Vision Australia's Helen Velissaris speaks with Josh Wintersgill from Open Inclusion, a UK-based organisation responsible for the Simply Open Awards. 

The Simply Open Awards is a competition offering individuals with a disability or other specific access needs, a carer, friend, colleague, teacher or family member, to demonstrate a solution they have created in a 2 minute video. Showing how it reduces experiences of exclusion or how to better manage access challenges in a way that enhances independence, capability or joy.

The definition of the word ‘solution’ means to find novel ways to work around or reduce barriers, so that the individual or someone very close to them can live a life with greater dignity, independence and joy.

“Open Inclusion is delighted to launch the Simply Open Awards to help people with disabilities share and find solutions that remove barriers in a range of areas in our lives.  We have the opportunity to find and celebrate creative ingenuity!  With global disability-inclusive brands as sponsors, we can accelerate the awareness of where difficulties arise in people’s lives.” - Christine Hemphill, Open Inclusion Managing Director

The Simply Open Awards will have $25,000 in cash awards available.

Learn more about the awards here: https://www.simplyopen.io/awards

Learn more about Vision Australia's Life Hacks series here: https://www.visionaustralia.org/services/helpful-resources/individuals/life-hacks