Group 4 — Augmenting peer to peer connection in an inclusive space.
Process of finalizing the door:
When we were provided with the brief and the Report on PwD by Enable India, we did some secondary research and looked at how people with disability live their lives and what it takes to make them independent. Since it is a task involving patience and time, our team thought of looking at the role of necessary guidance in the formative years of life — schooling.
Schooling does not just involve learning from the instructors, but there is a whole lot of learning that happens through the varied interactions in school. An inclusive school is one such space that enables children with disability to connect with children without disability. However, a disabled student in a mainstream classroom does not count for “inclusion”. A student with a disability in an inclusive classroom requires more attention than others, which may result in an inclusive space creating exclusion.
Activities are divided into 2 phases:
Phase I — Broader Understanding
Phase II- Deeper Understanding
Phase III — Area of Intervention
Phase — I
Activity 1: Steep Analysis
STEEP is a method to analyze and monitor the macro-environmental factors that have an impact on the system. The intent of using this method was to evaluate different external factors which impact a system.
Outcome
With the help of STEEP model, we got a broad overview of the factors affecting Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political fields in terms of Inclusive Schools and their system.
Activity 2: Iceberg model
The application of Iceberg model is to discover the patterns of behavior, supporting structures, and mental models that underlie a particular event.
Outcome
As we were looking at the role of inclusion in a learning space for children with disability, we tried to map out the various elements involved in the making of the system.
Activity 3: Stakeholder mapping of the system
To understand the stakeholders involved in the system and how they have impacted each other and the system as a whole.
The two models- Iceberg and STEEP helped us understanding the problem on a broader aspect.
Phase II:
We used various mapping tools to get a deeper understanding of the system.
Activity 1: User journey map
We went about looking at the current system of inclusion for children with disability at primary level and what they undergo when they are trying to connect with their peers in an inclusive place like school. This was done with the help of a journey map of two students in an inclusive school out of which one is a children with disability and the other is abled.
To map out a day in their lives to see various activities which involved them interacting with peers or teachers. It also was an attempt to understand the differences in performing the same set of tasks by a child with disability and a child without disability.
About:
- Snippets are the experiences from the interaction that a child with disability has with peers without disability, teachers, and parents.
- With that, we have tried to map the experiences they have within the inclusive space.
Outcome:
Through the exercise, we tried to understand the missing links and find the friction points. We understood that two people within the same space experience it differently (Positively and negatively) and despite both of them have a wide range of abilities, not both of them get to use it to the fullest.
From here on we started our research by looking at existing systems that are working towards bridging these gaps in Bangalore. We started looking for organizations which are trying to bridge this gap in the education system.
· The extended research and discussions about the existence of systems which were already working on this led us to Association of People with Disability (APD).
· The Association of People with Disability (APD) is a non-profit organization based out of Bangalore. Their aim is to create an inclusive society, where people with disabilities are accepted into the mainstream economy and social life.
Activity 2: Road Map of APD
We looked at the existing activities taken up by APD to get a sense of their initiatives in the area we were focusing on.
Outcome:
This led us to dig deeper and understand the values that APD is trying to offer through its initiatives of sensitizing peers and conducting inclusive activities for people with disabilities.
Activity 3: Mapping of the system (APD)
Mapping of the system (APD) with the values it offers and the experiences involved. Here we mapped the various services that APD offered to both children with and without disability. By referring to multiple case studies by APD, we were able to map out the different feelings and experiences of their journey through the system.
Outcome:
By mapping out the services(values) that the system was offering in terms of training, workshops, etc., we were able to draw the negative and positive experiences that the children with disability got before being a part of the system and after being a part of the APD system. Some of these experiences were through direct or indirect interaction with other agents/stakeholders in the system.
Gaps/Opportunities
· The experience of “readmission into schools”
· Is the encouragement enough? What else can be done to bring them back?
· Follow up with re-admitted students?
· Shift in environment from training centers to go into mainstream schools.
Looking at the current system, one of the questions that arise is how the model is equally beneficial for the people involved in the system and the values the system offers to them. It is an attempt to understand the transition from a system that works in silos to the mainstream education system.
Phase — III : Area of Intervention
Activity 1 : Journey Map
To look into the gaps we found, we chose 8 personas and mapped their journey through a day in school. This included children with disability, abled children and teachers. We tried to map out the space/ activities that bring them together.We realized that the current system is inhibiting the interactions.
From this journey, we thought of — How might we then use the same space to create a different experience for children with disability, which would also encourage the abled children to engage and involve?
