Promoting Inclusivity in D&T at RNIB Webinar

Published 7th March 2025

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) recently welcomed our Curriculum Consultant Lol Conway for an engaging and insightful webinar on inclusivity in D&T education. The session explored practical strategies to make D&T classrooms more accessible for students with visual impairments, ensuring all learners can fully engage with creative and technical learning.

Lol, an experienced educator and advocate for inclusive D&T teaching, highlighted the importance of tactile learning, adapted tools, and sensory-friendly classroom environments. Key topics included health and safety adaptations, the use of technology such as talking measuring tapes, and strategies for collaborating with Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVIs) to create an inclusive learning experience.

The session also introduced "Dexter’s Tech-Tastic First Day," a graphic-style resource designed to support Year 6 students with SEND as they transition to secondary school D&T. This resource includes QR codes that allow students to hear sounds of different machines and see them in action, helping to reduce anxiety and build confidence. You can download a digital copy here.

Lol emphasised that inclusive design thinking benefits all students, fostering problem-solving, collaboration, and awareness of diverse user needs. Teachers were encouraged to adopt empathetic design approaches, integrate alternative communication methods for design ideas, and explore practical adjustments to make lessons accessible.

The webinar reinforced the D&T Association’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities in D&T education, ensuring that students of all abilities can develop hands-on skills and creativity.

Our latest magazine Designing 130 is a special issue celebrating inclusive design in honour of the RNIB’s Braille 200 initiative, marking 200 years of Braille’s impact on accessibility. This issue highlights groundbreaking innovations that make design more inclusive, from adaptive technology and accessible products to education initiatives. Whilst this is still in the delivery stage, you can get the digital copy early here.

For more resources on inclusive D&T teaching, visit the Design & Technology Association website.