2011 represents the year in which the SS12 comes to it's third campus, CSUN! The Center on Disabilities and Project:Possibility are proud to be collaborating with CSUN's College of Engineering and Computer Science to bring the SS12 to CSUN.
The staff at Project:Possibility look forward to an exciting year of competion as CSUN joins UCLA and USC at the SS12 Finals.
Online Call for Project Ideas Coming Soon!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A new program is in the works that will give you the chance to help us decide the next slate of projects that our community works on! If you or someone you know has an idea for a software solution you'd like to see developed open source' check back for more info in a couple weeks. We'll keep you posted!
Welcome Aboard: Sean Goggin!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Project:Possibility would like to welcome Sean Goggin to the Board of Directors! Sean is the Equipment/Systems Specialist at the Center on Disabilities at CSU Northridge. Sean has been an longtime supporter of Project:Possibility behind the scenes, dating to being a guest speaker at the very first SS12! He brings valuable insight into the latest developments and existing needs in assistive technology, as well as deep experience in the public university system. Welcome aboard Sean!
On Our Way to the CSUN Conference!
Friday, March 12, 2010
On March 25-27, the top placing team from USC (Double Dragons - GNOME Caribou) and UCLA (Mobile Currency Reader Team) will be on their way to the CSUN Conference! CSUN is hosting the 25th Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference in San Diego, and they have graciously invited us to participate. The teams will be showcasing their projects on Saturday morning, and we will be participating in a Meet & Greet session with some of the Conference's sponsors and VIPs. We're excited to see check things out!
Project:Possibility Partnership with GNOME a Success!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
One of the exciting parts of this year's SS12 was working with GNOME. Two of the teams worked on implementing binary input for GNOME's Caribou On-Screen Keyboard, and both projects placed in the Top 3 in the finals! A huge thanks goes to Ben Konrath of GNOME who helped acquaint the students with the Caribou source code. We're looking forward to collaborating with GNOME on future projects!
USC vs UCLA SS12 a Success!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Thanks to everyone for participating in the first UCLA vs USC SS12 event. The event was a great success! We got some amazing projects that came out of all of the hard work. I know the judges had a hard time picking winners.
Please join me in congratulating all the teams:
USC Semi Final Winners:
- Sign Language Reader
- Double Dragons (USC GNOME Caribou)
- AxsTweet (Accessible Twitter)
UCLA Semi Final Winners:
- Caribou (GNOME)
- MC Reader (mobile currency reader)
- AACDroid
Final Winners:
- MC Reader
- [UCLA] Caribou
- Double Dragons (USC GNOME Caribou)
Here are some pictures from the event:
Day 1
Day 2
Final
Lastly, thanks again to all the awesome sponsors who made this possible, to ACM staff for their continued support of this program, and to Project:Possibility staff for helping to fill in the gaps!
USC vs UCLA SS12 is underway!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The USC vs UCLA SS12 is underway. Teams are feverishly coding. Tonight we will know which teams are going to the finals on March 6th!
See the SS12 site for more information!
Cross-Town Rivalry SS12 coming to UCLA and USC!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Project:Possibility, UCLA Association for Computing Machinery and USC Association for Computing Machinery are preparing for an exciting weekend of code!
We have had three successful events at USC and one at UCLA with approximately 80 graduate and undergraduate students participating each time. We are proud to announce that this year's SS12 will be a cross-town rivalry competition between UCLA and USC's best and brightest! UCLA vs USC SS12 will be held on Feb 27-28, with a Final on March 6th.
This event is intended to raise awareness of Assistive Technology needs and empower students to make a difference. There will also be great prizes for the winning teams, plus the pride of beating the rival school and helping people at the same time! We are also looking for industry mentors and sponsors to help guide the teams, if you are interested please contact us.
Project:Possibility is now officially registered for iPhone Development!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
This means that participants in our competitions can now utilize the iPhone SDK to build Assistive Technology solutions on the iPhone platform, test their code on real iPhone and iPod Touch devices and we can distribute finished applications as free downloads via the Apple iPhone App Store directly to users!UCLA SS12 project info up!
Monday, February 16, 2009
The project info for the six exciting new projects from the most recent UCLA SS12 event has been uploaded!
