GNYPWD Accessible Connect

Solution Pitch 

The Problem

The GNYPWD Accessible Connect platform addresses challenges faced by young persons with disabilities (YPWD) in navigating digital spaces, especially for advocacy and upskilling. This includes inaccessibility of mainstream platforms, difficulty in finding actionable content, and incompatible interfaces with assistive technologies. More broadly, the solution helps address the lack of representation of YPWDs.

The Solution

The GNYPWD Accessible Connect platform is an accessible and inclusive digital platform that provides YPWD with the information, resources and connections to discover relevant interests and roles. It also connects them with community members with similar aspirations and experiences, develops their capacity, helps plan projects and initiatives, and assists them in discovering and applying for opportunities among others. This is done through AI-powered information retrieval and digital accessibility conversion technologies, accessible learning management systems, and community features. This technology, coupled with the organization’s community initiatives, facilitates young people with disabilities who have traditionally accepted inaccessibility and lack of access as the norm, to learn about and demand their rights and reimagine their potential. Besides community advocacy, the platform is also used for career discovery, upskilling and job search, thereby helping people with disabilities find meaningful livelihoods and live an independent and dignified life.

Stats

• 4,800 lives are directly affected. This includes nearly 600 members of GNYPWD and 4,200 people with disabilities who use the platform for their digital accessibility and livelihood needs.
• GNYPWD network members in turn lead projects supported by GNYPWD that impact over 500,000 individuals with disabilities.

Market Opportunity

Given the team members’ personal experiences as YPWD and the infrastructural barriers faced, GNYPWD focuses on our community and provides the necessary support and infrastructure through tech innovation and community programming. PWDs and allies control over $14 trillion of disposable income.

Organization Highlights

GNYPWD’s current partnerships:

• UNFPA
• UNICEF
• UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth
• UNITAR
• Washington State
• Google
• Microsoft

Partnership Goals

GNYPWD Accessible Connect seeks:

• Advice on designing experiments to determine a suitable business model.
• Review of impact metrics and data collection processes.
• Review existing grant strategy and fundraising collateral and support to improve it.

• GNYPWD aims to close a pre-seed round by December 2023.