Designing a more accessible and confident way for students with disabilities to attend college events
OVERVIEW
Inclusive Campus is a concept mobile application that helps students with physical disabilities discover and attend college events with greater ease.
By integrating accessibility information into event discovery and planning, the app enables students to make informed decisions and participate with more confidence.
Accessibility is not optional, it’s essential.
It shouldn’t be something students have to request or negotiate for.
It should already be part of the experience.
DESIGN WILL
As a student, I've always seen campus events as a way to connect, explore, and feel part of the community. But for many students, simply attending an event requires extra effort like making a call, sending an email, or asking for accommodations in advance. Even when support exists, the process itself can feel like a barrier.
Today, most students rely on mobile apps for instant information and everyday planning. This made me question: why isn't accessibility just as immediate?
This project started from that gap, the disconnect between available accommodations and how students actually access them. I wanted to explore how digital tools could make accessibility more visible, more seamless, and more integrated into everyday student life.
16%
of the global population
experiences significant disability.
Why Accessibility Matters
Education is a fundamental right, yet campus infrastructure oftenremains an invisible barrier. For students with disabilities, navigatingan institution is more than just getting to class; it's about theconfidence to participate fully in university life.
"True inclusion is not about adding a ramp; it's about curating an environment where everyone belongs by default."
Solutions by Need
We categorized our intervention strategies to ensure deep support for various
accessibility requirements.
Mobility
Focusing on seamless physical traversal
of campus architecture.
Discover (Step-free)
Advanced filters to highlight events
occurring in venues with ramp and lift
access only.
Plan (Accessible Route)
Integration of "Campus-specific" mapping
that prioritizes smooth surfaces and avoids
steep inclines.
Information Efficiency
Screen-reader optimized layouts with high
semantic markup and descriptive alt-text
for all campus imagery.
Orientation Details
Auditory cues and textual "previews" of
room layouts so users know exactly what to
expect upon entry.
Visual
Enhancing clarity through structured data
and high-contrast orientation.
Hearing
Bridge-building through real-time
communication and captioning data.
Identify Support
Clearly labeled events featuring live
captions, SLI interpreters, or T-Loop
assistive listening systems.
Request & Message
Direct messaging to event coordinators for
specific accessibility requests before the
event begins.
EVENT BROWING
Provide accommodation details at a place, user can easily check out all the information at one place
NAVIGATION
Provide accommodation details along with accessibility routing information.
DURING EVENT
After helping students get to the event, we also need to support them throughout the event and make the experience as smooth as possible.
EARLY SKETCH AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
TAKE AWAY
WHAT'S WORKING
Strong user research
Clear problem definition
Accessibility-focused design
CAHLLENGES
Designing for diverse disabilities
Balancing simplicity and functionality
Designing for the next 16%
Thank you for exploring how we're making campus life more equitable,
one interaction at a time.