Opportunities For Inclusion Research Articles

Designing for inclusion in public playgrounds: a scoping review of definitions, and utilization of universal design

Purpose Public playgrounds afford children and families important opportunities for outdoor play, social participation, and inclusion. Unfortunately, many children and families experience barriers to accessing, using, and being included in public playgrounds. Consequently, Universal Design (UD) is promoted for providing conceptual guidance for designing for inclusion in public playgrounds. However, a lack of research evidence means researchers have engaged in the ongoing interpretation of the UD concept and related non-discriminatory planning and design concepts. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine how UD, and related concepts, are used in peer-reviewed articles concerning public playgrounds. Materials and methods A scoping review was conducted in November 2019, which identified 15 peer-reviewed articles that met the inclusion criteria. Results Analysis revealed that the terms UD, inclusive design, accessibility, and usability are all being used to describe non-discriminatory planning and design concepts arbitrarily and without regard for higher or lower order concepts. Two broad interpretations were evident: (a) UD is synonymous with accessibility for some, and (b) UD is a higher-order concept that goes beyond accessibility for others. Nevertheless, findings highlight the utility of UD in underpinning the design of public playgrounds in many developed countries; however, the concept requires further clarity and specificity as it pertains to playground design and more pertinently inclusion in outdoor play. Conclusions We argue for further conceptual refinement to consolidate the importance and future application of UD for Play (UDP) in the design of public playgrounds that promote outdoor play, social participation, and inclusion. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Most peer-reviewed journal articles reviewed fail to define what is meant by the term Universal Design. Of those that do provide a definition, the outcome of inclusion in play, or the application of Universal Design to enable play in public playgrounds was unclear. Research to date has mostly focused on related concepts, including accessibility and usability, with less emphasis on Universal Design. Recommend a tailored perspective of Universal Design for Play (UDP).

Body Styles: Redirecting Ethics and the Question of Embodied Empathy in Fashion Design

The activity of designing fashion is intimately connected to the bodies of others. While the garments designers conceive enclose wearers’ bodies in direct physical contact, those garments also create opportunities for participation, social connection and inclusion as well as possibilities for amorous encounter, novelty and self-expression. Drawing on the outcomes of a research project investigating somatic experiences in fashion, this article examines the notion of embodied empathy in design practice. The article addresses the potential for fashion designing to be understood and enacted as an empathic practice; one that is grounded in a sensitivity to the embodied experiences of others. In doing so, it advances the notion of body style, a dynamic design lens for fashion that foregrounds movement and somatic experience, based in the unfolding interaction between fashion garments and bodies in co-creative acts of wearing. The article argues such an embodied orientation for fashion design provides an opportunity for designers to redirect their design practices beyond appearances to enable and support bodily comportments. This article raises the question of embodied empathy in the context of current discourses on ethical fashion and responds to the following questions: How might an increased sensitivity to the embodied experiences of wearers shift fashion design practice? And following that, what might be the outcomes of such a shift in orientation?

Why art and culture contribute more to an economy than growth and jobs

There is growing international interest in the potential of the cultural and creative industries to drive sustainable development and create inclusive job opportunities. An indication of this is a recent set of UNESCO guidelines on how to measure and compile statistics about the economic contribution of the cultural industries. But should this be the only reason for funding arts and culture?

‘I’m fired up now!’: digital cataloguing, community archives, and unintended opportunities for individual and archival digital inclusion

‘I’m fired up now!’: digital cataloguing, community archives, and unintended opportunities for individual and archival digital inclusion

Lockdown lessons learned. Reconceptualising a Sociology of Education module in ITE using a TPACKframework, optimising pedagogy, enhancing student outcomes through the provision of inclusive and accessible opportunities for learning

ABSTRACT The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 forced Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to quickly reimagine and rethink how lectures and tutorials would continue, how students would be assessed and progressed and how standards would be maintained. This paper focuses on the pedagogical lessons learned from the online pivot in 2020 and how that learning was then harnessed in the 2020–2021 academic year in the reconceptualization and redesign of a Sociology of Education module in one HEI in Ireland. The module was scaffolded by the TPACK framework (Mishra, P., and M. J. Koehler. 2006. “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge.” Teachers College Record 108 (6): 1017–1054), which supported dynamic teaching, learning and assessment approach delivered using both synchronous and asynchronous pedagogies. The paper explores levels and types of student engagement, student outputs across both synchronous and asynchronous elements of the module and how the overall module design impacted positively on student outcomes and student engagement. The provision of multiple points of engagement/tasks for students both synchronously and asynchronously ensured an inclusive strengths-based approach where students felt comfortable and confident enough to engage, articulate themselves and contribute to the module.

