Designing Inclusive Discussions
Using universal and specific design principles to create a supportive environment for all the participants in a discussion
Dear collaborative discussion friends,
This week we are highlighting a brand new activity that encourages participants to think about the different needs of people in a group, including physical, mental, and emotional, as well as their discussion styles. This activity helps participants use this information to then intentionally design a discussion space that supports these needs and allows everyone in the discussion to show up authentically and feel like they belong.
This activity is contributed by Sarah Pruett & Scott Pruett, co-founders of the Universal Design (UD) Project, and Eric Schmucker, Fellow in Residence at the Interactivity Foundation and a member of our Collaborative Discussion Project (CDP) team. It is one of the many activities in the Introduction to Collaborative Discussion Module.
If you missed the previous newsletter, Some More Favorite Toolkit Activities, you can access it and our other weekly newsletters by subscribing below.
This week's activity:
Activity 1.10 - Designing Inclusive Discussions
Creating a discussion that supports and includes all participants
This activity helps participants consider key design principles and take ownership of creating inclusive discussion spaces. Participants are first invited to work in small groups to design a kitchen for fictional clients, with each group being assigned a client with different or opposite needs. This fun part of the activity and the kitchen designs that each group creates and shares is then used as the springboard to introduce the concepts of universal and specific design. Participant are then asked to take these concepts and apply them to designing a discussion environment that would address the different needs and discussion styles of their full group, based on their collective results from the Evaluating Your Discussion Style survey.
Prepare for the Activity
Invite participants to complete the Evaluating Your Discussion Style Questionnaire from Activity 1.8 Evaluating Your Discussion Style. Prepare a summary of the group’s collective results.
Organize participants into small groups (3-4 ppl). Make sure participants have a writing surface and provide them with copies of the Designing Inclusive Discussions Worksheet.
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity:
Identify factors necessary for inclusive discussion design, including universal vs. specific design.
Practice designing inclusive discussion spaces.
Break into Small Groups and Design a Kitchen
Participants will work in pairs or small groups (3-4 ppl) to design a kitchen for a fictional client with specific needs. Assign each group a person using a specific descriptor. For example, someone who…
is extremely tall
is extremely short
uses a wheelchair
has complete loss of sight
has difficulty reaching, lifting, or carrying items
has difficulty bending, kneeling, etc.
has limited stamina
has limited balance
The fictional clients you choose to assign to groups should have conflicting needs. For example, designing for an extremely tall person versus an extremely short person. Participants will likely make designs specific to that one client’s needs and these designs might actually create difficulties if other people were to use the same space without the same needs.
Remind the groups to not describe their client to each other.
Invite each group to use the worksheet to design a kitchen for their particular client. Share the following prompts:
How will this client make dinner, for example a casserole or a chicken pot pie? What would the steps be?
What would your client interact with in the kitchen when doing so? How does the kitchen need to be designed to help them do so?
For example, where is each ingredient kept and how do they access them? How far apart are they? What is the surface like that they are making the sandwich on and where is it? Where and how do they clean up their plate and utensils?
Tip: Think of someone you may know who is similar to this client to help you visualize how they might move through the kitchen to do the task.
You can change the kitchen layout and can include or adapt kitchen tools as needed for your client.
Facilitator Tip: There are different categories of how a kitchen can be modified in regard to the design (ex. location of elements, counter heights, etc.) but groups can also modify the task itself by changing the tools involved (ex. cutting boards that don't slide, built up handles, or jar openers, etc.). The task could be made easier either by completely changing the environment or by using different tools. Pay attention to how the groups approach the task.
Showcase Designs
Return to the full group and invite a representative from each small group to briefly describe their client and the design elements of their kitchen. While each group is reporting, record notes on their design elements on a shared surface visible to everyone.
After all the groups have shared, introduce the concepts of universal design and specific design by sharing the following definitions:
“Universal design is design that’s usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.” –Ron Mace (an architect with polio who coined the term in the 1980s)
Universal Design asks “can multiple people exist in a space and have it work for them simultaneously?”
Specific Design asks “are there elements of the design that are unusable for some people?”
