Inclusive Engineering and Co-design: An Inter-University Learning Experience on Disability

Abstract

This work in progress analyzes an inter-university learning experience focused on the co-design of inclusive technological solutions for people with disabilities in the Biobío region, Chile. The initiative brought together engineering students, students from other disciplines, mentors, public institutions, and disability experts by experience in a two-day challenge structured around real-world problems identified through participatory activities. The paper asks how this type of short and intensive environment contributes to the development of technical, socio-technical, and ethical competencies in engineering education. The analysis draws on project pitches, team records, and process observations. Three findings stand out. First, students progressively reframed problems from a device-centered approach toward a contextual understanding of disability, accessibility, and autonomy. Second, interaction with users, caregivers, and specialists increased the social relevance of proposals and promoted co-design logics instead of purely assistive or technocentric responses. Third, early prototyping became a space for situated ethical reflection by revealing assumptions about usability, participation, dignity, and impact. The results suggest that interdisciplinary, project-based, and participatory experiences can help embed ethics and social responsibility into engineering education, particularly in curricular contexts where inclusive engineering remains weakly developed. The article closes by identifying methodological and evaluative challenges for the next stage of the study.