Community institutions in water governance for sustainable livelihoods

Successful community institutions in the global South, which are contributing to livelihoods’ improvement while conserving water and other natural resources, can sustainably build the resilience that policy makers at different tiers are seeking. This article assesses different models of community institutions in Nepal in governing water resources from various lenses, based on Ostrom’s and others’ design principles, including bricolage. Illustrated by three empirical cases, it analyses key features of community institutions in integrated water governance, their contributions to health, nutrition, food security, and environmental conservation, and ways for empowering these institutions as viable and sustainable solutions to address various livelihood challenges. However, inequalities along gender, caste, and ethnicity lines persist. We argue that the recently established local governments under the federal system in Nepal provide new opportunities for gender and social inclusion.

Raciolinguistic ideologies as experienced by racialized academics in South Africa

English remains a language of power in post-apartheid South Africa, providing access to goods, services, social status, and is indexical to White privilege. Raciolinguistic theoretical perspectives postulate that if “standard” English is used by racialized individuals, they are stigmatized as “language deficient’ and have fewer opportunities for inclusion and upward social mobility. In this study we examined the dynamics of raciolinguistic ideology and linguistic inequalities at work. Thematic analysis of interviews with 18 racialized academics produced several themes indicating that these individuals need English to succeed but that they are also marginalized based on how they speak it. We argue that raciolinguistic ideologies in higher education should be addressed to create a more inviting atmosphere for academics of color.

Untangling the complexity of designing tools to support tangible and digital intercultural story telling in troubled times: a case in point

AbstractIn this paper, we present a descriptive case study of the Mobeybou materials, a kit of tangible and digital tools aimed at offering young children opportunities to read, create and share intercultural stories. The tools comprise a set of story apps that present interactive, multimodal and intercultural stories for children to make meanings with, a digital manipulative (DM) and a storyMaker (a digital replication of the DM) that offer the possibility for embodied, collaborative and creative construction of stories by the children themselves. After presenting the materials, we describe how they evolved as an interface of convergence of several complementary theories. By doing this, our major intention is to contribute to the understanding that the design of tools and technologies aimed at creating meaningful and inclusive opportunities for digital story telling in troubled times is a complex, demanding endeavour, but can also be a powerful tool to address the complexities of the troubled times we are living in.

Emerging Information and Communication Technologies for Monitoring India's Marine Small-Scale Fisheries, Opportunities for Inclusion, Risks of Exclusion

Adaptive, inclusive and effective management of fisheries resources is dependent on knowledge from multiple quantitative and qualitative sources. As technology advances, there is an increasing interest in digital and automated solutions for gathering fisheries data. Small-scale fisheries (SSF) have presented a persistent challenge to many centralized quantitative data collection systems, and frequently maintain the status of ‘unreported’. This unreported nature often implicates SSF in the definition and discussions of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Monitoring, control and surveillance are seen as a vital part of the solution to IUU fishing, with substantial investment being put into increasingly sophisticated technology for tracking fishing vessels. For the past few years, India has been attempting to pass legislation to require all vessels, from small-scale to industrial, to install vessel monitoring systems on the grounds of national security and combating IUU fishing. However, there are concerns that a securitized and top-down approach to implement vessel tracking is not only wasteful but risks further marginalization of small-scale fishers from the resource, and fisheries groups from governance processes. India should seek to solve the underlying causes of IUU fishing while also developing collaborative monitoring and community-based management models. In this paper, we review evidence of emerging information and communication technologies and approaches in SSF and discuss how, if introduced and managed through collaborative processes, they could be used as a platform to strengthen inclusive governance, increase sustainability and improve wellbeing in coastal fisheries in India.

