Over the weekend of 16, 17 and 18 September, smartcity.brussels will be supporting a hackathon organised by MolenGeek devoted to Brussels mobility and, more specifically, to the practical challenges that persons with reduced mobility face when moving around in the Brussels Region. Registration is now open!
Getting around, for a person with reduced mobility (or PRM for short), can sometimes be a real obstacle course. Each disability, moreover, has its specific issues: a wheelchair user does not always face the same problems as a visually impaired person.
It is therefore a major challenge that MolenGeek proposes to take up on the occasion of its “Mobility for All” hackathon, which will be held on its Molenbeek premises, over the weekend of 16 to 18 September. The aim is to respond to concrete situations faced by persons with reduced mobility and to come up with solutions in the form of an app or software.
Examples of issues
Among the issues that could be targeted by participants are for example:
- Placing routes online for PRM on the basis of multiple accessibility data (PAVE, STIB, Visit Brussels, shops, bars, museums, car parks, etc.) with specific information about public transport or suggestions of alternative routes in the event of too many problems;
- The establishment of adapted communication systems, in metro stations, museums and train stations, allowing your position to be pinpointed and locating various services (toilets, dustbin, ATM, store), as well as reporting road works;
- Awareness-raising and education of the general public regarding disability via apps and serious games;
- The offer of a “Guardian Angel” type of application, used for calling for assistance if needed, directly from the station manager or via a citizen volunteer network.
The hackathon in practice
Open to all profiles such as developers, entrepreneurs, marketers, designers, students and citizens, at the end of the weekend the projects will be put to the vote of a jury composed of experts.
Several Brussels organisations, including the
Brussels Regional Informatics Centre, Brussels Mobility and the STIB, will make data sets available to participants of the hackathon, some for this occasion only. Associations working in the field of disability, mobility and accessibility will contribute their expertise to the event.
In particular, participants will be able to benefit from several workshops:
Schedule:
- WED 14/09 – 18.30: information session for participants to the hackathon
- FRI 16/09 – 18.30: start of the hackathon and presentation of data by the CIRB / STIB / Brussels Mobility
- SAT 17/09 + SUN 18/09 – starting from 9.00: hackathon and workshops
- SUN 18/09 – 18.00: announcement of the results
