Improving the Academic Inclusion of a Student with Special Needs at University Bordeaux

Abstract

Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the number of students with disabilities (SWDs) enrolled in universities. Unfortunately SWDs still struggle to attain the same level of education as non-disabled students. This paper presents a collaborative approach between members of the student support service, researchers and a special needs student in order to improve his access to and participation in university education. We performed a person-technology match and analyzed different existing technologies. Then, we designed and printed a keyguard, keyboard stand and mobile armrest which allowed him to almost double his text entry speed on a computer. We hope that our experience will inspire other universities to better address the needs of students with disabilities.