OpenWay

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🧠 Inspiration

Every day, millions of people with disabilities face the unknown — not knowing whether a path has a ramp, whether an elevator works, or if a sidewalk is blocked. For them, something as simple as reaching school, work, or a park can become a stressful challenge. That’s what sparked OpenWay — a community-powered map built to make movement safer, easier, and more predictable for everyone with mobility limitations.

💡 What it does

OpenWay is an inclusive web platform that shows accessible spots like ramps, elevators, and tactile walkways, while also helping users report obstacles like broken paths or steep stairs. Using a color-coded, real-time map interface, it lets users:

🟢 Discover accessible locations
🔴 Avoid known obstacles
✍️ Contribute reports to help others

🏗️ How we built it

We used:

React + Tailwind CSS for a clean, responsive UI
Leaflet.js to power our interactive map
Firebase for storing user-submitted data (or mock JSON for demo)
Hosted on Vercel, with code managed via GitHub

🧱 Challenges we ran into

Getting real-time map updates to sync with location submissions Designing forms that are simple for all users — especially for those who might rely on accessibility tools Balancing feature set and polish within the 24-hour time limit Handling optional login flow without overcomplicating the UX

🏆 Accomplishments we're proud of

Delivering a working MVP that genuinely helps people
Building both problem reporting and solution sharing on one platform
Keeping everything mobile-friendly and accessible
Creating something meaningful — not just technically cool

📚 What we learned

How to harness Leaflet.js for community-driven geodata
The power of Cursor AI in accelerating full-stack development
The importance of accessibility-first design
And most importantly, how small contributions can build a big impact when powered by community