Kevin Wo, Managing Director at Microsoft Singapore speaks to team Grab, one of the winners from Microsoft's AI for Accessibility Hackathon, about their communication solution for people with autism. In October 2019, Microsoft organized its first-ever AI for Accessibility Hackathon in Asia Pacific, bringing together over 400 participants in eight countries to conceptualize and prototype AI solutions that can transform the daily life, employment and communication of people with disabilities. Our partners and customers worked alongside nonprofits to tackle 23 problem statements, identifying opportunities to use AI to build a more inclusive society.

In a bid to create a more inclusive world using artificial intelligence (AI), an American multinational technology company has hosted its first-ever AI for Accessibility hackathon in Malaysia. The hackathon saw teams of IT professionals, university students and young developers working side-by-side with universities, international organisations, start-ups and non-profit organisations to tackle more than 23 different problem statements, identifying opportunities to use AI to build a more inclusive and accessible world. The hackathon was held concurrently across the Asia Pacific and saw over 400 participants in eight countries being brought together to conceptualise and prototype AI solutions that can transform the daily lives of people with disabilities. In Malaysia, the teams worked on problem statements provided by the Malaysian Federation for the Deaf. Technology solutions were developed to address challenges relating to daily life, communication and employment challenges for the deaf community and people with hearing disabilities.