The ambidextrous classroom – A design proposal for inclusive K-8 learning environments
Although the majority of left-handed children’s obstacles do not prevent them from participating in school, they create an inconvenience that other children do not have to overcome. In a truly universal environment, each child would carry out daily activities in an equitable manner that accounts for the physical, cognitive, or emotional differences among all children in a given class. A universal design approach to incorporating the left-handed population into our environment would facilitate the use of hand-held tools by left-handed individuals without causing unnecessary anguish or calling unwanted attention to the user.
A two-part approach based on policy revisions and design revisions was developed to propose a new design for elementary classrooms.
– Policy : Create an educational policy that considers training for teachers so he/she can understand the difficulties faced by left-handed school children. Mandate that classrooms be stocked with universally-designed supplies, such as scissors and other shared tools. Provide flexibility in school supplies that students are required to purchase on their own and provide examples of universally-designed options.
– Design : Create an environment that promotes flexibility in the use of a space, seating arrangements, and daily activities.
