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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Post Falls boy, 11, wins international competition with ‘Ability App’

Alex Knoll of Post Falls spoke to the teachers at North Idaho STEM Charter Academy in Rathdrum in October 2015 about his ‘Ability App.’ (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)
From staff reports

An 11-year-old boy from Post Falls won first place in an international competition with his invention of Ability App, which gives people with disabilities information about accessibility.

Alexander Knoll won The Inventor’s Challenge, which invites students through high school age to create novel, imaginative and possibly viable solutions to all sorts of problems.

The competition received more than 350 submissions from around the world. Knoll, a student at North Idaho STEM Charter Academy in Rathdrum, won the top prize.

After noticing the struggles some people with disabilities were facing, Alex proposed the Ability App, which would help people learn about access before they go somewhere.

The Ability App would give users information such as locations of wheelchair ramps, accessible boat launches and hiking trails, service animal-friendly locations, and restaurants with Braille menus. It also would contain information on grocery delivery, occupational therapy, transportation and mobility, and disability-friendly job listings, among other services.