DESIGN FOR INCLUSION AND EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION FOR PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN “MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION PROJECTS” CLASS

The accelerated growth in our society of people affected by their visual capacity is correlated to the request of students with vision problems in the classrooms of educational centers. In the teaching of both design and engineering, some subjects require the full use of all the senses. Looking for a true inclusion for all kinds of students to claim study in the university classroom, this research has focused on designing strategies to adapt current technologies and design new experiences based on the creation of Braille-based tools, as well as educational experiences that range from podcast design to the use of emerging technologies such as XR and headsets that adapt to brain stimuli. The present contribution describes the methodology for designing tools that allow higher education students to efficiently study subjects where observation and analysis are essential, including precise mathematical calculations. Because the trend in education worldwide is the development of skills, and one of the most important is project management, this research narrates the process by teachers of learning how to teach students with visual disabilities by testing their creativity to adapt tools and design new educational elements that allow students with visual disabilities to learn. Exploration of XR technology and design of handheld devices are based on Braille language with constant feedback from users until we have tools that demonstrate promising results. This process began in the summer of 2017 and has steadily improved.