The TOM Global Innovation Challenge (GIC) is an annual design competition that brings together teams of student innovators, engineers, designers, and community stakeholders from around the world to co-create assistive technologies that address real-world, unmet needs.
This is not your typical tech challenge; it’s a hands-on, equity-centered design sprint where global teams work with Need-Knowers (individuals living with disabilities) to create working, affordable prototypes in just 3–4 weeks. Every solution is:
* Rooted in lived experience
* Developed using human-centered design and participatory methods
* Uploaded to TOM’s open-source platform for global replication
The GIC reflects TOM’s commitment to scalable innovation and cross-cultural collaboration. In past years, teams from Israel, the U.S., Germany, and more have partnered to produce working solutions, from adaptive utensils and mobility devices to sensory tools and therapeutic aids.
What makes the GIC unique:
* Focus on disability inclusion and accessible technology
* Open-source model -- every solution is free to download and manufacture
* Student-driven leadership, guided by TOM’s global network of mentors and faculty
* Strong outcomes—solutions often go on to be implemented in hospitals, schools, and homes
The GIC culminates in a global showcase of ideas and impact, broadcast to a wide audience and engaging universities, corporations, and care organizations.
With your support, we can:
* Expand GIC participation to more campuses and countries
* Provide mentorship, stipends, and materials to participating teams
* Fund the online challenge platform, documentation, and awards
The TOM GIC inspires global action and helps ensure that great ideas don’t sit in notebooks, but reach the people who need them most.
