Sraith McNulty:
Ba í Kathleen Antonelli (Kathleen McNulty roimh phósadh di), Gaeilgeoir agus ceannródaí sa ríomhchlárú, a spreag an tsraith seo, ina ndírítear aird ar chainteoirí Gaeilge éagsúla atá ar thús cadhnaíochta i réimse na teicneolaíochta. Mar chuideachta theicneolaíochta atá lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht, tá súil againn nasc a bhunú le cainteoirí Gaeilge eile laistigh de thionscal na teicneolaíochta, idir fhiontraithe nuálacha agus cheannairítionscail a mbíonn tionchar acu ar chúrsaí.
Ciara-Beth Ní Ghríofa, MiContact
Fiontraí teicneolaíochta agus mac léinn
Is fiontraí agus mac léinn 21 bliana d’aois í Ciara-Beth Ní Ghríofa agus is as Gaillimh di. Tá céim Ríomhaireachta agus Síceolaíochta á déanamh ag Ciara-Beth faoi láthair i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh, agus cheana féin, tá éachtaí bainte amach aici maidir leis an teicneolaíocht a úsáid chun fadhbanna a réiteach. Agus í chomh hóg le 16 bliana d’aois, sheol sí a feidhmchlár móibíleach MiContact, a chabhraíonn le daoine a bhfuil uathachas orthu dul i ngleic leis na dúshláin atá os a gcomhair. Mar thoradh ar an nuáil seo, tá MiContact curtha faoi bhráid an tsaoil aici ar bhonn idirnáisiúnta.
Cad is MiContact ann?
Nuair a diagnóisíodh go raibh uathachas ardfheidhmiúil ar Ciara-Beth agus í 14 bliana d’aois, thosaigh sí ag tabhairt faoi thaighde ar an gcaoi a dtéann an t-uathachas i gcion ar dhaoine. Baineadh siar go mór aistí a fháil amach go bhfuil ardleibhéal dífhostaíochta agus tearcfhostaíochta ann i measc daoine a bhfuil uathachas orthu. Ina TEDx talk, luaigh Ciara-Beth suirbhé a rinneadh sa Ríocht Aontaithe, a léirigh nach bhfuil fostaíocht íoctha lánaimseartha ach ag 17% de na daoine fásta atá ar speictream an uathachais. Mórchuid na ndaoine a ghlac páirt sa suirbhé, áfach, dúirt siad gur theastaigh uathu obair. Deir earcaitheoirí gur gné ríthábhachtach d’agallamh rathúil le haghaidh poist é amharc sa tsúil. Ós rud é go bhfuil sé deacair ar dhaoine atá ar speictream an uathachais amharc sa tsúil ar dhaoine eile, tá sé sin ina bhac do go leor acu ó thaobh fostaíocht a bhaint amach.
Chonaic Ciara-Beth go raibh deis ann leas a bhaint as an teicneolaíocht chun dul i ngleic leis an dúshlán seo a gcaithfidh an oiread sin daoine a bhfuil uathachas orthu dul i ngleic leis, is é sin, amharc sa tsúil. Ag labhairt di faoi seo, dúirt Ciara-Beth, “Theastaigh uaim idirghabháil a chruthú a mbeadh daoine ar a bhfuil uathachas i gceannas uirthi go hiomlán, in ionad duine éigin eile a bheith á brú orthu.” Is féidir le húsáideoirí leas a bhaint as a feidhmchlár móibíleach MiContact, a bhfuil an líne lipéid ‘Helping You See Eye To Eye’ air, chun amharc sa tsúil a chleachtadh agus é a fhorbairt mar scil. Cuireann an aip íomhánna éagsúla d’aghaidheanna i láthair an úsáideora, a bhfuil cruthanna súile difriúla orthu. Tagann siadsan le cruth ag bun an scáileáin, agus cabhraíonn sin leis an úsáideoir a bheith in ann déileáil le duine atá ag amharc sa tsúil orthu. Le himeacht ama, beidh tionchar aige sin ar a saol laethúil, agus cabhróidh sé leo déileáil le dúshláin sa láthair oibre, ar scoil, san ollscoil agus i gcúinsí eile nach iad. Anuas ar an bhfeidhmchlár MiContact a bheith deartha ag duine a bhfuil uathachas uirthi féin, tá sé so-úsáidte agus ní chosnaíonn sé rud ar bith é a íoslódáil. Is den ríthábhacht do Ciara-Beth é go mbeadh MiContact inrochtana dóibh siúd uile a bhfuil sé de dhíth orthu.
Nuair a smaoinigh Ciara-Beth ar MiContact, ní raibh taithí ar bith aici maidir le feidhmchláir nó bogearraí a fhorbairt. Le cabhair ó chara, d’fhorbair sí an chéad leagan ina raibh 6 leibhéal le cur i gcrích ag an úsáideoir. Ansin thug sí faoi ais-innealtóireacht a dhéanamh ar an bhfeidhmchlár agus d’fhoghlaim sí conas feidhmchláir a fhorbairt í féin. Ina dhiaidh sin, d’fhorbair sí na chéad 54 leibhéal eile den fheidhmchlár.
Tionchar MiContact
Tá ag éirí go geal leis an bhfeidhmchlár agus íoslódáladh é breis is 1,000 uair go dtí seo. Tarraingíodh aird idirnáisiúnta air freisin, agus tá gradaim gnóthaithe aige as a nuálaíocht. Bhuaigh MiContact duais ag comórtas Eolaí Óg BT 2017 mar an tionscadal is fearr sa chatagóir Eolaíochta Sóisialta agus Iompraíochta. Dá bharr sin, tugadh cuireadh do Ciara-Beth freastal ar Ghrodchúrsa Gnó Eolaí Óg BT, áit ar rug sise agus a foireann an bua leo leis an aip MiContact.
