#ZeroCall27: Call for Solutions

What is #ZeroCall27?

Every year, the Zero Project invites people to suggest new solutions.
This is called the “Call for Solutions” or #ZeroCall27.
It was open from May to June. It is now closed.

What kind of solutions?

Solutions can be products, services, or other types of projects.
They can be from any organization and any country.
This year, the solutions had to be about one of three topics:

1. “Independent Living”: This is about choice and support. For example, it's about deciding where to live and how to spend the day.
2. “Political Participation”: This is about having a say in politics. For example, it's about access to voting, or becoming a politician.
3. “Assistive Technology”: New technology to do things more easily or safely.

The Zero Project and experts checked all suggested solutions. They spent more than 400 hours reviewing them between June and August.
They selected 159 solutions for the Shortlist. Experts will check these solutions again to decide who wins a Zero Project Award.
10 arts projects are also on the Shortlist. They will be checked again to see if they win a Zero Project Arts Award.
Together, these solutions and projects come from 59 different countries.

A list of all solutions on the Shortlist:

Shortlist

• More women with disabilities are leading and starting new projects.
• Small community projects are very popular. They are simple to copy so other cities and countries can use them, too.
• Good for everyone: Many ideas help people with disabilities, but they also make life easier for everyone else (like sports, play, and technology).
• Smart Technology (AI) with a human touch: Computers and Artificial Intelligence are used to help, but people with disabilities are the ones making the decisions and designing the tools.
• New technology examples:
  Digital sign language figures on public screens.
  Navigation systems for blind people that use smartphone apps together with vibrations (haptic signals).
• More political participation: More projects are helping people take part in politics.

We now check solutions on the shortlist together with more experts around the world.
From July to October, a lot of people help check the solutions. 
In total, more than 650 people agreed to take part in the selection of solution.

The goal is to support the “United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”
This agreement protects the rights of people with disabilities.

The best solutions can receive a "Zero Project Award 2027."

Here is what award winners get:

• Their work gets attention and is celebrated.
• They become part of the Zero Project Network. 
  This is a community of people from all around the world. These people work together to remove obstacles for people with disabilities.
• They speak at the Zero Project Conference.
  The conference is at the United Nations in Vienna.
  More than 1,000 people come to this conference every year.
• They also get more opportunities to make their solutions even better.