While the Maker Movement has made great strides in lowering barriers to entry for the various tools for making, it has largely ignored democratizing access to the spaces for making. What used to be the domain of professional designers, programmers, and engineers is now freely available for hobbyists, enthusiasts, and students. However, even though it’s easier now for someone to laser cut a design, there are still marginalized communities that can’t access and take advantage of these benefits.
co.lab Community Makers located in Austin, Texas will confront this issue head on by offering a safe, inclusive, culturally responsive space for free to its members and visitors. From coworking, to workshops, event hosting, and a dedicated fabrication area, co.lab will support and sustain the innovative spirit of its community.
This is the general thread for discussing the lab; the thread is also visible on its page at https://www.fablabs.io/labs/colabcommunitymakers