College students across New York state are taking part in a unique competition.

They’re creating specific inventions to help people with disabilities.

What You Need To Know

  • New York State Industries for the Disabled is offering awards for college students in their 2024 CREATE Symposium

  • Students across the state are putting their inventing skills to the test as they find ways to make it easier for people with disabilities to do their jobs

  • The competition is on April 8

“We've been working very hard since September, and I think with all the progress we've made in different designs, I think what we have now is very cool and it's going to be very successful when it is the finished product," said SUNY Polytechnic Institute student Amy De Sena.

“My dream and hope is kind of what this project is, is to make things and help people around the world," said SUNY Polytechnic Institute student Gabriella Yacobucci.

When it’s ready, their machine will be able to sort and count screws.

It is to help meet a specific need.

There are people with disabilities who do this for a living, and this invention is intended to make it easier.

“Their current process for this, for counting screws, is by hand. So we want to keep their job by having them still have manual labor, but introduce a machine that will make it easier for them to perform their job," said SUNY Polytechnic Institute student Sarah Hahn.

For several years, SUNY Polytechnic Institute has partnered with The Arc, Oneida-Lewis to help people with disabilities be more successful in their jobs.

“We have seen such wonderful turnout from what they are able to do, the adaptive equipment that can do things like reduce barriers or even remove barriers to the work that people with disabilities are doing on the job. And often create the sense of feeling that they can do even more," said Karen Korotzer, the CEO of The Arc Oneida-Lewis.

Not only does this invention serve as the students’ capstone project and a way to help others, it’s also going to be part of the 2024 CREATE Symposium.

Other student engineers from across the state will compete with their assistive technology innovations to see who will come out on top.

“We're not totally done yet right now, but I feel that by the time that the symposium comes around will definitely be confident in our machine," said Yacobucci.

The competition takes place on April 8.

The Arc Oneida-Lewis staff said contributions from past student inventions continue to help people with disabilities in their jobs.

New York State Industries for the Disabled will offer awards to the top three teams of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000.