Institutional Support for Families Taising Children with Disabilities in the Context of Social Inclusion: Analysis of Children’s Day Centers

The article examines the availability of institutional support for families raising children with disabilities. The aim of the study is to identify opportunities for social inclusion of children with disabilities in the children’s day center. Families raising children with disabilities are unable to function fully in public life due to the lack of access to services. Access to services and assistance, for the most vulnerable groups, depends on the attitude of state social policy makers, financial resources, cooperation, public involvement and, ultimately, the family’s own readiness to participate in public life. The methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization and comparative analysis of scientific literature were used in the research.
 The research revealed that the mechanism of children’s day care centers operating in Lithuania does not correspond to the model of creating an inclusive environment. Therefore, political decisions are needed on the development of services and the development of social inclusion at both the state and municipal levels, taking into account the needs of families raising children with disabilities. The practical significance of the study is that the study is useful for improving the accessibility of social services for families with children with disabilities and developing the concept of social inclusion.

Dispute about the Nature of Law

The article analyzes the conditions for a dialogue between Western and post-Soviet philosophy and theory of law on the nature of law (in terms of the first), or understanding of law (in terms of the second), which would create an opportunity for the organic inclusion of the “dispute about the nature of law” elements in the context of the discussion and solving issues relevant to the post-Soviet philosophy of law, including the shift of emphasis from the theoretical to the practical aspect of the problem of the nature of law.
 The research begins with a general description of the peculiarities of the “discourse of legal thinking (understanding of law)” inherent in post-Soviet jurisprudence and the identification of ontological and analytical criteria for classifying the types of understanding of law (natural law, positivist, sociological) as the basis for further convergence of post-Soviet and Western experience of understanding of law.
 Further, the meaning of the concept of validity of law in its social, moral and legal varieties for understanding the nature of law in general and the corresponding types of such understanding are revealed.
 In the final part, attention is drawn to the practical aspects of the study of the nature of law, carried out in the context of “extraordinary cases” existing on the verge of law and un-law. Further analysis reveals the methodological possibilities of comprehending the concept of law through the correlation with the counter-concept of “un-law” using examples: post-Soviet discussions about the relationship between law and statute, legal and non-legal law; Hegel’s concept of right and non-right; contemporary non-positivist approach by Robert Alexy in accordance with the criterion of the “limiting border” of law according to the Radbruch formula.
 The conclusions summarize the provisions on the general and distinctive features of the “discourse of the nature of law” and “discourse of understanding of law”, determine the prospects for their rapprochement.

Evaluating Spaces for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness: Findings From an Environmental Audit

Homeless populations require spaces and services that take into account their life trajectories. The Aging in the Right Place - Environmental Checklist (AIRP-ENV) is an environmental audit tool developed by our team to evaluate the accessibility and overall design features of housing targeted for aging individuals experiencing homelessness. Researchers in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal employed this tool in 2021 to evaluate environmental features in selected promising practices to identify built environment factors that promote aging in the right place. Preliminary findings reveal the following themes across sites: access to communal and recreational spaces encourage social inclusion and meaningful recreation opportunities; barrier-free built environment features foster independence and safety; and access to services and amenities encourage community mobility. Findings demonstrate a need to employ a broader evaluative lens that incorporates psycho-social factors to gain a nuanced understanding of aging in the right place for older adults who have experienced homelessness.

Intergenerational Friendship as a Conduit for Social Inclusion? Insights from the “Book‐Ends”

Friendship is said to promote psychological and physical well‐being and increase social inclusion. Yet, intergenerational friendship has garnered little research attention due to the assumed dominance of age homophily in friendship. In this article we explore intergenerational friendship from the perspective of “younger” and “older” friends at the “generational book‐ends” of the life course. We focus on the role that intergenerational friendship plays in processes of social inclusion in the everyday lives of the participants, bringing together a study conducted in Finland and one in Ireland. Both studies employ qualitative methodology, drawing from interviews with 31 young people who were refugees (aged 13–18) in Finland and 23 older people (aged 65+) in Ireland. Our findings reveal that the younger and the older participants concur on the qualities and benefits of intergenerational friendship. Additionally, while age is not a uniform definer of friendships, differences in chronological age are not meaningless but support caring, enjoyment, and inclusion in alternative ways compared to peer‐aged friendships. Access to diverse company, distinct support, broader networks, and alternative identities lead to increased experiences of social inclusion at a personal and societal level. We conclude by calling on policy makers and communities to create spaces and opportunities for inclusion through friendship for all generations.

