Paper Info
Title
Inclusion and Education: 3D Printing for Integrated Classrooms
Abstract
Over 60% of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the U.S. are unemployed; this is more than twice the unemployment rate of the general population [19]. Of the adults with ID who are employed, only half receive competitive wages alongside co-workers without disabilities. While the enactment of IDEA [20] has helped to promote access to education for people with ID and other disabilities, there are still obstacles to employment. Misconceptions about ability and lack of opportunities to learn and practice employability skills contribute to this problem. Our research explores employability and integration through the lens of 3D printing, an innovative technology touted as a means to self-employment. We successfully taught young adults with intellectual disabilities many technical skills required for 3D printing through an integrated, post-secondary course on 3D printing for entrepreneurship. In this paper we report on our methods for designing this course and discuss the benefits, challenges, and strategies for teaching 3D printing to an integrated cohort of students. We offer recommendations for educators and describe technology obstacles unique to this user demographic, and the impact of integrated, postsecondary courses on employment outcomes for students with ID.
Year
DOI
Venue
2015
10.1145/2700648.2809844
ACM Conference on Supporting Group Work
Keywords
Field
DocType
3D Modeling,3D Printing,Cognitive Impairment,Disability,Education,Intellectual Disability,Special Education
Medical education,Employability,Population,Intellectual disability,Entrepreneurship,Computer science,Simulation,Unemployment,Special education,Multimedia,Cognitive impairment
Conference
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
5
0.58
8
Authors
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Erin Buehler1977.83
William Easley2254.20
Samantha McDonald3302.62
Niara Comrie4111.00
Amy Hurst5594.92