CREATE AI+Accessibility Hackfest

Join CREATE, our industry partners, and community partners for a hackfest to explore and invent the future of AI and Accessibility.

We invite people with…

• No experience in coding or hacking
• Advanced experience with generative AI and building software or tools
• Lived experiences of disabilities independent of technical expertise–we need your experience and expertise to invent an accessible AI-enabled future

March 1-4, 2024
On the UW Seattle campus
Registration required | Add to your calendar

Virtual options will be available for some sessions. Stay tuned for specifics!
Registrants receive email with information about parking, specific building locations, etc. before the event.

Prizes

Participants will be eligible for amazing prizes, including a personal GPU and fun swag.

Schedule and venues

Friday, March 1

Bill and Melinda Gates Center, in the Zillow Events Center, 4th floor

• 10 a.m. – Introductory session about the potential of AI for accessibility
• 11:30 a.m. – Brainstorming project ideas
  • Learn from community members with lived experiences of disabilities to make sure your hack is solving a real accessibility need.
• 12-1 p.m. – Lunch (provided) and conversation, mentoring, team forming, idea hatching
• 1-2 p.m. – Invited speaker Heather Nolis, Principal Machine Learning Engineer of the Digital AI Team and Chair of the Accessibility Community at T-Mobile (ACT) at T-Mobile
• 2-4 p.m. – Optional workshops and hack time
• 4-5 p.m. Hack time
• 5-6:30 p.m. – Pizza dinner and opportunities to get feedback from mentors

Saturday, March 2

Bill and Melinda Gates Center, in G01, ground floor

• 10-11 a.m. – Invited speaker (to be announced)
• 11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Work time
• 12-1 p.m. – Lunch (provided) and opportunity to present for feedback from mentors
• 1:-5 p.m. – Hack time

Sunday, March 3

Bill and Melinda Gates Center, in G01, ground floor

• 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Optional hack time

Monday, March 4

Paul G. Allen Center building, Gates Commons

• 6:30 p.m. – Presentations to judges
• 7:30 p.m. – Judges deliberation
• 8-8:30 p.m. – Announcements, prizes, and closing keynote

Brainstorming ideas

Relevant topics will be driven by community needs to increase access to technology, and to the world through technology. These topics could include, for example:

• AI’s use for generating plain language summaries of rights
• Accessibility of AI tools and interfaces
• Using AI to increase the accessibility of written and visual content
• Robotic control for access
• Tools for designing accessible physical objects
• Using AI to get feedback on the accessibility of things you’re making
• AI for embodied agent interactions
• AI applications for health and wellbeing
• Modalities for human/generative AI interactions such as voice or touch
• Guidelines or ideas around agents that that may be used for accessibility
• What disability simulation might look like in the age of AI agents
• Best practices and pitfalls

Accessibility & logistics

Please contact us as soon as possible if you have access needs that are not indicated in your registration form.

Parking near Gates and Allen buildings

Parking description	Map to parking	Walking map to Gates Building
With a disability parking placard, tag, or plate. 4-minute walk.	Parking lot N22	N22 to Gates Bldg walking map
General paid parking, covered and uncovered in a multi-level open air structure. 9-minute walk.	Padelford Parking Garage	Padelford to Gates Bldg walking map
General paid parking, in a multi-level garage. 8-minute walk.	Central Plaza Garage	Central Plaza to Gates Bldg walking map
Close, but small lot with 3 disability parking spots, on a first come-first serve basis. 2-minute walk.	C14 lot	C14 lot to Gates Bldg walking map
Close, but small lot with 3 disability parking spots, on a first come-first serve basis. 2-minute walk.	C15 lot	C15 lot to Gates Bldg walking map