UCLA SS12 a great success!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Project:Possibility and UCLA Association for Computing Machinery are proud to say that our first UCLA SS12 event was a huge success! We had around 40 eager participants working on the following projects:
- Accessible Facebook
- Audio Guardian
- Color reader
- HandiMap
- Project AWE (website accessibility tagging tool)
- Word Predictor v4
A big thank you to all our sponsors: Google, Cisco, Lockheed, UCLA ACM and Mozilla! Look for the projects to be added to our website soon! You can also check out pictures of Orientation, Day 1, and Day 2!
UCLA SS12 starts this Saturday!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Our first SS12 24 hour code-a-thon event at UCLA put on by Project:Possibility and UCLA Association for Computing Machinery is about to start!
The competition will run all day this Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit the UCLA SS12 website. If you would like to attend the project presentations and closing ceremonies at the end of the event, please let us know!
USC Stevens Institute for Innovation video highlights Project:Possibility!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The USC Stevens Institute for Innovation has produced a video highlighting Project:Possibility.
Thanks to USC Stevens for all their support!
Project:Possibility wants you!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Project:Possibility is looking for project mentors!
Be a part of our exciting programming competitions and at the same time improve the lives of millions of peoples! We are looking for motivated individuals in the Los Angeles area to volunteer to lead a team of university students in developing software for persons with disabilities. We have a two day competition coming up at the end of January (http://ss12.info/ucla/) and another longer competition planned for spring.
If you are interesting or would like more information, shoot us an email: info@projectpossibility.org
Project:Possibility highlighted in the NY Times!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
We were recently interview by James Flanigan of the New York Times and our article was published in the Dec 18th edition of the prestigious paper!
Project:Possibility expands SS12 to UCLA!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Project:Possibility and UCLA Association for Computing Machinery are preparing for an exciting weekend of code. Our last successful event had approximately 50 graduate and undergraduate students participate in second annual USC SS12. Over 100 students applied to be a part of SS12. Spots are in high demand so register early. This year's UCLA SS12 will be held on Jan 31st - Feb 1st. This event is intended to raise awareness around the disabled community and empower students to make a difference. Oh and there's only a $1000 cash prize for the winning team to top it off. Please visit the UCLA SS12 website for all the details and latest announcements!
Project:Possibility wins USC Student Innovator Showcase!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Project:Possibility competed in the 2008 USC Student Innovator Showcase sponsored annually by the USC Stevens Institute for innovation. This contest brought together 30 different student projects to compete for the most innovative ideas. Project:Possibility is proud to announce that we won the grand prize of $1000!The speaker at the awards ceremony had some interesting words about our organization. He acknowledged that Project:Possibility entered the contest last year, but did not win. He said that a large part of our success this year came from our headway on implementation, shaping Project:Possibility from an idea to a "movement that will have immense societal impact."
Congratulations to the all staff and members! These are exciting times for our organization.
SS12 Code-A-Thon returns to USC!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Project:Possibility and USC Association for Computing Machinery are gearing up for another exciting weekend of code. Last year's successful event had approximately 40 graduate and undergraduate students participate in our first ever SS12. Over 80 students applied to be a part of SS12. Spots are in high demand so register early. This year SS12 will be held on Oct 18-19th. This event is intended to raise awareness around the disabled community and empower students to make a difference. Oh and there's only a $1000 cash prize for the winning team to top it off. Please visit the SS12 website for all the details and latest announcements!
Mozilla Foundation Comes out in Support of Project:Possibility
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Mozilla Foundation has awarded Project:Possibility a $15K grant to continue its efforts in spreading awareness of accessibility and encouraging students to engage in open source accessibility projects. The funds will be used in support of the Project:Possibility initiative for the continuation of the SS12 Code for a Cause and Semester Project programs, development of new programs that will pipeline university students and young professionals into the open source and assistive technology communities, a detailed design of a self-sustaining online community for open source accessibility, and injection of open source accessibility material into the university curriculum.
