WAVE FORWARD
INTERACTION DESIGNMembers: Aryaman Jacob, Shashank Gedala, Suraj P Suresh, Varanneya Thakore, Yaxuan Li
Project Supervisor: Dr Christine Farion
Collaborators: Kev & Glyn (Founders, SurfABLE Scotland)
SurfABLE Scotland stands as Scotland's pioneering surf school, designed for children with Additional Support Needs (ASN) as well. Offering both surfing and swimming lessons, SurfABLE provides a fully adaptive and inclusive experience.
Distinguished from standard surfing sessions, ASN surfing is tailored to accommodate individual needs. Dedicated coaches facilitate balance through the utilization of adaptive surfboards, expertly selecting ideal waves and providing necessary support to students throughout their sessions. This approach ensures a safe and enriching experience for all participants.
I consider myself an abled bodied person and I have never surfed before I took up this project. Through this project I questioned my power as an abled bodied person throughout the whole process as compared to the rest of the participants diagnosed with neurodivergence. It was a new learning, finding out the different challenges that people face.
Distinguished from standard surfing sessions, ASN surfing is tailored to accommodate individual needs. Dedicated coaches facilitate balance through the utilization of adaptive surfboards, expertly selecting ideal waves and providing necessary support to students throughout their sessions. This approach ensures a safe and enriching experience for all participants.
I consider myself an abled bodied person and I have never surfed before I took up this project. Through this project I questioned my power as an abled bodied person throughout the whole process as compared to the rest of the participants diagnosed with neurodivergence. It was a new learning, finding out the different challenges that people face.
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS:
The following research methodologies were used
Ethnography
Methods - Interviews, Field notes, Filming, Photography & Observations (Participant & non-participant) To understand how surfing we went to Lossiemouth for a surf lesson and immersed ourselves in an assisted SurfABLE surf session.
Case Studies
Methods - Document Study & Structured Interviews
To design the intervention (Gamification of Medication Adherence in Epilepsy, Graphic organizers and their effects on the reading comprehension of students with LD) and the workshop activities (Forming group relationships through group art-making).
Participatory Action Research
Methods - Art Making, Participant Observations, Focus groups, Group-discussions, Semi structured interviews & Questionaires
Workshop Session.
We conducted interviews with Kev and Glyn, co-founders of SurfABLE, along with surfers and volunteers from SurfABLE. Additionally, we reached out to Caleb Reed from the Adaptive Surf Project in California to gain insights into global adaptive surfing practices. Adaptive surfing poses unique challenges due to its dependency on weather conditions and the need for specialized equipment. Moreover, establishing a flexible structure is crucial as there is no one-size-fits-all approach in this field.
In summary, our investigation involved engaging with individuals within the surfing community, where a significant proportion identified as neurodiverse. Through this process, we uncovered key insights, noting several recurring themes.
Notably, communication, personal development, equipment, and personalization emerged as the most prevalent themes. Upon careful analysis of these findings and extensive brainstorming, one solution consistently stood out as having the greatest potential within our area of intervention. This solution involves implementing a system that incorporates specialized equipment for board transportation, a graphic organizer for enhanced communication, and a reward system.![Analysis of the data]()
Notably, communication, personal development, equipment, and personalization emerged as the most prevalent themes. Upon careful analysis of these findings and extensive brainstorming, one solution consistently stood out as having the greatest potential within our area of intervention. This solution involves implementing a system that incorporates specialized equipment for board transportation, a graphic organizer for enhanced communication, and a reward system.
TESTING
OUTCOME
Based on our research, this integrated system is anticipated to have the most significant impact in addressing the identified needs and challenges within the neurodiverse surfing community.
