The educators at Colegio Bernardo Navajas Trigo 2 did not wait for specialized materials to arrive from the distant capital of La Paz. Instead, they took the initiative to bridge the gap between national mandates and local reality. While the Avelino Siñani-Elizardo Pérez Law has required the integration of students with disabilities since 2010, the practical tools for such a task rarely reach the rural schools separated from the western highways by the steep Cordillera de Sama mountain range.
The teachers turned to decentralized digital fabrication. Using desktop extrusion printers, they produced customized topographical aids and tactile models using Polylactic Acid filament. Even the unique atmospheric conditions of the high altitude, which alter the cooling time of the extruded plastic, became part of the local craft of creating a more accessible world.
This localized effort caught the attention of Esther Kuisch Laroche and the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago. Out of nearly 250 applications from across the continent, the school in Tarija was selected as one of six innovators to participate in the First Regional Forum on Inclusive Education. The recognition brings with it a program of mentoring and technical support supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development.
The project extends beyond the classroom walls. Through education fairs, the school involves families in the learning process, ensuring that the technology serves as a bridge rather than a barrier. By transforming classrooms into interactive spaces where every child can participate, these teachers have demonstrated that the limits of a child’s education need not be defined by their physical circumstances or the height of the mountains surrounding them.