Engineering and Industrial Design students from three Australian universities have travelled to Singapore for an experiential learning project on designing for people with disabilities and the aged.

Australia and Singapore share a commitment to the well-being of our ageing populations and people with a disability, so universally accessible design is a highly important skill for these students' future careers.

The trip was a collaboration between the Australian National University, RMIT University and the University of Canberra, and Australian social enterprise Enable Development. Students were immersed in the world of disability and aging, visiting schools and rehabilitation hospitals, exploring cutting-edge Singaporean universal design initiatives like the Enabling Village, and meeting those affected by disabilities and ageing.

"The biggest highlight for me was going to Chaoyang special education school, interacting with the kids, learning from them, and seeing what they're like in an environment that was built for them" –Aiyana Acevedo, Industrial Design Student from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

The visit also made use of experiential learning devices, such as "empathy suits" that allow the wearer to experience a simulation of the effects of ageing. Several students even used a wheelchair for the majority of the trip, including flying from Australia –a significant challenge!

"Travelling this way, it forces you to consider accessibility and inclusivity of an environment, both physical and social, and in that way, gives you a better sense of awareness towards barriers"– Stephanie Nguyen, Engineering Student from the Australian National University.

The Australians connected with Singaporean students from the National University of Singapore and Ngee Ann Polytechnic and learned to think critically about how disability interacts with culture. Their activities also covered broader design concepts like social entrepreneurship, sustainable change and innovation.

"It's given so much more meaning to industrial design for me [knowing] I can use my knowledge and skills to help people" –Jess Wotherspoon, Industrial Design Student from the University of Canberra

The New Colombo Plan Mobility Program provides funding to Australian universities and consortia to support Australian undergraduate students to participate in semester-based or short-term study, internships, mentorships, practicums and research in 38 host locations across the Indo-Pacific region. Applications for the 2017 mobility round closed on 3 June 2016.

More information

Read more about the Singapore trip at enabledevelopment.com