Ciro Asensio wins scholarship to Germany for accessibility app

Ciro Asensio, a 16-year-old student from Mendoza, Argentina, has won a full scholarship from AFS Intercultural Programs to study in Germany. The exchange program is scheduled to run from September 2026 to July 2027.

Asensio earned the scholarship through his development of an innovative mobile application designed to assist people with motor disabilities. Similar to Google Maps, the app allows users to register routes, rate accessibility, and report urban obstacles such as broken sidewalks, stairs, or blocked ramps. The goal of the tool is to provide individuals with mobility impairments the independence to choose safer paths while alerting local authorities to areas requiring infrastructure intervention.

Asensio, who lives with a motor disability due to cerebral palsy, developed the project to address the personal difficulties he faces navigating his city. He was selected from approximately 50 applicants following a series of evaluations, which included a presentation at the World Disability Summit in Berlin.