Arizona 2024

PROJECT TITLE
See The Sea: an interactive water table designed to assist and entertain children with visual impairments

PROJECT GOAL: The inequity addressed by Sea the Sea is insufficient resources for kids with disabilities. Our project is specifically directed towards young children with visual impairments. Those with disabilities often face inequalities and insufficient services in the world and in healthcare. With this in mind, the UN Sustainable Development Goals addressed are reduced inequalities (#10) and good health and well-being (#3).

Our solution, See the Sea, is an interactive water table that allows Z to meet his therapy goals and addresses inequities facing children with visual impairment. The water table stimulates several senses. For example, the water pad atop the consul is texturally pleasing and engages Z’s sense of touch. The consul includes buttons that if pressed, play music to engage Z’s sense of hearing. Additionally, if pushed, the buttons turn on different colored lights under the water pouch to engage Z’s limited sense of sight. The lights are placed in

the corners of the water table to encourage Z to use his peripheral vision. Through pushing the buttons and seeing their corresponding lights, Z can learn cause and effect. Also, when a special button on the center of the consul is pushed, two other buttons are engaged, allowing Z to practice decision making by choosing one of the two engaged buttons.

PROJECT TITLE
Healthy Reflection: Mental Health App

PROJECT GOAL: Inequity is defined as unfair. The inequity we will try to help resolve is how teens struggle with emotional distress. We chose this inequity because we have seen our friends, classmates, and community members struggle with mental health challenges. To help find a solution, we took inspiration from the UN Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. We chose this goal because we wanted to help people struggling with mental health issues. We feel poor mental health is a barrier to equity because it decreases the productivity of people which limits their ability to reach and sustain their goals.

Our proposed solution is our app called Healthy Reflection. Healthy Reflection is the result of us trying to accomplish good health and well-being for all but especially for teenagers. Our app puts teenagers struggling with mental health issues in touch with people who can help them resolve some of their problems. Once the user opens the app, the app will prompt a list of questions. After the user answers the questions, the app will provide helpful resources such as different hotlines to assist the user with their mental health struggles. The app helps the targeted audience because it provides a safe space for teenagers to speak freely to someone without the embarrassment or awkwardness of a real life face-to-face situation. Since some participants in our targeted age range do not drive, getting to a brick and mortar location can be difficult. On the other hand, since most teenagers have access to the Internet, this app makes accessibility ideal.