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Industry Collaboration
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The Achieve Project | Superpeople & Disability Rights UK Alice Stevens added, ‘We are delighted to have been
On receiving the digital and printed products,
on this pilot project which has clearly had benefits
our learners and how they were growing in
working with Superpeople and Disability Rights UK for everyone involved. From my perspective, it
has been rewarding to explore how education can connect communities whilst simultaneously
supporting students in producing work that can
learning difficulties or mental health conditions, into employment.
The pilot project has been devised by Natalie
Betts and Jake Atkins, Co-founders of the charity, Superpeople and Alice Stevens, AUB Human founder
and Senior Lecturer in BA (Hons) Graphic Design. With
the help of Disability Rights UK, fourteen participants were selected for the project from the South West Regional Assessment Centre (SWRAC), based here
in Dorset. All of the participants were enrolled on an
products for their participant over the period of
three days. The aim of the project being to help the participants build confidence and find ways to introduce themselves to potential employers
in order that they might gain work experience, an apprenticeship or employment. Whilst the intended
benefit for the AUB students is that they had the opportunity to undertake a social change project,
reflect on their own employability and develop skills in empathy, listening and analysis.
The range of assets designed by students
employability course and between age 18 and 25,
was varied and included everything from logos
syndrome, learning and processing difficulties,
business cards and postcards to experimental
each with additional needs relating to Asperger's ADHD, Prada-Willi syndrome and epilepsy.
and traditional introduction methods such as
3D artefacts, comics, games, animated stings
Student Credits: Design for Ellie | Mia Erwig Design for Harry | Carmela Hughes Design for Andrew | Soumi Issa Mixed card | Suzie Munkacsi, Abbie Coughlin, Olivia King, Toby Rivett, Sophie Larkins, Maryam Almuhanna, Chris Fassoli
The Achieve Project pilot has been a success,
stage and in order that the impact of the project is
can use my skills for social benefit in the future’.
that aims to help disabled people and people with
what I want to be able to do in future’.
reminders, will relieve some stress and enable his
this short project and it has made me consider how I
subsequently choose their favourite, which was
about me, and to see that they are trying to help with
with both AUB students and SWRAC participants
personality to shine through. I have really enjoyed
design a personal brand identity and self-promotion
felt on receiving her products, ‘It has made me feel
approaching potential employers and when he gets
an interview, that the postcard with helpful hints and
It is a mutual aid and knowledge exchange project
Robyn, one of the participants from SWRAC who
really, really happy to see that people actually care
have designed will help Harry feel more confident in
concepts.
been brilliant.’
to Harry, my client, a bit nerve racking, but it was also and more confidence. I really hope that the assets I
reality
superb and the ideas they have come up with have
explained she is proud to be autistic told us how she
a great opportunity as it has given me experience
augmented
that the [AUB] students had done for our [SWRAC]
health issue or a disability often find it much harder to gain employment. Personally, I found presenting
and
Another member of SWRAC staff added, ‘I was
students. The quality of the work has been absolutely
realise that people with a learning difficulty, mental
were then tasked with using their creative skills to
produced was amazing.’
who had her design selected by Harry. She told us experience, ‘The Achieve Project has helped me to
BA (Hons) Graphic Design students from Level 5,
students had produced for them - and what was
absolutely blown away with the amount of work
about the project and what she had learned from the
Superpeople, Disability Rights UK and AUB Human.
confidence when they saw what the [AUB]
contribute positively to society.’
We caught up with AUB student, Carmela Hughes,
The Achieve Project is a collaboration between
SWRAC staff told us, ‘it was wonderful to see
giving extremely positive feedback. The next measured, Superpeople will follow the participants as they start in their search for employment.
Students
presented their designs to the participants who then printed and supplied to them along with the digital assets. Natalie Betts reflected, ‘We
were really impressed by the AUB students. They have thought carefully about the participants,
paying attention to the information captured in the interviews and questionnaires. This enabled
them to use their design skills to showcase the character, personality and ambitions of each
participant they worked with. We love that the
students considered the usability of the products, but at the same time, they have not been afraid
to explore eye-catching and innovative design
concepts, which our participants can use to grab the attention of employers and stand out from the crowd.’
aub.ac.uk/aub-human
