A human-centred design project, as part of IDEO — investigating how might we improve the workplace for those living with disabilities. Over the course of 9 weeks, myself & fellow team mates (Soh-yon Park & Ivana Llobet Leca) interviewed people living with PTSD, depression, blindness & autism to support the U.E prototyping stage.
The U.E (aka, Understanding Experience) toolkit aims to facilitate a workplace of understanding. Through a carefully selected Buddy & Mentor scheme, U.E pairs a disabled worker with an able-bodied worker via the U.E app. This is an opportunity for Mentors (disabled worker) to educate their Buddy (“able-bodied” worker) through a series of listening and action tasks. Buddy’s & Mentors meet on a regular basis — working together, and learning from each other — in order to cultivate a harmonious and understanding workforce.
Frugal Role-Play
We took a moment to reflect on what was learnt during the interview stage, and put it into action by role-playing the Buddy & the Mentor. In these short videos, we explore the experience of a Blind Mentor & PTSD Mentor in the workplace.
U.E Mentor
Our mentors share their experiences of working with a disability with their buddy. Working together, they create solutions to reduce stigma and increase opportunities.
U.E Buddy
Our buddy’s are there to learn from the mentors, by experiencing their disability and working with them to make the workplace more accessible.
Presenting initial concepts to innovators & creative collaborators at the global design & innovation company, IDEO
A big thank you to our disability mentors and interviewees: Hasan, Neela, Jakub, and Cecilia for donating their time and experiences towards our research and ongoing prototyping. And an extra special thanks to our collaborators: Soh-yon Park & Ivana Llobet Leca for their hard work towards this ongoing project.
