Shadrick Addy and Simone Drake’s grant proposal, “Inspiring Empathy and Inclusive Change for Neuro-diverse Individuals in Educational and Workplace Settings through Immersive Technology,” has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Inspire Innovation program. 

The project aims to create a virtual reality experience that allows users to view the workplace through the lens of individuals with ADHD or dyslexia. Then, users experience the same scenarios with added modifications to make the various spaces more accessible. Through the experience, educators, human resources professionals, co-workers and students expand their knowledge on what inaccessible workplaces look like for neurodivergent individuals. The experience will facilitate empathy and understanding and promote the development of more inclusive professional environments.  

Shadrick Addy is an assistant professor in the department of design whose current research focuses on design for social impact and explores how designers can leverage experiential media technology and storytelling to preserve cultural heritage, address complex societal problems, and encourage meaningful social interaction in educational and cultural environments. 

Simone Drake is a Hazel C. Youngberg Trustees Distinguished Professor in the department of English as well as a faculty affiliate at the Moritz College of Law. Simone’s interdisciplinary research agenda focuses on how people of African descent in the Americas negotiate the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, class, and nation through the lenses of critical race, gender, and legal studies.