The Community Inclusion Innovation Challenge – South Africa

The Community Inclusion Innovation Challenge – South Africa invites youth and young adults to explore practical ideas that could improve accessibility, participation, and opportunity in their communities. Participants will propose and test small ideas that help communities work better for people with disabilities of all kinds, including visible and invisible disabilities. The challenge is designed to encourage creativity, dignity, autonomy, and real-world problem-solving.

Combined Grant Awards: 30,000 Rands!

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The Challenge

What idea could you create, test, or start that would help your community work better for people with disabilities of all kinds?
Participants are invited to propose practical ideas that improve accessibility, participation, or opportunity for people with disabilities. Disabilities may be visible or invisible, including mobility, sensory, cognitive, learning, mental health, neurological, or chronic health conditions.

Who Can Participate

Program Structure

The challenge is open to youth and young adults ages 18–29. Participants with and without disabilities are welcome. People with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. The challenge is fully virtual, allowing participation from communities across South Africa.
Selected participants will:
  • Develop a community inclusion idea
  • Test or explore the idea in a small, practical way
  • Share brief progress updates during the challenge
  • Participate in two virtual group meetings
  • Present or submit their final idea at the end of the challenge Communication will take place primarily through WhatsApp, with email as an additional option. Participants will work independently on their ideas, while still having access to shared updates, guidance, and optional support.
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What “Testing Your Idea” Means

Documentation

  • Testing your idea does not require building a full solution. Testing your idea could mean: creating a prototype or demonstration gathering feedback from community members documenting a problem and proposing a solution redesigning something to make it more accessible trying a small version of your idea in real life The goal is not to solve the entire problem of disability inclusion in one month. The goal is to take one real step toward improvement.
  • Participants should briefly document their progress as they work on their idea. Updates can include: a short written message a voice note a photo a short video update Updates do not need to be long. A few sentences, a quick voice note, or a photo with a short explanation is enough. The purpose is simply to show the steps you took while developing your idea. Examples: “Today I visited a local park and took photos of areas where the sidewalk is broken or missing.” “I asked five people with disabilities whether this app feature would help them.” “Trying to redesign this flyer so it is easier to read.”

Definition of Terms

Idea A clear suggestion for improving accessibility or inclusion in your community. The idea should identify a real problem and propose a possible solution. Test A small way to explore whether your idea could work in real life. Testing does not require building the full solution. It may include gathering feedback, creating a demonstration, or trying a small version of the idea. Prototype A simple model, example, or demonstration of your idea. A prototype shows how the idea might work. It can be physical, digital, written, or visual. Experiment An attempt to try your idea on a small scale to see what happens. Experiments may succeed or fail. Both outcomes provide useful information. Final Submission Evidence of the work you completed during the challenge. This might include a short report, photos, a video explanation, a prototype, or documentation of your experiment. The goal is learning and exploration, not perfection. Trying something—even if it does not fully work—is still valuable.

Participation Requirements

Seed Grants

Selected participants must: Be 18–29 years old Join the WhatsApp group for challenge communication Attend two group meetings via Zoom or call-in Attend the final virtual event Briefly document their progress throughout the challenge Submit a final update, presentation, or demonstration of their idea
Selected participants may receive small seed grants to support further development or testing of their ideas. We anticipate awarding approximately eight seed grants. Additional awards may be made depending on the strength of ideas and available resources. Current seed fund: R30,000

The Community Inclusion Innovation Challenge – South Africa Evaluation Rubric

Evaluation Rubric Each project will be evaluated using the following criteria. 1. Understanding of the Problem (0–5 points) How clearly does the participant identify a real accessibility or inclusion challenge in their community? 2. Creativity and Innovation (0–5 points) How original or thoughtful is the proposed idea? 3. Practicality and Feasibility (0–5 points) How realistic is the idea to explore or test within the challenge period? 4. Effort and Documentation (0–5 points) How consistently did the participant document progress and effort? 5. Testing and Learning (0–5 points) Did the participant attempt to test the idea, gather feedback, or learn from the process? 6. Dignity and Respect (0–5 points) Does the idea promote dignity, independence, and meaningful participation for people with disabilities? Maximum Score: 30 points Projects with the highest scores will be considered for seed grant awards.

Important Dates & Information

Application Deadline: May 1, 2026 — 11:59 PM SAST Participant Notification: By May 5, 2026 Challenge Period: May 8 – June 1, 2026 Final Virtual Event: June 1, 2026 All times follow South African Standard Time (SAST).
Application  Contact: shonda@thevocationalrehabacademy.com Acknowledgement(s): This initiative was developed during the 2025–2026 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto, South Africa. Disclaimer(s): The views and initiatives expressed here are those of the organizer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State, or the University of Johannesburg.

Scan to Apply:

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Downloadable Community Inclusion Innovation Challenge South Africa Program Overview and Participation Guide 2026 (pdf version)
© 2026 The Vocational Rehab Academy, LLC — Educate. Engage. Employ. Core Values: Knowledge, Relationships, Innovation, Productivity, and Service (KRIPS)Content authored by Dr. Shonda McLaughlin, PhD, CRC. Digital formatting assistance provided by AI. All rights reserved.