When you want to start something, how do you do it? Who do you bring in? How do you structure your participation? How do you get others to join too? How do you convey that you desperately want everyone to try this — to feel welcome.
- You make it transparent — you make it clear how things started and why.
- You make it as open as possible
- For those at risk of negative backlash, you make anonymity an option
- You pair people together to support each other
- You do the work of openness and inclusion while building the thing itself
- You let the “thing” be whatever people make it
- You iterate often
- You keep at it, get feedback and try
And you start somewhere. This thing is starting here:
The goal of the provocation is to stir up conversation and critical thinking and reflection around topics related to inclusive design. For this provocation, we’re asking you to create a representation that expresses what inclusive design—or some aspect of inclusion—means to you. Put another way, what’s a metaphor that conveys something essential about inclusive design?
You might…
- photograph
- draw
- sing
- dance
- program
- play
- cook
Post your inclusive design metaphor on our community site, and, if you want, include a short reflection describing how your representation captures something vital about inclusive design. You can also post your inclusive design metaphor to Twitter with the hashtag #InclusiveDesignUnguide. Capitalize each word and then people who use screen readers will have it read correctly, and everyone else can read it with more ease.
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
In Charles’ reflection http://inclusivedesign.middcreate.net/reflect/introduction/inclusive-design-is-a-messy-room/ I am reminded of the importance, the opportunity that a change in physical perspective gives. And how we have all assumed “places” in so many contexts — teachers up front, students sitting and facing teacher. Sometimes (often) the disruption of those assumptions of place (and therefore power) are revolutionary acts.
And Charles, I’m spending a lot of my time on the floor lately, with a toddler — and it makes me feel playful, (also stiff lol).
To being playful evermore, Jess