Displaced. Displaced. A design solution for inclusive cities

Transcription

1 P Displaced Displaced A design solution for inclusive cities

2 roble oblem Over 65 million people are displaced worldwide because of war, natural disasters, or by seeking escape from strife in their home countries. Since the late 1960s, the U.S. has been one of the top locations for refugees and immigrants to resettle. That number has gone from 4.7% of the total U.S. population in 1970, to 13.5% in [1] Washington state is a hub for taking in displaced people, and has welcomed roughly 16,504 refugees since [2] The majority of these refugees settle in King County, and Seattle in particular. The increasing scale of resettlement challenges local government and non-governmental caseworkers to provide adequate assistance to new arrivals. These caseworkers do their best to help refugees adapt to life in the U.S., but are often assisting up to 25 families each. Caseworkers simply can't provide enough support to ensure that all refugees easily transition into the community, leaving some new arrivals feeling helpless. In partnership with World Relief, we propose Handbook: a physical and digital companion that minimizes this gap in support by supplementing assistance from caseworkers, and thereby accelerating resettlement. When meeting with a caseworker for the first time, new arrivals to Seattle will be given a brochure that contains tips and primary information about key needs and services. These needs and services, identified as the most common pain points, include: healthcare; finance; transportation; education. Translated into multiple languages, this portable document ensures that new arrivals have a resource available both at home and when navigating through the city. A free, companion smartphone app extends the Handbook experience. It provides more detailed, location-based guidance to individuals on the go, helping them to be more self-reliant. Additionally, data generated by use of the app will help improve government and non-governmental services by revealing both gaps in assistance, and opportunities. [1] [2]

3 NEW CULTURE EMPLOYMENT ANSPORTATION LEARN ENGLISH EDUCATION BILL PAYMENT HOUSING FINANCES B EARN ENGLISH ATION BILL PAYMENT HOUSING FINANCES As a refugee, transitioning to a new life in Seattle presents a unique set of challenges. The weight of the tasks ahead of them can be overwhelming. Caseworkers are doing their best to assist new arrivals, but often their support is not consistently available throughout the resettlement process. What if there was a way for new arrivals to get the help they need, wherever they are, and when they need it the most? This is your guide for your journey in America. In this guide we will cover four different areas: Healthcare Finance Transportation Questions on the go? Download our app!...a booklet which provides key information on the ins-and-outs of starting a new life in America. Education Introducing Handbook... An accompanying sister app provides guidance when on the go. Translated into multiple languages, the app features helpful tips on the most relevant topics: healthcare; finance; transportation; education. When refugees are out-and-about, an easily-identified, scannable symbol indicates places the app provides tips and information for. We welcome refugees Learn more at Handbook.com An alert can also be triggered when entering these locations...

4 Skin care Rx Bath needs Drop off Handbook delivers contextual information provided by partner organizations and the community-at-large......a friendly reminder to a refugee that Handbook is there to help....easing potential pain points where a refugee may need it the most. If a refugee is running into a roadblock, a friendly messaging assistant is just a tap away......providing additional support, and bringing a new arrival one step closer to feeling a part of American life. As new Seattleites ask questions and scan codes around the city......local governments can understand where the gaps and opportunities are in the services they provide. Making Seattle a more helpful and inclusive city for refugees. Scan this code to see Handbook in action

5 ummary The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, partnering with Accenture, found that two-thirds of immigrants and refugees are arriving in their new countries with smartphones. [1] Based on this study, governmental and non-governmental organizations are learning that phones, and more critically internet access, are as necessary as food, shelter and water for new arrivals. Handbook provides an information-rich companion for refugees, supplementing assistance from governmental and NGO caseworkers. Empowering new arrivals to make confident decisions when support is needed most, Handbook both accelerates and eases the resettlement process. Through a phased approach, we ll create a printed brochure and a minimum viable digital product, which will be scalable through future iterations. In collaboration with the city of Seattle, we can use existing demographic and behavioral data on new arrivals to inform the product s development, and optimize it over time. Additionally, by teaming up with local tech companies, we can develop better data tools that can make the information gleaned more actionable. With Handbook, we can then better support organizations like World Relief by providing data-driven insights into the gaps in refugee support. Through such strategic partnerships, we can make the resettlement process more effective, thereby making the city more inviting and inclusive for new arrivals. Nearly 99% of displaced people are coming with smartphones. Scott Ellis, World Relief, Seattle [1]