The Vodafone Foundation, the charitable investment arm of the European telco, has launched the 2012 Smart Accessibility Awards, a competition which encourages developers from across Europe to design apps which meet the needs of elderly and disabled people. There are four categories to be entered – Social Participation, Independent Living, Mobility, and Wellbeing.

“Smartphones are transforming how millions of people manage their daily lives, but some groups in society are at risk of missing out on the revolution,” says Andrew Dunnett, director of the Vodafone Foundation. “The Smart Accessibility Awards is one of many Vodafone Foundation programmes around the world which are tackling the diverse barriers to a fully accessible mobile internet.”

The awards, part of the Vodafone Foundations Mobile for Good programme, are co-organised and supported by AGE Platform Europe and the European Disability Forum.

The competition is open for entries until 15 October 2012 – to find out more, click here.