Tutors from local colleges may be interested in involving students in projects relevant to their field of study or skills training. The students benefit from dealing with real projects and sites, and many ideas can be generated by this type of approach. The presentation of the results by written report, map, design, model or other method is a useful exercise for the students, and also for initiating results on the ground.
Barnsley, South Yorkshire
In Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 3D design students from a local college were involved in creating musical features to be sited on an outdoor trail, particularly designed for use by the disabled. The students came up with various designs of wind chimes and percussive instruments in wood, metal and other materials, which could be enjoyed by people using the trail. A selection of the designs were made up and sited around the trail. However robust, this type of feature is prone to vandalism, and may be best included only on a supervised site.
Students in Nottingham
In Nottingham, TCV organised the production of a printed guide to the parks and green spaces in the city for people with disabilities. The project was set up with the help of the City Council Access Officer, and the Team for Visual Impairment, together with 50 students from the School of Architecture at Nottingham University. The students were given hands-on experience of using a wheelchair and learnt about problems faced by people in using parks and green spaces. In groups of 10, they visited 50 parks and other green spaces in the city to assess their suitability for use by the disabled. Features noted included parking provision, ramps and dropped kerbs, access through gates both into and within the sites, path surfacing and edging, gradients, steps, provision of seating and toilet facilities. The information was then presented by the students in the form of large- scale maps and written reports (see below), from which a printed guide was produced by TCV, supported by the Nottingham Environment Partnership. As a result of this project, it is hoped that disabled provision will be given more importance in the future, and that practical measures will be taken by the authorities responsible to remedy some of the problems, especially simple measures such as provision of dropped kerbs and replacement of narrow gates. The guide should encourage disabled and other users to visit some of the different sites listed in the guide, and hopefully the project will prove to be a valuable learning experience for the students, to be put to good use in the future.
