A UBC Innovation Snapshot: Be inspired by and connect with innovators at UBC
Who are you?
In 2015, the UBC Okanagan Library opened the Inclusive Technology Lab, a welcoming space that supports students with disabilities by providing assistive technology. The lab includes collaborative group work spaces with ergonomic furniture, a distraction-reduced study room and a computer lab with specialized software such as scan and read software for students with blindness or visual impairments, and visual mapping tools to help students organize information for easier learning.
Students can also borrow equipment to use the technology outside the Library.
What problem are you solving?
Students on the Okanagan campus were in need of an inclusive space to pursue scholarship without distraction or restriction. The lab can be accessed whenever the Library is open, making it convenient for those who need a place to experiment with, and utilize assistive technology to facilitate and enhance their research and learning. Students can register with the Disability Resource Centre to use the space, and borrow laptops, iPads and other devices. Peer and professional support is available to students who need an orientation on how to make use of the technology, making it a highly supportive environment.
How does your idea contribute to society?
Assistive technology is beneficial for students with a range of disabilities such as visual impairments, ADHD and more. It even makes temporary barriers, such as a broken arm, easier to navigate. It also provides faculty, staff and students with a space to learn how to use the technology, and how it can help those in need. Library employees are available to provide in-class demonstrations and presentations on assistive technology and its importance for students.
What do you need now?
The Library hopes that eventually these types of inclusive spaces will be more common across both the Okanagan and Vancouver campuses. Interest in the Inclusive Technology Lab grows every semester as students are referred to the space. Each term, more than 100 students are registered to use the ITL, and the number has been increasing significantly year over year. The lab has benefited from the generosity of donor support, allowing for the acquisition of technology and provision of individualized user training by skilled and knowledgeable staff. Additional funds would enable the lab to stay ahead of the technology curve and keep up with student demand by acquiring additional workstations and the most current hardware and software.