Enhancing Social Inclusion in Higher Education through Open Access to Digital Fabrication Laboratories Covadonga Lorenzo, Epifanio Lorenzo CEU University, Spain Abstract Promoting diversity, affirming equity and enhancing social inclusion in the classroom are goals shared by many European universities, but achieving these aims in the classroom is often hard to do. This paper presents a research study conducted at Fab Lab Madrid CEU, the digital fabrication laboratory based at CEU University to test innovative educational approaches that provides knowledge more accessible for all through new learning opportunities and open access to digital fabrication facilities. The study is based in the results obtained from four pilots, in which students engage with on-site and remote access to digital fabrication technologies through a platform designed for the European Union NEWTON Project. The platform is an innovative tool that provides educational content and new solutions for technology-enhanced learning to increase learner quality of experience for all. 1. Introduction Enhancing social inclusion in Higher Education has become an imperative in our country to avoid the risk of social exclusion and reduce drop-out rates of studies that nowadays is affecting youth between 18 and 24 years in Spain. This situation especially affects students with disabilities and learning difficulties, as well as young students of vulnerable social environments in disadvantage, that are the groups to which our research study is focused. 2. Disable Students A recent study carried out in more than fifty Spanish universities about the degree of inclusion of people with disabilities in the university system [1] shows that only about 5% of people with disabilities have university studies, despite that the 2020 European strategy is talking of a 40%. These figures show that, despite the effort carried out by the Spanish universities in the last years to promote diversity and improve access of all persons with special needs in the university, it is still necessary to adopt measures to reduce early school drop-outs, promote access and guarantee higher education adapted to future needs. A report on employment of people with disabilities published by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) in 2017, [2] indicates that the most significant feature of this group of students is their low labor participation: 35% activity rate compared to 78% for the people without disabilities. The European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 [3] indicates that “quality employment ensures economic independence, promotes personal achievement and offers the best protection against poverty and social exclusion”. Moreover, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities declares that "states will ensure an inclusive education system at all levels, including Higher Education, to fully develop the human potential and the sense of dignity and self- esteem and reinforce respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and human diversity". [4] Some researchers [5, 6] have shown that access to higher education will make possible for people with disabilities to participate in a diverse society, developing their maximum potential and improving the expectations of achieving quality employment, which allows independence and freedom in decision- making. Other studies [7, 8] highlight that the training of people with intellectual disabilities in the university environment, with a degree issued by the University, positively affects their employment, involves a mutual growth for students with and without disabilities and favor their professional inclusion and as a result, sustenance, autonomy, and a decrease in the need for assistance and support. However, it is also stated by some researchers [9, 10] that best programs may be required to address success and retention at the university level, as well as making curriculum adaptations, training professors and improving accessibility involving all the university community. 2.1. Disadvantaged Students Spain is the second country of the European Union (EU) in Early School Leaving (AEP), with a rate of 19% of young people between 18 and 24 years old, who have left the education system prematurely, having completed at the very least the first cycle of Secondary Education (ESO). However, our country has managed to reduce the school dropout rate in the last decade from 30% to 19%. On the other hand, the rate of people between 30 and 34 Journal of Information Technologies and Lifelong Learning (JITLL), Volume 2, Issue 2, December 2019 Copyright © 2019, Infonomics Society 82