Networks Amongst Syrians: Situated Migrant Positionalities and the Impact on Relational Embedding

This article employs Yuval‐Davis concept of situated intersectionality to explore processes of relational embedding amongst Syrian migrants in the UK. By drawing on in‐depth interview data from 31 men and women living in North East England, we explore how varying social categories—or positionalities—intersect and shape personal networks and feelings of attachment amongst Syrians. We show how wider structural contexts and systems of social relations shape migrants’ sense of belonging and attachment which can serve to enhance or weaken opportunities for social and economic inclusion. The findings reveal how, for Syrian migrants, wider macro level contexts determine immigration and asylum routes which in turn shape place‐specific opportunity structures that impact on micro individual level processes of relational embedding. We develop the term “migrant positionalities” as a social category to capture the multiple experiences of migration and asylum and the power dynamics that determine opportunity structures and processes of embedding. We contribute to the debates in this field by demonstrating how the wider structural context can lead to a multiplicity of immigration and asylum experiences for individuals, resulting in differences in support and rights that go on to shape processes of embedding and personal networks. By employing a situated intersectional lens, we also demonstrate how and why processes of relational embedding differ amongst migrants of the same nationality on the basis of social positionings such as ethnicity, class, and religion, that are situated in context, time, and space.

Increasing Awareness of Inclusive STEM Education through a College-Level Student Research Group

The under representation of persons with disabilities in STEM reflects not only a moral failing in society’s commitment to equity but also a practical dilemma as science benefits from the contributions of people with diverse perspectives. While teacher education programs attempt to address equity at the K-12 level, societal biases and misconceptions about who is “able” in science present persistent barriers for people with disabilities throughout the STEM pipeline, in higher education, employment, and beyond. How can we ensure that students with disabilities will encounter professors, employers, coworkers, and peers who are supportive of their efforts in STEM? To address this question, this article describes the experience of a college administrator and four students who collaboratively conducted a literature review on inclusive STEM education during the summer of 2020. While the goal of this project was to provide meaningful summer learning opportunities and employment for students during COVID-19 while simultaneously providing research support for the administrator, project outcomes suggest that the college students, none of whom were education majors, gained understanding and appreciation of the issues surrounding inclusive STEM education while also developing expertise in the literature review process. We suggest that this project represents a successful teaching technique that can be used in higher education, including teacher education programs, to contribute to the development of future leaders, educators, and citizens who are aware of, engaged with, and supportive of quality inclusive STEM education and opportunities for all.

Using participatory research to co‐create the dementia‐inclusive choices for exercise toolkit

AbstractBackgroundExercise improves functional abilities of persons living with dementia (PLWD) and provides an opportunity for social engagement, support, and inclusion. Yet, there are few exercise programs available to PLWD, especially in smaller communities. The goal of the Dementia‐Inclusive Choices for Exercise (DICE) project was to use participatory processes to create evidence‐informed knowledge translation (KT) resources to increase the number and quality of exercise opportunities for PLWD.MethodThe DICE core team includes PLWD, a family care partner (CP), exercise providers (EPs), dementia service providers (DSPs), health care professionals, and researchers. In the early project stages, we confirmed objectives and conducted 1 survey, 2 interviews, 16 focus groups to better understand barriers to and supports needed for exercise among PLWD. Results led to the prioritizing of primary (EPs) and secondary (PLWD & CP) target audiences for the KT resources. Co‐creation of the KT resources followed several steps: 1) drafting content and possible formats for resources over several core team meetings; 2) conducting a one‐day workshop with additional PLWD, CPs, EPs, and DSPs to develop a comprehensive plan for the content and format for each resource, target audience, and dissemination strategies; 3) using iterative design among the core team, resource developers, and additional PLWD, CPs, EPs, and DSPs to develop resources; and 4) usability testing.ResultKey information to be translated included understanding the diversity of dementia, rights of PLWD to inclusion, physical activity guidelines/benefits, and dementia‐inclusive communication, practices, and design. This information is delivered through the DICE toolkit, which includes a website, on‐line training modules and manual targeted at exercise providers, destigmatizing videos that show the stories of PLWD, and resources for PLWD and their CPs to increase knowledge and confidence regarding exercise. Subsequent usability testing among EPs, PLWD, and CPs (n=7) identified design and content adjustments. Collaborative and inclusive decision making created improved relationships and ongoing learning between all stakeholders.ConclusionThe participatory approach of the DICE project enabled stakeholders to identify and share perspectives and needs throughout the co‐creation process. Working collaboratively and iteratively with a diverse team ensured that the DICE toolkit is relevant and usable to EPs, PLWD, and CPs.