It's Official! We are a 501(c)3 Tax Exempt Non-profit Organization
Friday, August 29, 2008
Project:Possibility is very excited to announce that we have obtained 501(c)3 tax-exempt status from the IRS. The IRS grants this coveted status upon organizations who meet specific legal requirements and operate under strict conditions with the goal of providing a public benefit. 501(c)3 status makes P:P exempt from paying federal taxes and allows any donations to be a tax deduction for the donor. This status is also a requirement by all foundations and government agencies when applying for grants. We started the process in September of 2007 when P:P was formally organized as a public charity non-profit corporation. After many forms and paperwork, legal fees, government fees, and a lot of effort we were able to surpass this milestone and be granted exempt status. This opens many doors for the project, allowing us to seek and apply for grants and accept public donations. The grants team looks forward to identifying and applying for grants that will enable P:P to continue providing programs such as SS12 and Semester Project and make headway into developing solid community based open source software to promote our mission.Welcome Aboard New Board Members: Mark Sakata and Steve Lee
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Project:Possibility would like to welcome two new members to the Board of Directors: Mark Sakata and Steve Lee.
Mark is a Disability Specialist at Pasadena City College. He has served individuals with disabilities for over 20 years within non-profit, medical rehabilitation and post-secondary educational settings. His expertise in assistive technology includes experience as an Assistive Technology Specialist, Trainer, and Rehabilitation Counselor at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, and the Center on Disabilities at California State University Northridge. Mark has a Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mark's first hand experience and contact with persons with disabilities provides P:P with a platform to showcase and test our projects with real users. His passion to help people, which is displayed in his daily job, along with his experience will be an asset to overseeing the direction of the project.
Steve is a freelance software developer and advocate of Open Source Assistive Technology and accessibility and has been creating with IT for some 27 years. Based in the UK, he plays an active part in the Mozilla and GNOME accessibility developer communities as well as being a founder of oatsoft.org and board member of schoolforge.org.uk. Current activities include an open symbol set, computer and web access for those with age related disabilities, and introducing older people to the possibilities of computers and the web. Steve is also an avid blogger and as such will be and enormous asset in promoting P:P in the open source accessibility communities. His passion to make technology accessible has been demonstrated over the years and will undoubtedly help in ensuring the future of P:P.
Mark and Steve join current board members Christopher Leung, Elias Sayfi, and Stanley Lam. Board member Marc Allen has decided to step down. We wish him luck in his endeavors and hope to have him continue on the team in other roles. The Board of Directors looks forward to providing strategic planning and long-term direction to P:P in fulfilling our goals and meeting our mission. With the addition of these two very qualified individuals we're well on our way.
Welcome aboard new Executive Directors: Ely Lerner, Jacquelyn Leong, and Prateek Tandon
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Project:Possibility would like to welcome aboard new Executive Directors Ely Lerner, Jacquelyn Leong, and Prateek Tandon. Ely is an Information Systems Solution Developer at Amgen with a degree in Computer Science from UC Santa Barbara. He became involved with P:P at the Semester Project 2008 program as an industry mentor, leading his team to successfully developing the Community Captioner which won third place in the competition. Jacquelyn is also an Information Systems Solution Developer at Amgen with a Computer Science and Engineering degree from UCLA. She joined the P:P team as General Manager of the Semester Project 2008 program and oversaw it to its successful completion. Prateek is working towards a Computer Science and Engineering degree at USC. He participated in the SS12 2007 code-athon and the Semester Project 2008 program at which he was on the overall winning Word Prediction team. His experience as a member of USC ACM provides a bridge between the two organizations and allows P:P to continue its strong roots at USC. Each of the new executive directors brings different skills and experiences, but most of all they share the same passion for software, accessibility, and helping people. The three of them will take on the challenge of running the day-to-day business and will provide management and leadership for guiding P:P forward in accomplishing its mission. Outgoing executive director Christopher Leung will remain an integral part of the management team as Chairman of the Board of Directors. We thank Chris for all his hard work and look forward to his continued leadership in this new role.Project:Possibility Showcases Breakthrough Open-Source Software for Disabled Communities
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Project Possibility, a non-profit organization striving to create free and accessible software for people with disabilities, has unveiled what happens when altruism and expertise unite.
Project:Possibility held its Semester Project on April 30 at the University of Southern California to showcase the open source software aimed at making a beneficial impact on the disabled community. Software projects premiered Wednesday included: Universal closed-captioning for the Internet, a search engine specifically geared toward finding software for people with disabilities, word prediction software for people with limited mobility, gesture-recognition software for those who have difficulty using keyboard and mouse, and a mobile currency reader for the visually impaired.
