Overview
Inclusive design in education often stops at access—but real inclusion happens when children can learn together. This project began as an exploration into how we might build shared learning tools for children with varied physical and cognitive abilities. Focusing on tactile interaction for children who are blind and have spastic cerebral palsy, I developed a custom keycap designed to support intentional, error-resistant input.
[Industry]
Education
[Duration]
10 Weeks
[Nature]
Design Project II
[Type]
Inclusive Design
Intro
How do we design tools for learning that don’t leave anyone behind?
Children with disabilities are often overlooked
in conversations about collaboration
and play, especially when it comes to technology. Yet, shared learning across abilities—particularly in early education—can build empathy, resilience, and complex social skills. This project began as an inquiry into that space.
The Insight
Research shows Inclusive shared learning environments enhance empathy, social growth, and engagement—regardless of specific ratios—when supported by inclusive teaching practices and tools.
More supporting Literature
The tools we give them often fail to support that shared learning. Most assistive devices are siloed—built for individual needs and not shared experiences. My goal was to challenge that by designing a multi-sensory tool that enables collaborative learning across a spectrum of abilities—not just accessibility, but equity and mutual growth.
The Approach
Pictures from my visits to NGOs where children with and without disabilities learn together using adaptive tools and assistive devices. These images highlight the environments and equipment that support inclusive education.
The focus was understanding the tactile interactions, especially for children with visual impairments and motor instability; To help design something that could be felt, understood, and used—together.
The Innovation
The final prototype I focused on was a custom keycap designed for users with visual impairments and spastic cerebral palsy.
For blind users, the surface offered a clear tactile signature before actuation. For users with motor instability, the design included stabilizers to reduce false presses. What seems simple—a better button—was the outcome of dozens of iterations, user tests, and trade-offs between technical feasibility and inclusive interaction.
For blind users, the raised form and Braille offered tactile feedback without triggering a press.
For users with motor instability, a wider base and tuned resistance (type N) reduced accidental presses from tremors.
Of course, general users could use it!
What seems simple, a better button, was the outcome of dozens of iterations, user tests, and trade-offs between technical feasibility and inclusive interaction.
For blind users, the raised form and Braille offered tactile feedback without triggering a press.
For users with motor instability, a wider base and tuned resistance (type N) reduced accidental presses from tremors.
Of course, general users could use it!
What seems simple, a better button, was the outcome of dozens of iterations, user tests, and trade-offs between technical feasibility and inclusive interaction.
For blind users, the raised form and Braille offered tactile feedback without triggering a press.
For users with motor instability, a wider base and tuned resistance (type N) reduced accidental presses from tremors.
Of course, general users could use it!
What seems simple, a better button, was the outcome of dozens of iterations, user tests, and trade-offs between technical feasibility and inclusive interaction.
Details of the custom switch I designed—tuned for low force and deeper travel, and 3D-printable for testing and iteration.
Beyond the Keycap
While the keycap was developed as a standalone component, its real potential comes to life in the systems it can power.
One example is a concept for a multi-sensory learning calculator, designed to make math more accessible and collaborative for children with varied abilities.
The calculator explores how tactile, auditory, and visual feedback can come together to support inclusive learning. I’m still in the process of documenting this part of the work—detailed case study coming soon.
Though developed for an educational setting, this tactile interaction model has implications far beyond classrooms: in kiosks, public transport, shared devices, and ATMs. Anywhere physical interaction matters—and precision and inclusivity must co-exist—this design can contribute.
Closing Notes
This project taught me that designing for disability is a chance to reimagine systems from the ground up.
The final artifact might be a keycap, but it represents my desire for building more thoughtful interfaces between people and technology.
Thank you :)