Improving Social Justice in Austria with UseYourRight

According to Statistics Austria, in 2022, 17.5% of the population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The government’s efforts to lower this percentage are extensive and available to the population; however, most of the time, the support is not easily accessible and sometimes does not reach the beneficiaries. Nina Ameseder, Taraneh Abdelrahimsai, Ouassim Fari and Nadja Maringer identified this problem and created a solution called UseYourRight – an AI-based assistance that supports applying for social subsidies. We spoke with the founders about their solution to increase social justice in Austria.

The starting point for UseYourRight is a conversational AI assistance bot to support people on the poverty line with their applications for social and financial security. “We want to support people in exercising their fundamental rights, and this has to be done in their own language,” shares Nina, one of the founders of UseYourRight.

The fact sheet of the report on inequalities in Austria by Ökobüro explains that single mothers and people with a migration background are often left behind in terms of financial security. “UseYourRight will start as a web platform, optimized and usable on mobile phones, with support for over 55 languages, including: Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Turkish, BKS, German, and English,” they point out. “Including German was important because the processes are complicated even for local people.”

Who can benefit from a UseYourRight?

Organizations that operate in the fields with social subsidies, e.g. social workers, authorities, and civil servants, and of course the end users and people in need could benefit from the tool UseYourRight. On one hand, consultants and social workers can use it as a simplified process and translation tool, on the other hand they can give it to their clients so that they can obtain on their own clear and simplified information about specific subsidies. “A lot of people seek support with issues based on language problems and understanding of the processes. We want to help even before they make their application, to ensure people know what rights they can make use of and what documents they will need.”

A project such as UseYourRight is based on collaboration from players such as the City of Vienna, which the founders contacted via the Re:Wien Program, and organizations like Caritas, where social workers face everyday challenges in helping people. “When we talked to social workers, they said that there are diverse offers from the government and the cities for financial support, but the information needed to receive this support is only available in German at the moment.” explains Tara. “Technological advancements are often confined to the private sector, benefiting only a select few. At UseYourRight, we aim to harness AI technology to bolster the social safety net in Austria, making technological solutions accessible to all and addressing societal fears head-on.” they conclude.

 

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UseYourRight was a finalist in Re:Wien and the Social Impact Award.