Ask
There aren’t many opportunities for pod leaders* to socialize and build connections in the community, the context of most of their activities (outdoors on walks, at malls, staying in BACI spaces) don’t help in facilitating building new relationships with the community.
Because of the lack of opportunities for pod leaders leads to the difficulties people have with misunderstandings or hesitancy to interact with people with disabilities
Challenge
How can we create a process that breaks down social barriers to involve pod leaders in the community more actively?
Solutions
Our first concept is called Market & Mingle. An open market fair hosted by BACI selling our Pod prints that is designed by pod leaders, inviting local shops and the general community.
Our second concept is called Pod prints. The premise is to make pod leader’s arts and crafts activities in the BACI spaces more meaningful and directed in creating something they can use to connect with others at a local fair Market & Mingle. The pod prints are an opportunity for pod leaders to create something to represent themselves and have a starting point to spark conversation and connections with locals.
Background
What is Community Inclusion Spaces
Community Inclusion supports adults in pods* to access and participate in a range of events and activities within their local communities.
What pod leaders do at BACI spaces?
Pod leaders often have arts and crafts activities. BACI has a studio dedicated for pods to improve their creativity, called AHA Studio.
Research & Insights
An organization of more than 400 employees. They offer services ranging from housing help to child care programs that help people for all ages with developmental disabilities
Repeated activities and limit it within BACI
When pod leaders are in the BACI spaces, its mainly to just hang out or used as a pseudo computer labs. They usually aren’t engaging in activities or developing any skills.
On the flip side when they’re operating as a group outdoors, more often than not, pod leaders aren’t getting much interaction with locals or creating new relationships.
Driven from research insights, we decided to focus on pod leaders and their facilitators as our target audience.
Aren’t getting much inclusion within the community
“I don’t want to limit activities within the CI Spaces. Where can I find activities in the surrounding community?”
We have spoken to Cassidy and Asher, pod facilitators, to discuss about their experience and opinion when facilitating activities and navigating the pods to interact with surrounding community.
Guiding principles
Alongside our design focus, we had a couple key things we wanted to keep in mind for our concept
Value proposition
Pod Leaders
Opportunity to show skills and have people understand him through a new lens
Pod Facilitator
Reaching out to the community for the fair help establish connections and partnerships that can evolve
Local Community
Get connected with and support other people in the community and learn about BACI and the pods
Impact
BACI staff and the pod facilitators are satisfied with our proposed solutions and decided to implement it as a template so pod facilitators can execute this. One of the facilitator think that this concept can establish connection between the community and BACI pod leaders through these events that will help the success of any future BACI events open to the public. And it will help draw interest from people regarding the ci spaces where the art is being made We are looking forward to see further impact of our Pod prints!