In a recent WELLBEING class led by Julia Kingsdale, Bosque School’s Dean of Equity, Community, and Culture, students were tasked with a challenge in empathy and creativity: to design an inclusive classroom for students with different types of impairments, including hearing impairments, seeing impairments, mobility impairments, ADHD, and dyslexia. They considered not only the physical layout of the room but also the social and emotional aspects of the learning experience.
Students were guided by their understanding of the Social Model of Disability, the idea that impairments become disabilities when institutions and communities fail to plan around a diversity of needs. The students began their projects by researching the specific needs and experiences of students with each impairment. Small groups then created posters depicting changes that would transform a standard classroom into an environment that would empower and support all learners, including those with specific impairments. Alongside essential accommodations like a hearing aid charging station and sign language resources, the students also included sensory tools, a calming fish tank, and even a dedicated therapy dog area.
"It's not just about the tables and the whiteboard," said Ms. Kingsdale. "It's about creating a space that celebrates diversity and empowers all learners. "As the students presented their designs to their peers, they showed that the best planning led to new ways of thinking about other people's needs and how to meet them.
By closely examining how one space, their classroom, could be better envisioned to serve a greater diversity of learners, these Bosque School students demonstrated how more inclusive thinking can better serve everyone in a community. This activity will surely inspire them to imagine how all the places in which they live, work, and play might be made more inclusive.