In 2019, tugadh cuireadh do Ciara-Beth páirt a ghlacadh in TedX i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh. Mhínigh sí go mbíonn eispéiris dhifriúla ag daoine ó thaobh an uathachais de agus roinn sí a heispéiris féin den uathachas. Chuige sin, bhain sí leas as íomhá in ardaitheoir chun cur ar a súile don lucht féachana na bealaí difriúla a dtéann eispéiris dhifriúla i gcion ar dhaoine. Tóg sracfhéachaint ar an gcaint iontach sin anseo: https://www.ted.com/talks/ciara_beth_griffin_the_elevator_pitch.
Tugadh cuireadh di chuig roinnt mhaith imeachtaí idirnáisiúnta, mar shampla, Fóram don Óige UNESCO, inar labhair sí os comhair cheann UNESCO. Tá an aip curtha ar taispeáint i nuachtáin náisiúnta agus ar an teilifís. Nuair a bhí sí ina haoi ar sheó Tommy Tiernan, bhí méadú tobann ar an líon uaire a íoslódáladh an aip. Leanfaidh sí d’fheasacht a ardú faoin aip.
Cad é an chéad chéim eile do Ciara-Beth?
Is mac léinn dara bliana i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh í Ciara-Beth anois. Tá sí dírithe ar a cuid staidéir agus ar an gcaoi ar féidir an teicneolaíocht agus an tsíceolaíocht a chur ag obair i gcomhar le chéile chun nuálaíocht a chruthú. Tá sí fós gafa le heagraíochtaí éagsúla amhail Camara, óstaigh TechFest.
Tá MiContact saor in aisce agus inrochtana ag cách go fóill, agus is tosaíocht é sin do Ciara-Beth. Cé go bhfuil tús áite ag an staidéar di faoi láthair, tá súil aici leanúint d’acmhainní teicneolaíochta a fhorbairt do dhaoine a bhfuil uathachas orthu.
Le MiContact a íoslódáil lean an nasc seo: https://apps.apple.com/
The McNulty series:
Inspired by computer programming trailblazer and gaeilgeoir Kathleen Antonelli (born Kathleen McNulty), this series highlights various Irish speakers leading in the technology space. As a technology company based in the Gaeltacht, we hope to build a connection with other Irish speakers within the technology industry. These range from innovative entrepreneurs to impactful industry leaders.
Ciara-Beth Ní Ghríofa, MiContact
Tech entrepreneur and student
Ciara-Beth Ní Ghríofa is a 21 year old tech entrepreneur and student from Galway. Studying for a degree in Computing and Psychology at the University of Cork, Ciara-Beth has an impressive list of achievements as she applies technology to solve problems. At the early age of 16 she launched her mobile application MiContact, which helps people with autism overcome challenges. Her innovation has led her to present MiContact on a global stage.
Introducing MiContact
Following a diagnosis of high functioning autism at 14, she began to research how it impacts people. She was shocked to discover the high level of unemployment and underemployment amongst people with autism. In her TEDx talk, Ciara-Beth shared that a UK survey found that just 17% of adults on the autism spectrum were in full-time paid employment. However, the vast majority desired to work. Eye contact is highlighted by recruiters as an essential element of a successful job interview. With eye contact difficult for people on the autism spectrum, this can create a barrier for many people to access employment.
Ciara-Beth saw an opportunity to apply technology to this challenge faced by many people with autism, maintaining eye contact. “I wanted to create an intervention that was very much led by a person with autism as opposed to someone forcing it upon them.” Ciara-Beth shared. Through her mobile app MiContact, with the tagline ‘Helping You See Eye To Eye’, users can practice making eye contact to build it as a skill. The app presents the user with various images of faces with different shapes in the eyes. These correspond with a shape at the bottom of the screen, encouraging the user to become less sensitive to people making eye contact with them. Over time this will transfer into their day to day life, helping to remove challenges at work, school, college, and more. Design-led by someone with autism, user-friendly, and free to download, Ciara-Beth is passionate about keeping MiContact accessible for all users who need it.
When Ciara-Beth came up with the idea for MiContact she did not have any application or software development experience. She relied on a friend to help her build the first version which featured 6 levels to be completed by the user. She then spent time reverse-engineering the application and learning how to build applications herself. Subsequently building the next 54 levels of the application.
The impact of MiContact
The application was highly successful and has over 1,000 downloads. It has also garnered international attention and won awards for its innovativeness. MiContact was awarded by the BT Young Scientist as Best Social and Behavioural Science project in 2017. This led to Ciara-Beth being invited to the BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp where she led her team to win with the app MiContact.
In 2019, Ciara-Beth was also invited to take part in the TedX at University College Cork. She shared how people do not experience autism the same way and how she experiences it herself. Using an image in an elevator to share with the audience how different sensory experiences can affect people differently. Check out her brilliant talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/ciara_beth_griffin_the_elevator_pitch.
She has also been invited to many international events such as the UNESCO Youth Forum where she spoke in front of the head of UNESCO. The app has been featured in national newspapers and on television. Her guest spot on the Tommy Tiernan show led to a spike in downloads of her app as she continues to raise awareness of it.
What’s next for Ciara-Beth
As a second year student at University College Cork, Ciara-Beth is focused on her studies and how best technology and psychology can come together to create impact. She continues to be involved with various organisations such as Camara, the hosts of TechFest.
MiContact continues to be free and accessible by all, which is very important to Ciara-Beth. While studies are a high priority at the moment, she hopes to continue to build technological resources for people with autism.
To download the MiContact app follow this link: https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/
