Post Falls volunteer Knoll honored at nation's capitol
Courtesy photo Alexander Knoll of Post Falls and Sarah Picker of Boise, center, receive thanks and congratulations from Academy Award winner Viola Davis during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Saturday evening.
An inventive local student was one of two young Idaho volunteers honored over the weekend in Washington, D.C.
Alexander Knoll, a home-schooled 14-year-old from Post Falls, received Prudential Financial’s Spirit Of Community Award for his work developing a free mobile app designed to help people with disabilities navigate in public spaces, find services and identify employment opportunities.
His project began when Knoll was 9 years old, after he witnessed a man in a wheelchair trying to get through a heavy door at a sporting goods store. “I wondered if there was an app that could have told him before he left his house about other stores in the area that might have an automatic door,” he said. He checked; there wasn’t. So he decided to create his own.
He began interviewing people with disabilities and caregivers to learn as much as he could about their challenges. He then spent three to four hours per day building the application through a database of accessible restrooms, wheelchair ramps, Braille menus, service animal relief areas and visual alerting devices. His “Ability App” is currently being tested and is expected to launch this year.
“We’re impressed and inspired by the way these honorees have identified problems facing their communities and stepped up to the challenge to make a difference,” said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “It’s a privilege to celebrate their leadership and compassion, and we look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish in the future.”
“These students have not only done important work in support of people in need,” said Christine Handy, president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, who co-sponsored the event. “They’ve also shown their peers that young people can, and do, create meaningful change. We commend each of these young volunteers for all they’ve contributed to their communities.”
In addition to the presentation, Knoll received a $1,000 award at the ceremony, held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where he received congratulations and thanks from, among other speakers, fellow volunteer and Academy Award-winning actor Viola Davis.