Vodafone Foundation launched its Smart Accessibility Awards, which it said will “promote the development of IT applications designed to improve the lives of people with disabilities and older people to help them become more actively involved in society.” With a total prize fund of EUR200,000 to be split equally between four winners, the competition is open to apps written for Android 2.2 and above – the terms and conditions of Vodafone’s app store also apply. Judging will take place in November 2011 by a jury with representatives from Vodafone Foundation, AGE Platform Europe, and the European Disability Forum.

Awards will be made across four categories: social participation, which “refers to applications which help users to participate actively in today’s society and benefit from the facilities that the new technologies can offer, whatever their age, disability and/or capacity;” independent living, which “refers to applications which help users to be more autonomous and perform daily tasks independently;” mobility, which “refers to applications which enable users to move around more freely and safely using the whole range of transport modes;” and health and wellbeing.

Submissions will be judged under four criteria: effectiveness, including the ability to provide “real and substantial benefit to the targeted users;” availability and affordability, with developers encouraged to offer products which are relevant to users in as many countries as possible, and with the expected costs to users also assessed; user-friendliness, usability and accessibility, from installation to use; and “design for all,” in line with UN guidelines that products should “be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design.”

The Vodafone Foundation is the charitable arm of Vodafone Group. AGE Platform Europe is a network of 160 organisations representing the interest of people in the over-50 age group. The European Disability Forum is an umbrella alliance representing the interest of people living with disabilities.