Creative non-fiction in dementia: Men's experiences of sport-focused reminiscence using narrative methods

Qualitative research methodologies offer valuable insight into important aspects of the lived experience of dementia, and provide inclusion opportunities for those with moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Narrative methods such as creative non-fiction (CNF) offer an evocative method to utilise direct accounts of the experience of living with dementia, to attenuate professionals and academics to best practice approaches to supporting their needs. Men face unique challenges in finding appropriate support to help them to maintain a sense of identity following a diagnosis of dementia. Yet, academic literature seldom uses the voices of those affected when highlighting this issue. This study presents ethnographic data written as a composite narrative using CNF, to explore how social connections are formed through a structured sports-based reminiscence intervention for men living with dementia. This article demonstrates how the CNF approach can be applied to ethnographic data, offering a detailed description of the writing process applied in this study. In particular, we discuss in detail the ways in which CNF writing techniques have helped to enhance the communication of key mechanisms observed during fieldwork.

The mutual benefits of patient and public involvement in research: an example from a feasibility study (MoTaStim-Foot)

BackgroundPatient and public involvement (PPI) in research has increased steadily over the last two decades and is now both expected and appropriately resourced by many funding bodies, including the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). However, PPI in research occurs in many different capacities and numerous frameworks exist for reporting or appraising patient involvement activities. The aim of this article is to describe processes involving PPI contributions to an NIHR-funded mixed-methods feasibility study (MoTaStim-Foot). Details of PPI advisors’ input, from initial identification and prioritisation of research ideas, to research delivery and dissemination, are discussed.MethodsExtensive PPI for MoTaStim-Foot is reported, with consideration of Research Design Service (RDS) advice for PPI for research, involving identifying and prioritising: design; grant proposal development; undertaking/managing research; analysing and interpreting; dissemination; implementation; monitoring and evaluation. Two PPI workshops were undertaken; success in meeting UK standards for public involvement was audited against specific success criteria by two researchers, with discussion and consideration regarding how well our PPI achieved inclusive opportunities, working together, support and learning, governance, communications and impact. How PPI can be improved for future trials was also considered. Although the advantages of PPI for researchers were considered, the benefits for PPI advisors were also analysed.ResultsUK standards for public involvement were achieved, along with seven relevant research processes suggested by the RDS. PPI advisor contributions: informed study design; contributed to successful funding; enhanced trial delivery by informing participant information sheets and daily diaries; added value through undertaking note-taker roles in focus groups and helping to analyse focus group transcripts; and assisted in dissemination. However, benefits were mutual with PPI advisors reporting feeling valued and respected, a sense of pride with renewed confidence and purpose in life.ConclusionsImportance and value of PPI, to researchers and patient advisors, have been highlighted, reinforcing the benefits of working in partnership with PPI advisors.Trial registration ISRCTN 13676183; Central Portfolio Management System ID 30449. Registered 02/01/2015, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN13676183.

English as a Second or Other Language-Focused Leadership to Support English Language Learners: A Case Study

With the growing population of culturally and linguistically diverse students in K-12 schools, explicit English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL)-focused leadership is needed to support culturally responsive teaching practices, as well as provide socially just and equitable educational opportunities for all students. This study focuses on how one school district and its high school have distributed and sustained ESOL-focused leadership (knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practices) to promote inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for ELLs. Findings from this case study provide examples of the presence of ESOL-focused leadership and how it supports ELLs and their teachers. Practical implications for meeting ELLs’ unique needs are shared.

Faculty of Education Professors' Perception about the Inclusion of University Students with Disabilities.

The recognition of the right to the inclusion of people with disabilities on a global scale has led to progress in the planning and development of policies and programs among different areas. The present work addresses the accessibility barriers to university education as an opportunity for greater inclusion. Universities must facilitate all students’ physical, curricular, and relational access and comply with a “reasonable accommodation” policy to allow students with disabilities equal opportunities. The aim is to analyze the barriers that hinder educational inclusion. Four factors are explored: the students’ accessibility to facilities and resources; the teachers’ willingness to respond to students with disabilities and special educational needs (SEN); the teachers’ curricular adjustments to meet those needs; the students’ interactions with their peers and professors. We worked with a sample of 201 university professors of teacher training programs in Spain. The results show statistically significant differences in the factors indicated, according to sex, age group, teaching experience, and experience with students who require educational support. According to the study results, a series of recommendations are included to improve the training necessary for university professors to promote inclusive education.