Problem: The U.S. Government wanted to test the feasibility of implementing a statewide web accessibility competition utilizing people with disabilities. They also wanted the project to be replicable.
Solution: Butler New Media to organize and implement the nation’s first ever statewide web accessibility competition, The Georgia Accessibility Rally. The program allows for students involved in Georgia’s High School/High Tech program to redesign their existing high school and/or other educational website to make it more accessible to people with
disabilities. Students formed teams of up to five students and one mentor. Each team was provided the rally judging criteria, rally rules, and additional
information on the issues people with disabilities face. Their assignment, utilize the judging
criteria and the technology and make the web sites
more accessible. At the end of the competition in April 2004 a team of judges evaluated the sites and selected the top three winning sites. The students
on the winning teams split $10,000 in scholarship
money.
$5000 1st Place Team
$3000 2nd Place Team
$2000 3rd Place Team
The money was used to help these students cover college costs. Student participants also received a goodie bag full of prizes from corporate sponsors:
Cingular, Microsoft, Georgia Department of Labor, Hyatt Hotels, Georgia Committee on Employment of
People with Disabilities, and Georgia Industries for the Blind.
The project has been listed at a promising practice
here: http://www.washington.