Dealing with Disability
Freelance, Architecture and Development (NGO), Bangalore India, August- October 2007
Disability Manual, Research and Design Development
Project Synopsis
Dealing with Disability was a project done for a Non-Government Organization called Architecture and Development. The project was envisioned to conduct a research and in turn the development of a manual on disability, within the context of the post TSUNAMI Rehabilitation Program. Through community meetings and by studying the existing habitat the context of disability in rural areas was understood. A selected few participated in a workshop, which was conducted in the redesign residential location. The workshop aimed to understand various points of interaction within the house and the environment. It tried to gain insights on the pain points, barrier and possible coping strategies of the disabled. Post the analysis of the contextual study and the insights from the workshop; a manual was design with the aim to help in improving the development of a disable friendly environment. Keeping the existing scenario of post-construction, the recommendations provided were primarily around incremental and societal changes.
Dealing with Disability was a research and design project for a France based Non-Government Organization, Architecture and Development (A&D). Founded in 1997 at Paris, its main objective is to reinforce the competences of the architects as actors of the development process, while emphasizing their social role as citizens in helping the vulnerable and divested populations, of the North and the South.
Origin
The project orginated in context of 2004 TSUNAMI Rehabilitation Program in south eastern coast of India. More specifically in three fisherman villages of Pondicherry, now Puducherry (Indian Union Territory), Karaikalmedu, Kilinjalmedu and Kottucheriymedu. A&D as an organization had partnered with local NGO and organizations and constructed a program with main objective to reinforce the competences of professionals so that it will support in affirming their role and responsibility. This project was initaited through a conversation with the project coordinator at the tailend of the 18 months program. Even with the limitation of time (2 months) and resources, the project was undertaken with challenge to seek a productive outcome.
Role
The project was envisioned with an aim to conduct small on-location research and development of a manual on disability. Within this my role was to construct a framework for the project and execute an appropraite research and design. For this I was guided by the program lead and coordinator Peeyush Sekhsaria and supported by the on-location field researchers.
Project
Due to contraints of time, funds and resources the project was concieved and the design was executed in the city of Bangalore. However, within the constraints it essential to conduct an on-location research for contextual enquiry and more appropriate understanding of the needs of the local disabled population. For a more qualitative research, startegy was deviced to conduct an in-depth contextual understanding through secondary research methods. Whereby, I collaborated with the on-location field researchers and designed a small workshop which used the participatory design research methods.
On-Location Research
Initailly community meetings were set-up to gain a more comprehensive insight from the community of diabled these were followed by studying the existing habitat to gain a better understanding of the context of disability in rural areas. A selected few participated in a workshop, which was conducted in the re-constructed village. The workshop aimed to understand various aspects of interaction within the house and the environment through obeservation and enquiry. It tried to gain insights on the pain points, barrier and possible coping strategies of the disabled. This was also supplemented by visiting the regional disability centers and organizations.
Design of the Maunal
Post the analysis of the contextual study and the insights from the workshop; a manual was crafted with the aim to help in improving the development of a disable friendly environment. Keeping the existing scenario of post-construction, the recommendations provided were primarily around incremental and societal changes. The content of the manual was designed in keeping with the idea that it should proove as a useful resource in the other TUSNAMI affected regions a where similar rehabilitation efforts were underway. Thus the design of the manual tried to maintain the visual language that is fimilar to the organizations and its workers. Easy reproductions through local technologies of printing and photocopying propeled the design to be in black and white with minimum number of pages. Manual was finally transalted into various other languages for a more wider out-reach.
Final Manual
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