Makerspaces for Everyone: Assistive Technology and Libraries

Makerspaces, sometimes also referred to as hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs are creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. In libraries they often have 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies and tools, and more. -- Open Education Database

Before starting the Library and Information Technology program, I had never heard of a makerspace. But when I did, I was excited about the idea of libraries devoting their space to this sort of activity, one of many ways libraries continue to evolve in order to remain relevant to the public they serve. Watch how these two libraries, one public and one academic, serve their users through makerspaces:

To me, this is an promising phenomenon, as more and more people are embracing the DIY ethos. For many, DIY is not only a response to harsh economic times, but also a rejection of excessive consumerism and of mass-produced goods, which are often made by people who suffer exploitation. For others, DIY is a way to integrate their creativity and their daily lives.  They sew their own clothes, grow their own food, make handmade gifts, publish their own books...the list goes on. We can think of DIY as a way of asserting our independence. Library makerspaces act as a link between the Maker and the tools, many of which are out of reach.

As I looked deeper into this concept, I wondered if and how libraries implement makerspaces that accommodate users of different abilities, including those who live with physical challenges. After all, for whom is personal independence more important than a person with a disability? Furthermore, a disability should not be an obstacle to someone’s creative expression. 

There was a lot of good news to be found.

DIYability is a maker-supporting organization whose goal  “is to create a community for people who believe that technology is world opening. The tools and software available today can let anyone implement and make their own devices and make almost anything else.” Its website offers projects for homemade assistive devices, such as a switch to be added to a remote controlled toy.

Another inspiring initiative comes from the University of Washington’s College and Engineering, which has collaborated with the school’s DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) Center to create a makerspace that is fully accessible to students with disabilities. They then took one step further to produce a detailed set of guidelines for libraries and other organizations that want to include people of all abilities in their makerspace.

I can’t think of a more inspiring image than that of a student or other library user with a disability generating products of his or her imagination side by side other makers. Imagine users creating own assistive devices, such as a prosthetic hand, for themselves or other people. A library can say it serves its community when it serves everyone, and accessible makerspaces ensure that everyone gets to participate.

Here is a 17-minute presentation by DIYability founders Holly Cohen and John Schimmel: