Pioneering Inclusion: A Low-Cost, Low-Tech Approach to Educating Thailand's First Blind Engineering Student
Proadpran Punyabukkana, Atiwong Suchato · 2025
This experience report chronicles the groundbreaking journey of Thailand's first blind engineering student, who graduated with first-class honors in Computer Engineering from the country's most prestigious and competitive engineering program.Over four years, innovative, low-cost, and low-tech solutions were developed to ensure accessibility in every class.These included tactile diagrams, screen reader-compatible materials, accessible laboratory modifications, and customized assessments tailored to individual courses.Beyond academics, support extended to daily campus life, with accommodations to support safe living, efficient navigation, and effective time management.Friends and classmates played crucial roles, offering real-time assistance and collaborative problem-solving.This comprehensive approach combined practical adaptations with community support, emphasizing affordability and sustainability to ensure replicability in resource-constrained contexts.The report detailed the challenges encountered and solutions implemented across various courses and settings, providing a replicable framework for fostering inclusive STEM environments and creating pathways for students with disabilities in higher education. CCS Concepts• Social and professional topics~User characteristics~People with disabilities • Human-centered computing~Accessibility ~Accessibility systems and tools • Applied computing~Education ~Computer-assisted instruction