World CP Day is a global initiative led by a group of non-profit cerebral palsy charities, and supported by organizations in over 30 countries. Together they have devised a unique way to tap into the sense of social responsibility, innovation and abundant expertise within the international community. The “Change My World in 1 Minute” competition, now in its third year, makes good use of social media to spread awareness, share ideas and generate concrete results for people with disabilities.

Researchers, innovators and inventors are challenged to come up with ways to tackle barriers to mobility, independence, accessibility, communication or social connections faced by people with disabilities. They are invited to submit a one-minute video pitch. The videos can be viewed through the World CP Day website, and voting is open to the public. For the 2014 competition, 875 entries were narrowed down to three shortlisted ideas by an international panel that included people with cerebral palsy and their families. The three ideas are:  a spill-proof, customizable cup; a “designer” walker; and a global collaborative enterprise to design and create products, services and technologies for people with disabilities.

The Call for Inventors is open from January 21 to June 20, 2014. People from all over the world are invited to log in, click on the “I can invent this” button, and submit their proposals for bringing these bright ideas to life by creating a design or prototype for one of the three shortlisted ideas. Those who enter are competing for a prize pool of $50,000. The winning entries will be announced on July 21, 2014 (major prize winner and honourable mentions).

More details can be found on World CP Day’s FAQ page.