Because Project: Possibility is an open-source organization, the finished software products will be made available on online at www.projectpossibility.org so other programmers worldwide can improve the software.
Twelve weeks ago, twenty-five USC students split into five teams, each led by a professional engineer from Google, Amgen, or NASA. The teams sought to expand on their achievements from last years competition, "SS12, Code for a Cause," during which the participating students had 24 hours to create useful technologies for the disabled community.
With Project: Possibility, software engineers, programmers and system designers can use their unique skills in a philanthropic and challenging way to make an impact on the world for disabled people, said Ely Lerner, a software developer at Amgen. Lerner helped to create the online closed-captioner for people with hearing impairments. He said it was a wonderful experience for both the programmer and the community served.
Said Christopher Leung, the executive director and founder of Project:Possibility, "We were astounded by the positive feedback, and industry interest in SS12. We knew we had hit on something significant, and we had to see what would result if students were given a longer period of time to work on the software."
"This program was a complete success," Leung added. "We set out with high goals in mind, and though we didn't always hit them, we identified what stopped us."
During the Semester Project, participants had to overcome the pressures of university midterms and finals. Now that the race to complete the projects is over, they said they feel honored to have been involved in such an unparalleled venture. In general, team members said they were grateful for the ability to "code for a cause" while refining their technical skills, and will continue to do so in the future.
"The vision and passion of those involved with Project: Possibility really affected me," said Stanley Lam, a volunteer for the Semester Project. "I saw the excitement that Chris and his team had for this cause and I that everything that he had envisioned might actually come to pass. I wanted to become a part of that."
Leung said Project:Possibility will be repeating both SS12:Code for a Cause and the Semester Project annually.
"Hopefully we did our job of raising awareness around the disabled community while also helping USC students learn more about different technologies," said Jacquelyn Leong, General Manager of the Semester Project. "I hope Project:Possibility will soon expand to other universities and beyond so more people will continue to give back to the community with their engineering skills."
If you would like to contribute to this noble endeavor, please go to www.projectpossibility.org for more information.
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About Project: Possibility
Project:Possibility is a nonprofit, community service project committed to creating groundbreaking open source software for the disabled community. The software that is created through this project is open source--made available in entirety to the world, free of charge. Our mission is to inspire a community of disabled persons and software developers to work together and make a difference by inventing software that will unlock new areas of life for persons with disabilities, giving them access to experiences previously impossible to achieve.
Media Contact:
Jean Guerrero
media@projectpossibility.org
(619) 992-1988
Join the Project:Possibility Team!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Are you interested in making a positive difference in people's lives? Are you interested in an empowering experience you won't soon forget? Project:Possibility is a cutting-edge non-profit organization that is approaching the problem of empowering humanity in an entirely new way—beginning with you.
Our team is looking for enthusiastic, talented individuals to take leadership in a variety of volunteer positions, including:
- Corporate Relations
- Public Relations
- University Relations
- Marketing
- Web Development
- Technology/Innovation Development
- Accessible Software Engineering
For many of these positions, no technical experience is necessary. For technical roles, training and guidance will be provided. The only requirement is enthusiasm and belief in Project:Possibility's mission!
We are committed to providing empowering opportunities for everyone involved. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact us at info@projectpossibility.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
Open invitation to the Semester Project: Final Review, April 30th
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Semester Project continues; professional-led student teams have been making incredible progress on their projects, and the final review which occurs on April 30th of this month on the University of Southern California campus is shaping up to be an exciting event!
The Final Review is the third of three major reviews of students' work throughout this 12-week program, in which each team of students, led by a software engineer from Google, Amgen, or NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is given feedback and guidance by a panel of guest reviewers from academia and industry.
We invite you to support everyone's hard work this semester and join us for the Final Review! This is an open event; food will be served and sponsored by the USC Engineering Graduate Student Association and the USC International Students' Assembly. An awards ceremony will follow the presentations. Be sure to download the flier for all the details.
You can also check out the latest pictures from the Semester Project on our web album. For the latest news and details about the Semester Project, visit the Semester Project home page.
