Technology should be used by Andre

Technology should be used by Andre - May 2019 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, I have had opportunities to work with kids and adults with disabilities. I worked a No Barriers Summit in middle school where I worked with people with all types of disabilities and capabilities.
In addition, my mom is a Teacher of Children with Visual Impairments and I know some of her kids. There is something I see come up often. Individuals with disabilities often break their screens, whether that is cell phone, ipad or computer. People with disabilities rely on technology and when a screen breaks they have to pay a lot to get these screens fixed, or worse, buy completely new devices.
With $10,000 I would set up a non-profit to support kids with disabilities. I would want my program to encourage the kids to use the technology and not be afraid if it gets broken. If you think about physical disabilities, screens can break because the user may not have a secure grasp. A kid who is blind or visually impaired may easily drop their device. Many of these devices use simple gestures to use a voice over approach. If the screen is cracked, this option may work with difficulty, or worse, not at all.
This non profit is a program I am strongly considering starting. I have run into some obstacles but I am not going to let that stop me. I have a few more avenues I want to explore but also I have researched the Lions Club often supports kids with disabilities. If I cannot establish my own non profit, I will reach out to other organizations. Either way, I just want kids with disabilities to USE their technology and not be afraid of the screen breaking.