AccessED Hacks

A lesson cannot help someone who cannot reach it.

A video without captions. A worksheet a screen reader cannot read. A learning app that stops working the moment the signal drops. A brilliant explanation in a language the learner does not speak.

These are design problems. For four days, they are your brief.

The AccessED challenge

Build a small, working tool that removes one specific barrier between a person and an opportunity to learn. Start with the learner’s circumstances, then choose the technology. Your prototype might help a teacher adapt a lesson, make practice possible on an old phone, turn complex material into clearer language, or bring an offline classroom resource to life.

Four doors into the challenge

• Understand: translation, plain-language explanations, captions, and alternative ways to explore a concept.
• Interact: keyboard-friendly lessons, readable interfaces, audio alternatives, and adaptable learning experiences.
• Connect: offline activities, low-bandwidth resources, and tools designed for shared or older devices.
• Afford: open educational resources, reusable teaching materials, and easier discovery of free learning opportunities.

These are starting points, not separate prize tracks. Choose one barrier and show how your project makes a learning task possible or meaningfully easier.

Small prototype. Clear difference.

You do not need to reinvent school. Show a believable before-and-after: who struggles with the current experience, what changes with your tool, and what still needs work. New builders, designers, educators, and experienced developers can all contribute. Any technology stack is welcome.

Work solo or with a team. This online event is for eligible students above the legal age of majority in their country of residence.

Make one door easier to open.

Bring a problem you have noticed, a willingness to listen, and a prototype someone can actually try. Learning deserves more ways in.