A team of computer scientists from the University of Windsor won praise at conference last week for their service to share information about the accessibility of sites to people with disabilities.

AccessLocator is a web-based application that combines open data and ratings from users to describe everything from restaurants and hotels to schools and parks.

Computer science professor Stephanos Mavromoustakos and master’s students Rumana Hakeem, Areeba Kamal, and Jianye Liu presented it at a conference on Toronto’s waterfront, April 27 to 29.

Digifest bills itself as focusing on the future of education, creativity, entrepreneurship, gaming, and technology. This year’s edition highlighted stories of innovators using unique technologies to address global problems under the theme of Work, Learn, and Play.

The UWindsor presentation won a warm welcome there, says Dr. Mavromoustakos.

“The app received great appreciation from industry professionals who are excited about the immense need for an all-encompassing disability application,” he says.

The AccessLocator data set is currently concentrated in Windsor, Detroit and Toronto, but the developers are seeking volunteer testers, graphic designers, and software developers. Learn more at AccessLocator.com.