Designing a future for all

Designing a future for all

The 2025 Accessibility Design Competition (ADC) concluded with a vibrant showcase of empathy-driven innovation, as students from across Vietnam presented bold solutions to real-world accessibility challenges.

Organised by RMIT University Vietnam’s Careers, Alumni & Industry Relations department, the fifth edition of ADC saw 54 submissions from 162 students representing 21 universities, with 12 finalist teams tackling issues ranging from communication barriers for neurodivergent professionals to mobility and safety challenges for people with disabilities.

A platform for innovation and inclusion

In his opening remarks, RMIT Vietnam Pro Vice-Chancellor and General Director Professor Scott Thompson-Whiteside was delighted to be at the event in front of many bright minds, generous supporters, and committed change-makers.

“Together, we are embarking on a journey of innovation, empathy, and inclusion,” Professor Thompson-Whiteside said.

“We are not simply designing for ‘disability.’ We are designing for human potential.”

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'adc-2025-finale-1' (L-R) RMIT Vietnam Pro Vice-Chancellor and General Director Professor Scott Thompson-Whiteside, Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Ms Sarah Hooper and RMIT Vietnam Director of Careers, Alumni & Industry Relations Ms Manuela Spiga

Among the distinguished guests was Ms Sarah Hooper, Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, whose presence highlighted the shared commitment between Australia and Vietnam to champion disability equity and rights.

“Today we celebrate the creativity, energy, and compassion of students from across Vietnam who are united by a shared vision: to make our world more accessible, inclusive, and equitable for everyone. Australia is proud to stand with Vietnam in advancing this agenda,” Ms Hooper said.

“Globally, Australia has a long record of championing disability equity and rights, at home and abroad. This year, we are proud to launch Australia’s new International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, a landmark framework that shifts our approach from inclusion to equity and rights. Events like today’s remind us that innovation and empathy are powerful when combined.”

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'adc-2025-finale-2' ADC 2025 thrived thanks to the dedicated mentors and judges who supported and challenged student teams throughout their journey.

The competition’s impact was amplified by the involvement of 34 accessibility and industry mentors and 23 judges from 44 organisations, who guided and challenged the student teams throughout their journey.

Winning ideas with heart and purpose

This year’s winning team, AllStep, was led by Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai and Nguyen Minh Duc from Fulbright University Vietnam. Inspired by Mai’s younger brother who lives with cerebral palsy (CP) – a neurological condition that affects movement and muscle coordination – the team developed a smart walker designed especially for people with CP. Their solution integrates smart braking systems and computer vision to enhance safety, independence and adaptability. 

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'adc-2025-finale-3' Winning team AllStep turned a personal story into a breakthrough solution for people with cerebral palsy, redefining inclusive mobility through innovation.

“We started this journey with a hope to not just build product. The most important thing is to build community and to truly engage and understand them,” Mai said.

For Duc, the moment their names were announced as winners was deeply emotional.

“It was a milestone to celebrate and reflect. This project is like my brainchild, something I’ve nurtured with purpose and care,” Duc said. “ADC 2025 gave us the platform to turn empathy into action.”

AllStep plans to continue developing their prototype and bring it to market, with a strong focus on community engagement and real-world impact.

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'adc-2025-finale-4' (Above) First runner-up Powerpuff Girls. (Below) The two second runners-up: InSight and 7 Rings.

Other standout teams include:

  • First runner-up: Powerpuff Girls, a joint team from RMIT Vietnam and University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, developed an inclusive workplace communication solution.
  • Second runner-up: 7 Rings from FPT University Can Tho created a web-based platform with real-time AI translation between Vietnamese sign language and speech, helping the deaf and employees with hearing loss communicate more effectively. And InSight, a team from RMIT Vietnam and University of Information Technology, designed an AI-powered app that enhances social awareness for visually impaired employees, enabling real-time interaction and emotional cue recognition in workplace settings.

As the competition wrapped up, the energy in the room was palpable, a shared sense of purpose and possibility. From hardware prototypes to AI-powered tools, the ideas presented reaffirmed ADC’s mission: to build a world that works for all.

Story: Ha Hoang

16 October 2025

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