HACKCESSIBLE INDIA 2026

About the competition

In this competition, students will work in teams using inclusive design principles to develop workable products that support the needs of people with disabilities. It is based on the successful Hackcessible makeathon which has run for a number of years with students at the University of Sheffield. 

The competition will be run online, involving teams of 3-4 pupils from each school aged 16-18 (Grade 11 and 12). It is open to secondary schools in India.

The challenges for teams are focused around case studies with a detailed brief that involve a particular need arising from disability, and potential assistive technology to address it. 

The principles of Hackcessible

Hackcessible was designed to bring together disabled people with technology-based challenges and interdisciplinary student teams to create practical solutions for a more accessible world. It was founded on the principle of co-design - learn together, design together make together. 

Every Hackcessible project begins with a real challenge, shaped by the people who experience it every day, our 'challengers'. Disabled challengers and students work as equal partners, combining different perspectives, knowledge and skills throughout the process to shape ideas into workable solutions. Along the way, they also learn from experts in assistive technology, inclusive design and innovation.

Why should you get involved?

Hackcessible gives you the opportunity to:

• Apply your learning and bring it to life through real-world applications

• Address genuine challenges in disability with the potential to make meaningful change in people's lives, breaking down barriers to communication, mobility, learning and independence, and making a more inclusive and equitable world 

• Develop professional skills like teamworking, project management and different styles of communication that will be important in your future careers

Hackcessible challenges you to think differently, collaborate, and create accessible technology solutions that make a difference.

How it works

The first thing you will need to do is read through the information from our challengers here and select a challenge. 

Due to the online nature of Hackcessible India, these challenges are provided in the form of pre-prepared case studies, based on composites of real people, but we encourage you to think about your challengers as members of your team and consider how you would involve them throughout the design process. If you have an idea for your own challenge, perhaps based on someone you know, you can also talk to us to see if it could be suitable. 

Mirroring the Challenge Event that starts off Hackcessible in Sheffield every year, where students and challengers first meet, the case studies will allow you to get to know our challengers, the ways in which their disabilities create challenges in their daily lives, and their ideas for potential solutions. You will also be given a bit more information about their specific disability. Within each case study, there are a number of different challenges you can choose to tackle as a team, depending on your mix of skills and interests.

Once you have chosen your challenge, you will need to develop a conceptual design and submit a video explaining your solution.  The concepts will be judged by a panel of experts who will provide feedback. Five teams will be invited to develop their idea into a detailed design (and, if they want to, make a basic prototype), and pitch their solution to a panel of experts. A prize will be awarded to each member of the winning team.

Throughout Hackcessible the teams will be supported by a series of exciting and informative video talks, delivered by academics from the University of Sheffield, Microsoft, AssisTech Foundation and many others. Further support will be provided through online Q&A sessions and a chat group. There will also be a showcase of previous projects by Sheffield's Hackcessible students.

Schedule 2026

Key dates in the schedule are:

• Monday 14th September – Launch date

• Monday 21st September – Teams select the case study they will work on - make sure you've registered before then using the link below!

• Friday 23rd October – Submit first stage design (video)

• Friday 30th October – Selected teams announced for second stage

• Monday 30th November – Submit second stage (design portfolio)

• Saturday 12th December – Final online event, in which teams pitch their solutions to a panel of experts

Prizes

Each member of the winning team will receive an iPad. All team members that progress to the second stage will receive a letter of recommendation from Professor Guy Brown, a senior academic in the School of Computer Science at the University of Sheffield.

Terms and conditions apply: The University of Sheffield reserves the rights, in its sole discretion, to make reasonable changes to the terms of this competition.