Blackwood Design Awards Celebrates tenth Anniversary and welcomes New Entrants

The Blackwood Design Awards (BDA) is celebrating a decade of excellence and innovation by welcoming entrants to take part within the 2023/24 competitors.

A global awards programme that seeks to search out progressive and life-changing innovations and ideas that improve impartial residing for folks with disabilities, this yr marks the tenth anniversary of the competitors.

The Blackwood Design Awards are open to anybody, who has produced a fantastic concept that helps folks with disabilities, no matter their background or degree of expertise.

Entrants can vary from skilled designers to only enthusiastic novices with an outstanding concept and the deadline for submissions is Thursday 31 August.

The judging panel consists of combination of trade specialists and disabled folks, who will run the rule over the practicalities of the design’s use in on a regular basis life.

Previous winners have included prime universities in addition to gifted amateurs, who’ve an perception into the challenges of residing with a incapacity.

The competitors is searching for innovations, designs, and ideas that may allow folks with disabilities to reside their life to the complete.

There are three classes open to the general public:

1. Finest New Idea (with prize cash of £2,000)
2. Finest New Aids, Tools, or Accessible Know-how (already accessible available on the market)
3. Finest Collaborative Challenge (by a College or Institute of Greater Studying)

The deadline for one of the best collaborative mission class has been prolonged to Friday 29 September to allow College college students the mandatory time period time to finish their design work.

Full particulars on every class, together with eligibility and submission necessities could be discovered on Blackwood’s web site, www.blackwoodgroup.org.uk.

The winners will probably be introduced in January 2024 at a showcase occasion scheduled to happen in Edinburgh.

The Blackwood Design Awards is a chance for inventors, designers, and fanatics to showcase their expertise and contribute to society by creating progressive and life-changing options. Entrants can win £2000 prize cash for Finest Collaborative Challenge and help from sponsors resembling Hyper Luminal Video games.

Final yr’s winners included Edinburgh-based Nick Fitzpatrick, who gained the Finest New Idea class with a particular kettle which had twin horizontal handles, specifically created for older folks, who’ve decreased power and dexterity.

Julie McDowell, Chair at Blackwood Properties and Care, stated: “We’re excited to launch the Blackwood Design Awards 2023 and uncover extra life-changing innovations and ideas whereas celebrating a decade of innovation.

“Over the previous 10 years, the competitors has made a constructive affect on the lives of individuals with disabilities, and we’re assured that the entrants in 2023 will proceed that high-quality custom.”

Colin Foskett, Head of Innovation at Blackwood Properties and Care stated: “The continued success of the Blackwood Design Awards is one thing we’re extraordinarily happy with and reaching the 10-year anniversary is a big milestone.

“Our format is well-established, however we’re at all times on the look-out for the subsequent contemporary and progressive concept, so we strongly consider the 2023 awards will show to be one of the best one up to now.

“Over time, our winners have at all times put the consumer on the coronary heart of their designs, utilizing lived expertise is key in creating merchandise that allow impartial residing.

“We’re wanting ahead to seeing one other broad vary of high quality entrants take part this yr and what life-changing innovations will find yourself profitable the prizes.”

Simon Fitzpatrick, CEO at Blackwood Properties and Care, stated: “It is a particular competitors that brings constructive change to folks’s lives and we see it first-hand with our prospects, who’re on the coronary heart of all the pieces we do at Blackwood.

“Throughout the previous decade, we’ve seen impactful innovations which have enhanced impartial residing, which is one thing we’re extraordinarily captivated with.

“We welcome extra proficient entrants this time round and we additionally stay up for the subsequent 10 years of spectacular innovation created by way of the Blackwood Design Awards.”

To enter the Blackwood Design Awards Competitors, fill within the utility kind at
www.bespoken.me. For extra info, go to the Blackwood web site or observe the awards on social media.