The Intelligence++ program is an innovative, interdisciplinary initiative among Syracuse University Libraries, the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education’s InclusiveU, which is housed in the School of Education, and the College of Visual and Performing Art’s School of Design.
The program began as an interdisciplinary course (DES 400/600) that encourages students from across campus to imagine and create products, devices, and services for persons with disabilities.
It culminates in an innovation showcase in the spring that is open to all students across campus, regardless of course participation. The program has now evolved to include Intelligence++ Ventures, which provides funding to commercialize products and services to support people with intellectual disabilities.
Agency, Dignity, and Joy
“The most transformative aspect of participating in the Intelligence++ course was the profound shift it fostered in my perspective on design as a collaborative and inclusive process,” says College of Visual and Performing Arts student Carolyn Fernandes ’25.
“I loved how the course encouraged me to think critically about how products can serve neurodivergent communities—not just functionally, but in ways that provide agency, dignity, and joy. The emphasis on research-based, user-centered design and the dialogues we shared with classmates, mentors, and guest speakers expanded my understanding of the intersection of design, identity, and inclusivity.”
After taking the class, Fernandes said, “What I walked away with was more than just a toolkit—it was a mindset. The course equipped me with the confidence to question assumptions, co-create with empathy and embrace ambiguity in the design process.”
Knowledge and Ideas
Fernandes’ class project was the Wear-it Fidgit (a fidget is a small object that is used to provide sensory stimulation and manage anxiety or energy.) Now a project called Solace Collective, it has evolved into a design research project that explores the implementation of neurodivergent, fidgeting products into fashion design in a way that gives the user both expression and concealment.
Explains Fernandes, “I worked on Wear-it Fidgit for the class with my teammate Cassia Soodak ’26, then as an independent study project. Now I’m incorporating the knowledge and ideas I learned from this project into a few new clothing lines for a small clothing company. It began with research aimed to create a removable cuff for people to wear in professional and leisure environments to allow for flexible adaptation depending on the environment.”
Today, Fernandes adds, the cuff’s research and concept are being explored in three new lines of clothing, labeled Embrace, Participatory Fidgeting, and Concealed Fidgeting, breaking into the neurodivergent market for a company called Grater Things.
“This exemplifies this evolution,” Fernandes says. “It’s not just about creating products but about crafting adaptive systems that empower users to navigate their environments with comfort and agency. The experience also gave me a network of collaborators and thought partners whose insights continue to inform my work, from integrating fidgeting into fashion to shaping new questions about neurodivergent accessibility in design.”
Originally published in Syracuse University Libraries Connections (spring 2025).
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