The Makers Making Change team will be on the judging panel at the Simon Cox Student Competition.

2026 Simon Cox Student Design Competition top ideas will be showcased at the Simon Cox Student Design Competition on April 25, 2026 at ICORD Centre, Vancouver.

The Simon Cox Student Design Competition begins with an idea for a new piece of assistive technology. Whether that idea comes from a student team or a person living with a physical disability (peer), the goal is to turn a real-world challenge into a practical solution. When a student team chooses to take on a project, the Peer Program will work to facilitate a connection between the student team and a peer, forming a collaborative partnership. Together, they work throughout the competition to advance the concept as far as possible within the allotted timeframe. Some teams deliver highly refined, functional products, while others develop strong prototypes that demonstrate proof of concept and future potential. Each project represents meaningful progress, even when the outcome is not a fully finished device.

The competition culminates in showcasing these creative and assistive technology design solutions that facilitate greater independence in the home for people with physical disabilities. The judges are looking for innovations that can create positive, practical solutions to overcome barriers in the home. They will also evaluate the craftsmanship of the working models and the quality of the presentation in order to establish the most successful entries.

Past winners have continued on to become leaders in the field of assistive technology. Teams explain their project ideas with a video or a live presentation on the final day of this year’s competition, for a chance to win the prize money awarded for top presenters.