Mozilla and Project:Possibility Team Up at CSUN Disabilities Conference
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Project:Possibility and the Mozilla Foundation teamed up to promote Firefox 3 at the 2008 CSUN Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference this past week. Firefox 3's array of new and improved accessibility features maintains its status as the most cutting edge browser, particularly in the accessibility arena, not to mention, exactly the type of technology that Project:Possibility is committed to supporting.
Supporting the Firefox effort was Frank Hecker (Mozilla Foundation), Marco Zehe (Firefox Accessibility), Eitan Issacson (Ascender Technologies), Steve Lee (Full Measure), James Teh and Michael Curran of the NVDA project, Joanie Diggs (Carroll Tech), and Christopher Leung (Project:Possibility).
We look forward to the 2009 Conference!
Project:Possibility Announces "The Semester Project"
Friday, February 1, 2008
Project:Possibility has opened applications for the Spring 2008 Semester Project Pilot Program at the University of Southern California. The Semester Project is a team-based software development challenge in which professional software engineers lead teams of university students in tackling state of the art assistive technology projects over the course of a semester. Teams who demonstrate significant effort and progress are recognized and awarded prizes at monthly meetings.
The intention of this program is to give working professionals experience in leading a team of software developers in an innovate software project, to give university students a powerful experience in being part of a software development team, and to create innovative software that will make a difference.
Please visit the Semester Project home page for more information about the program. For working professionals interested in participating as team lead, please visit the Semester Project for Leads page.
Project:Possibility Launches Updated Website!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Project:Possibility website has undergone a makeover, primarily to support access to the various projects that have been under development over the past several months. Also, this website now offers information on the academic programs we have been organizing in collaboration with the University of Southern California. This website is designed to be WCAG 1.0 and Section 508 Standards Compliant. We hope that you will contact us with any issues you have around using this website!Project:Possibility and EyeTech Agree to Hardware Loan
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
EyeTech has generously agreed to loan Project:Possibility the EyeTech TM 3 hardware for use in its open source software development. Plans are in place to augment Project:Possibility projects, such as the Word Prediction project, to utilize this eye-gaze tracking hardware and become beneficial to a wider audience. This hardware will also be featured as a hardware platform in The Semester Project, where students will develop innovative applications that take advantage of unique hardware platforms.SS12 a Success!
Monday, November 19, 2007
The SS12: Code for a Cause event concluded yesterday evening. Feedback from participants, mentors, and organizers was overwhelmingly positive—everyone managed to have fun, learn something new, and make a significant contribution to open source a11y. The software developed this weekend will be made available on both the SS12 and Project:Possibility websites. We thank all who volunteered their time towards the event for their heroic efforts over the weekend organizing the event and mentoring the student participants. We also thank all of the sponsors for making this event a reality. Please visit the SS12 Website for the latest updates about the results from the event.
Project:Possibility, ACM, EGSA Launch SS12 Code-A-Thon
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Project:Possibility, with the assistance of USC Association for Computing Machinery, has launched a WAI-AA compliant registration site for the SS12: Code for a Cause Code-A-Thon challenge. This Code-A-Thon, spearheaded by Project:Possibility, will gather 60 USC undergraduate and graduate students over a weekend for up to 24 hours of open source software development for the disabled community, resulting in up to 1400 hours of development efforts. Project:Possibility will be developing the project concept and mentoring the student teams over the entire event. This event is intended to be educational, fun, and empowering for all of its participants. Please visit the SS12 website for all the details and latest announcements!Project:Possibility Mentioned in LA Times, USC Chronicle
Monday, October 22, 2007
After its appearance at the USC Stevens Student Innovator Showcase and Competition, Project:Possibility's accessible music instrument tuner, LunarTuner, was featured in an image in a Los Angeles Times print article on October 12, 2007. On October 22, 2007, Christopher Leung, Project:Possibility's Founder and Chair, was featured on the cover of the USC Chronicle, a newspaper published for USC Faculty and Staff (online version). The Student Innovator Showcase and Competition was a fantastic opportunity for Project:Possibility to propel itself forward and hit many of its planned milestones.Project:Possibility Confirms USC Code-A-Thon
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
