Section 504 of the American Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states, no qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives or benefits from Federal financial assistance. The Foundations curriculum within the School of Art & Design at WichitaStateUniversity offers structured courses that introduce students to principles and theories in visual thinking. How do instructors enable a student with quadriplegia to fulfill the requirements of a 3-dimensional design foundation course that also emphasizes learning to handle equipment and tools properly in order to realize their designs? The approach was for the student to use a 3D modeling software as a way to design and construct concepts relating to the assignments in virtual space. It was equally essential that the instructor be familiar with the concept of teaching with the modeling software. While the learning curve for designing with 3D modeling software can be steep; there are a few programs that offer intuitive tools to speed up the process of taking an idea to full visualization. 3D modeling can prove very effective for visually conveying the students’ ideas in accomplishing the assignments and provides persons with quadriplegia a powerful tool for achieving design independence.