Designing the Inclusive Life
Saadet AYTIS, Assoc. Prof. Dr., Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University / İZEV Foundation
Design is a phenomenon that touches people in life and exists on every scale...
Inclusive design is a privileged approach that contributes to every person regardless of their characteristics...
The more important the design is to encompass everyone, the more important it is to design a life that encompasses everyone too...
What does it mean to design a life that includes everyone?
It is to include individuals with different characteristics and different abilities outside of those who are defined as "normal" or "ordinary" because they constitute the majority in the society, into the life that is defined as ordinary. As a social integration movement, it is designing a life for all. A segregation situation occurs due to the exclusion of individuals with different characteristics from society and sometimes their avoidance of being in unsuitable environments as a result of their living spaces. In this case, disadvantaged groups with very different characteristics occur apart from those who constitute the majority of society. Each of these groups is important values that need to be studied separately and included in the design.
In this presentation, the subject of "designing an inclusive life for mentally different individuals" will be addressed and this subject will be examined through IZEV (Istanbul Education and Solidarity Foundation for the Mentally Handicapped). IZEV has been in service as an important stakeholder in its efforts to integrate different minds into society for more than 30 years. The Foundation established the first special school in Turkey and donated this achievement to the public, which has achieved a first for thousands of special individuals to receive a quality education. Educated young people of İZEV, are the examples of individuals who have contributed to many international activities beyond the borders of Turkey. Subsequently, the Foundation has implemented many social responsibility projects in a way that will highlight these special individuals and create social respectability.
IZEV projects, which have adopted the principle of using all branches of art as mediums, have been deemed worthy of many awards around the world for their structure that provides inclusion of special individuals in life. In this context, universities must touch life by leaving their shells to create, protect and develop a universal perspective that matches its name, and supports NGO structures in designing an inclusive life.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saadet AYTIS
Saadet AYTIS, born in 1963, graduated from the Department of Architecture at Mimar Sinan University, in 1986. She received her PhD degree by completing the Building Science Doctorate Program of the Department of Architecture at the Institute of Science, at the same university. Starting from 1987, she received the titles of Research Assistant in the Department of Architecture, Assistant Professor in the Department of Interior Architecture, and Associate Professor in UAK’s Interior Architecture Science Field under the “Base Field of Architecture, Planning and Design”, respectively. She served in various administrative positions such as the Head and the Deputy Head of the Department of Interior Architecture, Members of the Board of Institute of Science and its Management Board, Member of the Faculty of Architecture and its Management Board. She has directed 22 doctorate/proficiency in arts theses and 12 master theses. She served as a jury member for 133 doctoral and master theses at different universities and institutes. She has had many national and international articles, papers, publications and editorial duties, and has worked as coordinator and executive in several projects. She was the coordinator of many national and international workshops within the Department of Interior Architecture. Aytıs was the chairman and member of the organizing board of many design competitions and took part as a member of the scientific committee of various symposiums. She served in various management positions, including exhibition coordination, management of symposiums, jury membership of staff/assignment assessments, jury membership of science exams, membership of education commissions, membership and presidency of talent exam juries, membership of editorial boards. She also provided sectoral peer-review and consultancy. Aytıs, who has a son with Down syndrome, is one of the founders of the İZEV Foundation.