Mada Provides Accessibility for all at QITCOM 2017

Qatar Assistive Technology Center (Mada) successfully created  an accessible venue for all as the official QITCOM 2017 Accessibility Partner, as well as signing a new MOU with the Digital Incubation Center (DIC). During the event, the non-profit organization demonstrated its Innovation Program and created awareness about Assistive technology on its stand which attracted a huge number of attendees. Mada is committed to spreading awareness about PWD in Qatar and helping them stay connected in a world that is increasingly dependent on technology.

QITCOM was a rewarding event for Mada as the non-profit organization was able to demonstrate and educate the community about persons with disabilities, and inform them and their families about the importance of Assistive Technology (AT) for accessibility. Mada Innovation Program and through its grants - Mada Award, Mada Direct Grant and Entrepreneur Grant - helped spread awareness and motivate innovators to create localized assistive technology solutions for persons with disabilities, which is needed in the region.

Maha Al Mansouri, CEO of Mada said: “QITCOM was a very beneficial event for Mada and I would like to thank the QITCOM team once again for associating with Mada as the official Accessibility Partner. We had an excellent experience at our stand with a vast number of visitors who interacted, engaged and benefited from learning about Assistive Technology. This year our stand had a garden theme because at Mada we are focusing on Growing Arabic Assistive Technology and Nurturing Accessibility. Signing an MOU with DIC is a great step for the future of Assistive Technology in Qatar, the partnership will allow us to work closely with entrepreneurs who have Technology ideas, and help them further develop these ideas to become a reality.”

At the end of the event, QITCOM team – in collaboration with Mada - carried out an accessibility test on all of the exhibition stands. To ensure proper evaluation, Mohammad Jassim Al Abd Al Jabar visited all the stands using his wheelchair and Huawei stand received the ‘Most Accessible Stand’ award. Mada provided Assistive Technology (AT) track during the CodeCamp competition which took place during the event. Teams of computer programmers and software developers from high schools, universities and professional coders battled it out to develop software solutions that can help combat real life challenges. Participation at QITCOM 2017 was a great success where Mada raised awareness about disabilities and the importance of assistive technology.