September 26, 2026 · Global recognition
Vision-Aid's Ability Bazaar wins a $50,000 Build with Gemini XPRIZE Runner-Up award
Ability Bazaar: Talent with Disabilities, Apps Without Barriers has been named a Runner-Up in the global Build with Gemini XPRIZE, receiving a $50,000 award - extraordinary recognition for a Vision-Aid initiative that came together in just three months.
What this recognition means
- Award: Build with Gemini XPRIZE Runner-Up - $50,000
- Global field: more than 26,000 builders participated; 1,401 projects made the initial shortlist and Ability Bazaar advanced to the final Top 100.
- Prize field: only 25 projects ultimately received cash awards, including 15 Runner-Up awards.
- Category: Entrepreneurship & Job Creation, one of five competition categories.
The $2 million Build with Gemini XPRIZE, presented by Google and XPRIZE and described by XPRIZE as the world's largest hackathon, asked teams to launch a real AI-native business in 90 days: attract real users, generate revenue, demonstrate sustainable operations and create meaningful real-world impact. Projects were evaluated for business viability, AI-native operations and category impact.
Ability Bazaar combines Gemini-powered AI agents that handle front-office marketplace work with the skills and lived experience of people with disabilities. Our experts and creators bring the human judgment, development, accessibility expertise and quality assurance that make the work valuable. The goal is simple: use AI to expand opportunity, create sustainable paid digital work and livelihoods for people with disabilities, and help build a more accessible digital world.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who believed in Vision-Aid and Ability Bazaar, helped launch, build and test it, placed an order, sponsored training, shared ideas, opened doors, encouraged the team or simply placed your faith in what we were trying to create. This recognition belongs to the entire Vision-Aid family - and most importantly to the talented people with disabilities whose abilities, creativity and determination are at the heart of Ability Bazaar.”
The $50,000 award will help Ability Bazaar build on this momentum, expand the platform, train more talent and create more opportunities for meaningful paid work.
Ability Bazaar is open for business. Organizations can order accessible technology services - from apps and websites to back-office technology support - through a disability-led marketplace. Every order helps advance livelihood opportunities for people who are blind, visually impaired or have other disabilities.
Explore Ability Bazaar Read the XPRIZE announcement (opens external site)