Discuss:
In thinking about universal design, where do we see areas of overlap or design elements that could be supportive to all of our clients?
In thinking about specific design, where do we see areas of contradictions, or elements of the design that only work for one client? (One possible example is really high countertops.)
What modifications could we make so that all of our clients could comfortably use this kitchen?
What modifications could we make to the tools we use that could meet universal needs without completely redesigning the kitchen? For example, cutting boards, jar lids, etc.
Facilitator Tip: If there are no areas of contradiction you can ask how one of the clients would use this design if they suddenly had a new impairment? Would it still work?
Explore Discussion Design
Share the following prompt:
Just as everyone has different needs and considerations when using a kitchen, people have different needs and considerations when engaging in a discussion. One of the main considerations is how to create a discussion environment that can fit many different discussion needs to the greatest extent possible.
Invite participants to review the collective feedback from the Evaluating Your Discussion Style Questionnaire and discuss:
Of these results, what stands out? What surprises you?
What are some general discussion participation trends?
What are some common fears or points of anxiety?
Invite participants to individually reflect and write down their thoughts on the worksheet to the following prompts:
How can we create a discussion environment and process that best supports all members in this group?
What should it include? Is there anything we should avoid?
What elements or tools do we need to include?
How should the room be set up?
How might we modify or adapt the space or tools that we currently have to be more universally supportive?
In either a large group or in small groups, invite participants to discuss their responses to the above questions and work together to design a discussion that would work best for the entire group.
Facilitator Tip: You can review the group’s feedback from the Evaluating Your Discussion Style Questionnaire and facilitate this step based on the method of discussion the majority prefer. If they record that they prefer small group discussion, then do this as a small group. If the majority record that they prefer a large group, then lead the activity as a large group.
Showcase Designs (If the activity was completed in small groups)
Return to the full group and invite a representative from each small group to briefly describe their discussion elements and room setup.
Debrief as a Full Group
Come back together as a full group and discuss the following questions:
Most of the time, when designing a discussion, you do not know participants’ discussion styles or preferences ahead of time. How can you still design an inclusive discussion without that information?
Some people may need additional considerations or adaptations for them to participate (specific designs). What are some examples of specific designs that you may need to consider?
Should we always design a space for the comfort of the majority? When should we focus on designing a space with specific design, even when it is not necessary for the majority? Even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient for the majority?
In addition to these debriefing questions, the full description of Activity 1.10 Designing Inclusive Discussions includes reflection questions, a practice journal prompt, and additional resources to help participants dive deeper.
Dive Deeper by Clustering Activities Together
Activity 1.10 can be clustered together with Activity 1.8 Evaluating Your Discussion Style and Activity 4.7 Recognizing Power Imbalances in Decision Making.
Instead of having participants complete just the questionnaire from Activity 1.8, have them do the full Activity 1.8 and then, using the results from the questionnaire, do this Activity 1.10. In addition to considering physical, mental, emotional, and other needs and the discussion style of a group of people participating in a discussion, it can also be helpful to examine power dynamics and how it plays out in a group discussion. Activity 4.7 is a great activity to help participants become more aware of power imbalances in any discussion and reflect on what they can do as individuals to disrupt the existing power dynamics.
If you try out this activity, please share with us what you think:
We hope this toolkit activity helps participants intentionally think about the different needs and discussion styles of a group and use this information to design more inclusive discussions that create a safe and supportive space for everyone in the discussion to participate authentically.
Upcoming Events
5 Practices for Better College Discussions Workshop Series. Invite college students to register and attend these workshops for an introduction to the necessary skills for robust class conversations! The upcoming workshops in this series will take place online from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm (eastern) on November 6 and November 20. Share this link for them to register!
CDP Community Gathering. Mark your calendars! Our next community gathering is Thursday, November 14th at 12 pm (eastern). It will be a casual Q&A session, so bring your questions about using activities from the toolkit, offering certificate programs, or any other questions you may have about the CDP. All are welcome! Register here.
Looking forward to collaborating,
Ritu, Eric, & the Collaborative Discussion Team