On November 17th and 18th, Project:Possibility in collaboration with the USC Association of Computing Machinery and the USC Engineering Graduate Student Association will be hosting a weekend Code-A-Thon centered around accessibility. USC undergraduate and graduate students will have an opportunity to develop accessible software for disabled persons and win prizes for their work. This event was inspired by a previous Code-A-Thon sponsored by Knowbility.org and the League of Technical Voters.Project:Possibility Selected for USC Innovator Showcase
Monday, September 17, 2007
Project:Possibility has been selected to showcase its progress to date in the USC Student Innovator Showcase and Competition, an event sponsored by the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation. This is the first competition of its kind and an exciting opportunity for the project to garner publicity and support. A completely new five person team was established for this event, consisting of USC Students and a communications graduate of UC Berkeley.Project:Possibility Introduction Movie Available
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
A short video introducing the intentions of Project:Possibility is now available on YouTube. It is also available for download as a high resolution quicktime (4.2 MB) and low resolution quicktime (1.5 MB). Enjoy!Project:Possibility Begins Non-Profit Incorporation Process
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Project:Possibility formed an ad-hoc board of directors and set forward in motion a plan to incorporate Project:Possibility as a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit corporation. Incorporating will open many doors for the project and unlock new opportunities for the project's participants. It will enable the project to accept sponsorships, grants, and tax-deductible donations to support its developers and buy and build hardware and software to propel its cause.Project:Possibility Joins Forces with Knowbility
Friday, June 29, 2007
Project:Possibility held a meeting with directors of Knowbility, an organization dedicated to making the Internet and other technology accessible to all people. The two organizations discussed collaboration on future events such as the 2008 California Web Accessibility Conference and a Project:Possibility hosted Los Angeles Code-A-Thon. Stay tuned!Project:Possibility Teams Up with UCLA Disabilities and Computing Program
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Project:Possibility met with staff of the UCLA Disabilities and Computing Program to discuss the accessibility issues that students, faculty, and staff of one of the world's top universities face on a daily basis. This event marks the beginning of an ongoing dialog between the two groups on accessible technology.Project:Possibility Visits UCLA EWB and PCC DSPS
Friday, May 4, 2007
This week, Project:Possibility met with members and staff of UCLA Engineers Without Borders and Pasadena City College Disabled Student Programs & Services. These meetings occurred as part of an ongoing effort to seek out partnerships with other organizations and spread awareness of the project throughout the engineering and disabled communities.Project:Possibility Website Now WCAG "Double-A" Compliant
Sunday, April 29, 2007
In keeping with our pursuit of universal accessibility of all software, the Project:Possibility website has been thoroughly reviewd and updated accordingly to meet W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Conformance Level "Double-A". The WCAG logo is displayed in the bottom right corner of each webpage. We encourage web developers to conform to these guidelines so that a greater number of people can access their content.Project:Possibility Launches Website
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Today, the Project:Possibility website was launched. The combined effort of several team members resulted in a fully accessible, graphically compelling website that features the organization's current projects, along with details on how the organization is structured and the strategy they are utilizing to service the disabled.Project:Possibility Members to Attend Technology and Persons With Disabilities Conference
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Several members of the Project:Possibility Team will be visiting the public exhibits of the CSU Northridge Center On Disabilities 2007 Technology and Persons With Disabilities Conference.Project:Possibility Team Tours the Lanterman Center
Friday, March 16, 2007
Four team members were given a tour today by Rose Chacana, Director of the Assistive Technology Program at the Lanterman Regional Center in Los Angeles, California. In particular, members were given a chance to view and ask questions about the services offered by the center and the center's assistive technology facility.Project:Possibility Targets the Southern California Community
Monday, February 26, 2007
Over thirty organizations related to the disabled in the Los Angeles and greater area will be contacted by the project in the coming months. Through this contact, Project:Possibility plans to gain a deeper understanding of the state of the disabled community and assistive technology. This will also be an opportunity to conceptualize new projects and form cooperative partnerships and collaboration with these organizations. Organizations to contact cover a wide range of learning, mental, and physical disabilities.Project:Possibility Enters Development Phase
Thursday, February 15, 2007
An official development plan was completed today for Project:Possibility, which sets into motion development of the project that will occur over the next several months. Many milestones were set including the completion of an online system to support an online community, completion of software projects, and involvement of members of the disabled and software development community.Displaying Articles 1-73 of 73.