On July 26, 1990, the United States Government officially saw the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) take effect. It was established specifically to help build clear and comprehensive measures against the discrimination of someone on the basis of disability.
We’re fast approaching the twenty five year anniversary of this measure going into effect, and that’s something to be celebrated. To be clear – it’s not just me who thinks that, but entire communities of entrepreneurs as well.
Dallas is one such place, and given the makeup of their incredibly supportive ecosystem it’s not surprising in the least. So, because they want to do something special, members of the Dallas disability community and area tech developers have been invited to Tech Wildcatters.
The invite was to join the crew of Dallas’ primetime B2B accelerator on June 17 to help design new technologies specifically built to enhance the lives of those with disabilities. Developers and participants will work to identify the unique challenges faced by members of the disabled community and then proceed to test and create tech that addresses those challenges directly.
It’s an ambitious goal but this is what I love about Dallas: local nonprofit LaunchAbility and AT&T have pledged their partnership to Tech Wildcatters for the event. As Diana Ross and The Supremes once sang, “ain’t no mountain high enough” – truly, when it comes to Dallas companies assisting one another, there isn’t.
In total Dallas is one of six cities participating in the nationwide effort. The national ConnectAbility challenge will be accepting submissions from these events after today and offering $100,000 in prizes to winning teams on July 26, the official twenty-fifth anniversary of the ADA.
Isn’t it just awesome when entrepreneurs mix social good into what they do? Maybe it’s just me, but I really enjoy it, and I have a lot of respect for what Tech Wildcatters is doing. Big shout out to the other cities participating as well.
Image Credit: Flickr / Josep Ma. Rosell’s page