One of the biggest challenges today is how to build a fair digital society where there is room for everyone without exception. Bridging the digital divide is a task of all stakeholders in the society and our strategic commitment. In June 2019 the Foundation Telekom for Macedonia and UNICEF established partnership – Digital Inclusion to remove the barriers that children and young people with disabilities face in education and everyday life. The purpose of the partnership is to use technology to create innovative digital solutions for better access to education and inclusion of people with disabilities in the community.

Generation Unlimited – global challenge for young innovators

The best way to make a change is to involve young people in creating solutions, a move that not only allows them to create and use technology innovatively, but also encourages them to think openly and inclusively. For this reason, one of the partnership's initiatives is Generation Unlimited - a public call for young innovators to come up with digital solutions. Generation Unlimited is a global youth challenge that takes place in 41 countries around the world. Young people in our country were invited to offer innovative answers to the question "How can digital technology contribute to a more active involvement of children and young people with disabilities in education and in everyday life?" The youth challenge was implemented with the support of SmartApp and the Scout Association of Macedonia.

Co-creating with mentors from Telekom

50 teams of 220 young people aged 14 to 24 years applied to the open call Generation Unlimited published in October 2019 by UNICEF and the Foundation Telekom for Macedonia. 10 finalist teams were selected and each team includes one person with a disability, so that the problem can be approached through a person who directly experiences the barriers in the society. The ten finalist teams worked on the challenge with the help of mentors from Telekom: engineers, IT and marketing specialists, who put their expertise at the disposal of the teams, but they themselves also learned a lot from the young innovators. At the pre-workshops, which were held in November 2019, the young teams learned the basics of assistive technology and digital inclusion and together with the mentors worked to formulate their ideas.

Design thinking workshops for developing the ideas

In December 2019 the ten teams worked on developing the ideas for digital solutions to bridge the barriers that children and young people with disabilities face in education and everyday life.
The dedication, focus and positive energy of the teams bore fruit.
All the teams have shown that with the help of technology, tools can be created that will push the boundaries and make a real difference.
Out of the ten participating teams, five were selected to continue to develop their ideas, with additional funding and mentoring support.

The first five innovative solutions

1.Bionic hand

The Bionic Team designed a robotic arm with an affordable price that reads muscle sensors and helps people without limbs in their everyday life. Everyone will be able to choose their size, download free 3D printing models via internet, print the construction on a 3D printer, order the other parts online and assemble it by themselves without any prior experience. The model will cost between USD 150 and 200 and will be available to those who cannot spare a lot of money.

2.Inclusive menu

The Mind Benders team designed an inclusive digital restaurant menu, available to all, developed by using the universal design principles. The solution will allow people with disabilities to independently look at menus in the bars. The menu is in different formats, adapted for: visual impairment, hearing impairment, dyslexia, intellectual disability.

3.Smart wheelchair

The Zero to Hero team designed a smart wheelchair, which is run by eye control, has sensors for monitoring the user's physical condition and sensors for detecting objects. The system can be installed on existing wheelchairs that have no control devices. With this solution, the most ordinary wheelchair can become a smart one with minimal financial resources. The movement and health status of the person with disability can be remotely monitored by any member of their family.

4.Application for translation of spoken language into sign language

The PortComSign team designed an application that converts spoken into sign language and vice versa. The team was encouraged to solve the problem of communication between deaf people and all those who do not know the sign language. The application will enable translation of the sign language into text and voice, for the deaf person to be understood and vice versa, translation of voice into text and animation into sign language.

5.Application for socialization of people with intellectual disability

The Something Unordinary team designed a One + One mobile application that will connect volunteers with families of children and young people with intellectual disability. Guided by the fact that people with intellectual disability very rarely or never leave their homes or institutions, the team has created an application through which the families will be able to find a volunteer to organize social activities for their children.

Finalists and participation in the global challenge

All five finalists worked with their mentors on the solutions until April 2020, when they presented their solutions at an online event. The jury selected the two best teams - "Bionic" with a solution for making financially affordable robotic arm and "Mind Benders" with a digital restaurant menu that makes the services inclusive and accessible to all. The "Something Atypical" team with its mobile application Walkiie, which connects volunteers with children and young people with intellectual disability for organizing social activities, received an honourable third place. The winning teams received a financial award and additional local mentoring support to continue building their initiative. In June 2020, the country's two final solutions will compete globally. The teams who developed these solutions will have the chance to receive additional funds in the amount of up to USD 20,000, through the global hub program from the partners of Generation Unlimited.

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