The pillow worked around her head. Her eyes gleamed as she stared at the screen. A grin, quickly became replaced by a laugh as the brush on the laptop mimicked her neck motion. Her passion had been saved; her individuality had been secured.

The idea developed during interviews with Jane, a woman who suffered from Cerebral Palsy, a severe motor disability.

Before her condition worsened to being virtually paralyzed, she always had a paintbrush in hand.

Through MOUSE, a non-profit that designs accessible technology for people with disabilities, we emulated what little neck motion she had as brush strokes through sensors in the pillow. Seeing her face radiate with joy instilled in me not only happiness, but responsibility. This is my destiny. In her eyes, I saw my future: a dream of bridging the gap in accessibility.

Artillo proceeded to win a $2000 grant from Urban Arts Partnership and was invited to the White House Frontiers Conference at Carnegie Mellon. What started off as a high school project quickly became a beacon of hope.