xinyup / access_assist

Access Assist Website

Access_Assist

Demo Video: https://youtu.be/cdvxypNxgWc

Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/access-assist

Figma: https://www.figma.com/file/ZmNoReCJvOCxZyZpMueqvj/Access-Assist?node-id=0%3A1&t=p0Ylh9oc0kg3Ji4l-1

Inspiration:

Access Assist was born out of our team's identification of a problem - that many available benefit programs are underutilized due to a lack of information about them and their eligibility criteria. Our research revealed that this issue is especially prevalent among individuals who could benefit from these programs the most.

We knew that we needed to create a solution to address this problem, and thus Access Assist was born. Access Assist is a web application designed to make access to benefit programs more equitable and accessible to all.

What it does

We ask people to input their addresses and we provide them with all the available resources around them and whether they are eligible to use those resources. We help to connect people with available resources and break the gap. We also considered those who do not have access to the internet and we are going to use the text message to finish all the things we did on our website, making more and more people available to benefit from our project.

Our application utilizes advanced data analysis tools to help users determine which programs they may be eligible for based on their individual circumstances. By doing so, we hope to eliminate the barriers that prevent individuals from accessing important resources that can improve their quality of life.

We believe that access to benefit programs should be equitable and that everyone should have the same opportunities to improve their lives. Through Access Assist, we are working to level the playing field and ensure that those who could benefit the most from these programs have access to them.

Join us in our mission to promote social good and improve the lives of individuals in our community by using Access Assist today!

How we built it :

Our team developed a web application with the goal of creating social good by helping people explore the available government, federal, and local social services within a 5-mile radius of their input address. The purpose of the application was to improve accessibility and help people get more use out of all the available resources to make their lives easier and happier.

To use the application, users input their addresses. The application then utilizes the Google Maps API to display the location of relevant social service providers within a 5-mile radius of the input address.

By making it easier for people to find and access social services, we hope to improve their quality of life and help them overcome any obstacles they may be facing. We believe that by providing a centralized location for users to explore and access social services, we can help to bridge the gap between those in need and the resources available to them.

Our application has the potential to benefit a wide range of individuals, including single moms, those facing financial hardships, individuals with disabilities, and those seeking job training or educational opportunities. By creating a tool that promotes social good and provides access to valuable resources, we hope to make a positive impact on our community and beyond.

Challenges we ran into:

The biggest challenge was integrating the Flask backend with the React frontend. We spent a lot of figuring out how to use API to make frontend and backend interact with each other. Since the two technologies use different programming languages, it took some time for our team to figure out the best way to connect them. We had to ensure that data was being passed between the two components effectively and that any changes made to the frontend were accurately reflected on the backend.

Additionally, we had to ensure that our solution was scalable and could potentially be used in other communities. We had to consider how we would handle data privacy and security concerns, as well as the potential for a large volume of users.

Plus, we also faced time constraints during the hackathon. We had to work efficiently to ensure that we could complete our project within the given time frame. This meant prioritizing certain features and functionalities and making sure that we were effectively communicating and collaborating as a team.

Another challenge we faced was designing a user-friendly interface that was both visually appealing and functional. We had to ensure that users could easily navigate the platform and find the information they needed without getting lost or confused.

Another challenge that we encountered was working with the Google Maps API. Although it provided a wealth of information and functionality, it was quite complex and required significant effort to learn and implement. We had to carefully read through the documentation and experiment with different features to get the map to display the way we wanted it to.

Overall, these challenges helped us to develop our problem-solving skills and allowed us to learn new techniques and technologies. Despite the obstacles we faced, we were able to successfully complete our project and present it to the judges.

Accomplishments that we're proud of:

We successfully get user input from frontend, do data analysis using our backend code, interact with google map API, and get back to users all the information they need to know. Overall, participating in this hackathon was a great learning experience for us. We gained valuable experience working with a diverse team, utilizing various technologies, and developing a solution for a real-world problem. We also learned the importance of effective communication and collaboration when working in a team and the significance of user-centered design when creating a product. We are proud of what our team accomplished in this hackathon. We were able to create a platform that could potentially make a positive impact on our community. Overall, we felt that our project was a success, and we were proud of the effort and dedication that went into creating it. We were excited to present our project to the judges and receive feedback on how we could potentially improve and expand our solution in the future.

What we learned:

We learned how to connect React frontend with Flask backend using REST API., how to build different web pages, and how to design UI/UX. Integrating the Google Maps API into our application presented some challenges, such as learning the API's syntax and troubleshooting issues that arose during development. We learned that working with external APIs requires patience, perseverance, and attention to detail. Building a complex web application like Access Assist required the efforts of a diverse team with various skills and backgrounds. We learned the importance of effective communication, delegation, and collaboration in order to achieve our goals. The data analysis tools we used in Access Assist proved to be a powerful tool in helping users determine their eligibility for benefit programs. We learned that data analysis can be used to make complex decisions and that it can be used to provide valuable insights into user behavior. Creating an application that promotes social good was a motivating factor for our team. We learned that projects that have a positive impact on society can be more fulfilling and rewarding than those that don't. Overall, the development of Access Assist was a valuable learning experience for our team. We gained new skills, learned important lessons about collaboration, user feedback, data analysis, social good, and working with external APIs. We are proud of what we accomplished and are excited to continue our mission of promoting social good through technology.

What's next for Access Assist:

We are committed to continuously improving Access Assist based on user feedback and the changing needs of our community. We will be monitoring the usage of the application and analyzing the data to identify areas for improvement and new features that will benefit our users. We plan to conduct outreach campaigns to raise awareness about Access Assist and its benefits. This will include partnering with community organizations, social media campaigns, and attending events and conferences. While our initial focus was on benefit programs within a 5-mile radius of the user's input address, we plan to expand Access Assist to cover a larger geographic area. This will involve expanding our data sources and increasing the scope of our data analysis tools. We believe that partnerships with government agencies and community organizations will be crucial in expanding the reach and impact of Access Assist. We plan to explore opportunities for collaboration with these entities to increase access to benefit programs and promote social good. We are excited about the future of Access Assist and are committed to continuing our mission of promoting social good and improving access to benefit programs. We believe that with our team's passion and dedication, we can make a significant impact on the lives of individuals in our community.

Built With:

css, flask, google-maps api, html, javascript, pandas, python, react