Developers at Huawei are encouraged to build socially impactful apps

Blind Assistant, a mobile app developed by a Tunisian engineering team, assists the visually impaired and blind community in recognizing objects, texts, and colors around them through the app’s integrated voice-over features. As part of the Huawei Global App Innovation Contest (Apps UP), the tech giant added a ‘Best Social Impact’ category to encourage the creation of experiences like Blind Assistant that have a positive impact on communities.

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide have near or far vision impairment. Differently abled workers may have lower rates of labor force participation and productivity. The app’s goal is to empower visually impaired people by assisting them in identifying objects, faces, colors, and texts with the touch of a button. Blind Assistant allows visually impaired people to easily orient themselves, eliminating the need for visual embossed print.

“We were inspired to work on the ‘Blind Assistant’ project once we learned about Apps UP in 2021. We worked on integrating with the HMS Ecosystem and were able to launch the app on time for the competition,” said the developers of Blind Assistant Kassis Bassem and Wajih Sakka. “Since its inception, Blind Assistant played an important role in assisting the visually impaired community by enhancing their communication abilities daily.” 

“Technology can play a significant role in positively influencing the community, and we are thrilled to see how mobile apps are benefiting consumers. Huawei’s Apps UP competition acts as a catalyst for the development of creative mobile apps, and Blind Assistant – the winner of the Best Social Impact App in 2021, is a testament to that fact. The app effectively demonstrates how mobile apps can promote inclusivity in the community and serve the underserved”, said, Lu Geng, Vice President of the Middle East and Africa, Huawei Global Partnerships & Eco-Development, Huawei Consumer Business Group.

Blind Assistant can be downloaded from AppGallery, Huawei’s default application marketplace for smart devices. Apps UP 2022 features a $230,000 cash prize pool for Middle Eastern and African developers, with individual prize amounts ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. HMS Innovation Award, Best App, Best Game, Best Social Impact App, All-Scenario Coverage Award, Tech Women’s Award, Student Innovation Award, and the newly introduced Best Arabic App are among the categories. The Tech Women’s Award is open to teams that include at least one female developer who plays an important role as a team member or leader.

Developers can enter multiple categories and submit multiple apps to increase their chances of winning. To register for and learn more about the Huawei Global App Innovation Contest (Apps UP), please send an email to appsup.mea@huawei.com or go to the official Apps UP 2022 MEA page.