There are many ways to help people with special needs — building an inclusive and diverse community with GDG Algeciras
We all know that diversity is a fundamental value for the GDGs and one of the very first things considered when organizing any activity.
When GDG Algeciras started to think about the last event of 2021, we came to the conclusion that it is a great idea to tackle it with a special approach: the event dedicated entirely to people with special educational needs, to be more precise — people with Down Syndrome.
We decided to organize an event dedicated exclusively to this group, with the concept of urban mobility as the common thread.
To bring this idea to life, we contacted the local association “Besana” (which is dedicated to people with Down Syndrome), which was very enthusiastic about the idea.
We also need to mention here the priceless collaboration with IFP Puenteuropa. The Institute made its facilities available to us, and a group of students volunteered to support and guide the participants of various activities during the whole event. Without them the event would not have been possible and would not have been as successful as it was.
The structure of the event was build based on 3 groups that we focused on:
- first group of 5 minors,
- second group with 8 adults older than 20 years,
- third group of parents (who were also involved in the event).
Although the main theme was urban autonomy, we applied a different approach to each group of participants based on their profile and prepared personalized activities.
Therefore, the activities were structured as follows:
For participants under the age of 18, we used Google Classroom to associate a series of clipart images with their corresponding concepts of urban mobility, in order to help them increase their autonomy.
For the adult participants, the IFPS Puenteuropa students set up a kind of escape room in the form of a Wordpress web page. The participants were looking for hints that led them through the game to get the complete address of the bar, where in the end everyone, participants and collaborating students, would meet and have some drinks.
Before starting the game they had been practicing with Google Maps, searching locations in different parts of the city, to familiarize themselves with the tool and be able to participate in the activity.
Finally, the parents attended a videoconference during which the psychologist Marta Sené Aliaga explained guidelines and gave advice to those of them who may be hesitant to admit their children need the urban autonomy and might find it difficult to accept that with the help of technology they can move freely.
Needless to say, the attendees had a great time, the parents appreciated the advice from Marta Sené and for the volunteer students it was a unique and enriching experience.
To sum up, as the GDG Algeciras team we are very proud to have held this event, which we hope will be inspiring for all the chapters not only in Europe but also globally. We believe organizing events focused on accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities will not only show how technology can make our lives better, but also bring innovation and uniqueness to the whole GDG family.
