Abstract
Community inclusion efforts are mainly centre-based and driven by professionals. Doing inclusion can also be tricky: so-called inclusive practices can be perceived to be patronising or even oppressive. It is perplexing to those trying to help when they unwittingly get accused of doing harm. Can inclusion be achieved inconspicuously and unremarkably without calling out the marginalised identities of those you are trying to include? We take on this social design challenge by forming and supporting small groups to integrate marginalised individuals (e.g. people with disabilities and isolated seniors) into the communal life of their local neighbourhood. The solution is anchored by local walking tours, which creates an experience which does not feel like a social programme but is actually highly intentional in its design. First, a ‘target of inclusion’ is asked to show the group around their neighbourhood and this walkabout acts as a kind of unobtrusive ‘needs assessment’ and ‘accessibility audit’. Next, neighbourhood tours for all are organised with pit-stops at different community hosts (social service agency, business, church etc.) and this acts as a kind of inconspicuous ‘community asset mapping’ without having to formally conduct such an exercise. We share findings on the outcomes, implementation challenges and implications for community building.
Presenters
Justin LeeSenior Research Fellow, Policy Lab, Institute of Policy Studies, NUS, Central Singapore, Singapore Aishwarya Kunte
Research Assistant, Policy Lab, Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
INCLUSION, SOCIAL DESIGN, COMMUNITY
