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Session Description

Ticketed event: $10.00 advanced registration and $20.00 on site registration
This hands-on workshop introduces participants to the principles and practice of assistive toy design, an accessible, high-impact activity that brings inclusive engineering to life. Many off-the-shelf toys are unusable by children with motor, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. By adding simple switches, rewiring controls, or adapting interfaces, engineering educators can give students a meaningful design experience that makes play accessible for children with special needs.
Participants will learn how to modify a commercially available toy using low-cost materials, guided demonstrations, and step-by-step instructions. Presenters will share implementation strategies for integrating assistive toy design into engineering courses, first-year experiences, community outreach, K–12 partnerships, and service-learning projects. Attendees will leave with a fully adapted toy, ready-to-use curriculum materials, and a resource toolkit to replicate the activity at their home institution.
This workshop aligns with ASEE’s mission to broaden participation, promote inclusive engineering practices, and strengthen community-engaged learning.

The workshop is supported by not-for-profit foundation, Wickson-Link Memorial Foundation, The Allen E. and Marie A. Nickless Memorial Foundation, and the Community Engagement Division of ASEE. Additionally, other collaborators also include DEED (Design in Engineering Education Division) and Pre College Engineering Education Division. This workshop builds on activities developed through community-engaged learning initiatives at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU). Materials for this workshop are provided by SVSU. Attendees will leave with a fully adapted toy at the end of the session.

Expected Audience
Faculty, K–12 outreach coordinators, engineering educators, makerspace staff, instructional support specialists, and anyone interested in inclusive design, hands-on learning, or community-engaged engineering projects. No prior experience needed.
Workshop Agenda
1:00–1:10pm — Welcome, introduction, goals of assistive toy design
• Overview of workshop goals
• Importance of assistive toy design and accessibility in engineering
1:10–1:25pm — Overview of HCD & assistive technology principles
• Key principles of Human-Centered Design
• Understanding assistive technology in the context of play
1:25–1:40pm — Demonstration: Adapting a toy (switch access & wiring basics)
• Introduction to switch access
• Wiring, soldering, and safety essentials
1:40–2:40pm — Hands-on activity: Participants modify their own toy (facilitated)
• Participants adapt an electronic toy with guided facilitation
• Emphasis on accessible materials and simple engineering tools
2:45–2:50pm — Testing, troubleshooting, and final adjustments
• Ensuring functional switch access
• Making final adjustments and quality checks
2:50–3:10pm — Sharing results; discussion of classroom and outreach applications
• Participants present their adapted toys
• Integration into engineering courses and K–12 outreach
3:10–3:30pm — Resources, curriculum toolkit, Q&A, closing
Funding Source of Workshop Material (if applicable)
This workshop builds on activities developed through community-engaged learning initiatives at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU). Materials for this workshop are provided by SVSU. Attendees will leave with a fully adapted toy at the end of the session.

Speakers

1. Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan

   Saginaw Valley State University

   Dr. Rajani Muraleedharan is an Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Saginaw Valley State University. She holds a PhD and MS from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Madras. Her research spans wireless communications, computational intelligence, robotics, mobile-cloud computing, and assistive technologies. She has published extensively, received multiple best-paper awards, and serves as a reviewer for NSF, leading IEEE and Wiley journals and conferences. A strong advocate for diversity in STEM, she leads several outreach initiatives and has been recognized with regional and national awards for her contributions.

2. Dr. Adithya Jayakumar

   The Ohio State University

   Dr. Adithya Jayakumar is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering Education Department (EED) at The Ohio State University and a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Automotive Research. Adithya currently serves as the Course Coordinator for ENGR 1181 - Fundamentals of Engineering I and has served as the Course Coordinator of ENGR 1221 in the past.
   Adithya has been involved in the Humanitarian Engineering space since 2013 and has designed and led community-based learning projects both domestically and internationally.

3. Lekshmi Sasidharan

   University of Arkansas

   is a Teaching Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas. She is very much interested in working on ideas to improve student retention and student success.

4. Dr. Kirsten Heikkinen Dodson

   Lipscomb University

   Kirsten Heikkinen Dodson (pronouns: she/her) is an Associate Professor and the Chair of Mechanical Engineering in the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering at Lipscomb University. She earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lipscomb University and her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University before returning to her alma mater. Her research interests focus on the connections between humanitarian engineering, engineering education, and equity and inclusion topics. She primarily teaches thermal-fluid sciences as well as introductory and advanced design courses. In addition to her courses and research, she serves as the Associate Director for Research and Education for the Peugeot Center. With the center, she is also an active leader for humanitarian engineering student project teams, primarily working in Guatemala.