Dear guide reader,
First of all, thank you, and congratulations if you have this guide (reference to Inclusive Design: Empathy Exercises in the Design Process) in your hand, on your laptop or phone, if you listen to the words and transcripts written through it, or if someone else tells them to you. Similar to me you’ve come to take at least a first step towards understanding what inclusive design, or more specifically inclusion itself, is, and perhaps from these pages you’ve already managed to grasp a few concepts, issues or approaches to the topic.
I personally don’t have the ability to tell you technically or methodically how to deepen your understanding of inclusive design, but I think there are people and thoughts and even methods within the pages of the book that would help you in this aspect.
In fact I am among the people who have not given much thought to inclusivity in my artistic or organizational endeavors so far. I have had occasional encounters with this subject, as diverse in approach and different in need, sometimes even frighteningly so, and as important to implement as soon and as comprehensively as possible, etc. Yet it didn’t interest me, it didn’t affect me, I didn’t know what it meant to actually care.
As I wrote before, I am not the person who is best placed to explain how to be inclusive in what you do, whether it is urban design, or furniture design for public spaces, or event organizer for the public, or just a curious person who wants to learn more, or a philosopher, but I can tell you what I learned during the retreat in Sibiu, organized by AMAIS. I learned that although inclusion is often discussed in objective, or rather general, terms, I write personally and to you directly, because the decision of inclusion starts with the individual, with a recognition of the variety of life, in personal problems and needs, and is applied by integrating into our work and life as many solutions for as many of people as possible: if something cannot be done totally inclusively, there is no point in thinking about it that way, but what can be done,should be done, but above all be done right.
So far we have not directly addressed the issue of disability, because inclusion is not a concept that is solely concerned with this aspect, and yet for our fellow human beings who are in a “disabling” situation it can be a really vital issue and is certainly one that raises or conversely lowers the bar of decency of everyday living.
I propose to see inclusion a little through its opposite, because we know it much better: exclusion. I believe that in every field there is a category of product or service that maintains a level of exclusivity. As an organiser of events, more or less cultural, I know that you can, and from time to time it is necessary to create exclusivity, to limit access, either through a financial nature, the cost of it, or through communication and format such as a guest list or advertising dedicated to a segment of the public, etc. But what all gestures have in common, to create something more exclusive, is that they have at the basis of exclusion something aspirational or niche, achievable, more easily or even more within the 1 in 1000000 chance but something that can be achieved, something you can aspire to and fit into by your own will, otherwise it ends up being discrimination.
It is unpleasant, and we all go through such moments, to be the one who cannot reach that required standard, to be refused entry because you are not on the list, or simply because you do not wear what you should, gives rise to that feeling of frustration and embarrassment, perhaps in some situations even a hatred towards those who can access what you cannot. But what happens when the whole city, or whole parts of it, or even the crosswalk on the corner of the street you’re standing on would be that “exclusive” area? For some people this is unfortunately the daily reality, and the criterion is not at all aspirational or achievable, but humiliating.
The most striking experience on our trip to discover how accessible Sibiu is was when the wheelchair stairlift to a museum floor, installed in accordance with current legislation, is put into operation by a benevolent but clearly somewhat inexperienced gentleman. The lift has reached the top of the stairs, and the ramp coming down from the lift stops 10 cm from the floor. The feeling of helplessness swept through the group. What I would call exclusion by omission, ignoring the necessary, executed most of the time just becausewe didn’t think, or didn’t even think to think about it.
I sincerely hope that this book will at least change that for you. To make you think about it in your future endeavors and to find out how.
Through the stories, knowledge, experiences, ideas, and the organizers’ expertise from the meeting in Sibiu, I managed to learn as a participant about our diversity and the fact that there are no barriers between us. We can easily accommodate each other if we take the time to consider how those around us feel. By experiencing blindness, using a wheelchair, learning through stories, and creating experiences together, we can discover who people with disabilities and different abilities are and what their needs are. We can also learn more about ourselves. I believe I can invite you to be part of an exclusive group:
“Exclusively Inclusive”
All you need to do is commit to thinking about including solutions and guidelines for inclusion as much as possible in all your future projects. Consult with this guide and those who know their special needs best, as they can answer the questions of “why” and “how.” You might find partners and even friends in life.
And then repeat and do it better.
Inclusion cannot be achieved alone, nor can it be achieved without those who are included.
