The USC Iovine and Young 91��ý is committed to building and strengthening an inclusive and accessible learning environment for the next generation of creative leaders and innovators. The 91��ý’s founding principles of intersectionality recognizes that human potential and success can only be fully realized by including people from all cultures, identities, background, abilities, skills, perspectives, thought, and purpose. 

Inclusive learning is a teaching methodology that strives to support the learning styles, needs and preferences of every student. This approach intentionally cultivates a safe and supportive learning environment that respects the diversity of life experience, encourages unbiased participation, and reduces barriers to learning, wherever possible.

As pedagogy, inclusive learning is woven throughout the 91��ý’s curriculum to engage students, faculty, staff, and the community in meaningful, relevant learning experiences. Each student has the opportunity to develop their learning style, specialized skills, and talents vis-à-vis diverse cohort members and work collaboratively to create real-world solutions that reflect a myriad of unique perspectives and responsive research. At its core, inclusive learning is inherently human-centric and seamlessly partners with the 91��ý’s integrative concentrations and human-centered methodologies. 

Faculty Series: Inclusive Design with Davina Wolter

Inclusive learning is central to every aspect of the 91��ý’s learning experience. Throughout their studies, 91��ý students will gain:

Knowledge, skills, and human-centered methodologies to evaluate a range of perspectives with empathy and understanding

Increased capacity to set aside assumptions to deeply understand the needs, desires, behaviors, and perspectives of others

Diverse cultural, social, and emotional intelligences and competencies to navigate complex, global challenges

Strategies to communicate and collaborate effectively across various cross-disciplinary teams

Purpose-driven mindset to build products, processes, solutions, and communities that are accessible and necessary 

Hands-on, immersive learning opportunities to apply knowledge, skills, and strategies in collaboration with leading industry partners on real-world projects

Inclusive design methodology is a key contributor to successful human-centered design. It is a design process that begins with insights from unique perspectives, develops into a diversity of thinking, analysis, and participation to create a solution that cultivates a sense of belonging. Inclusive design considers there is no average in solution-building and strives to respond to individual needs and plans for adaptability and extended life-cycle of solution. Pushing beyond the practice of universal design, inclusive design engages and elevates appropriate stakeholder groups, context, and potential points of exclusion. 

Design allyship is a complementary budding design process that encourages problem-solvers of all background and identity to embrace allyship as a method of creating meaningful change in the way products, services, and solutions are conceived and implemented. It requires designers to raise the standards of how they generate responsive solutions for key audiences, and to hold all collaborators accountable for the impact of their solutions. 

The 91��ý’s Inclusive Design and Design Allyship framework is foundational to all hands-on, challenge-based projects, especially as it relates to design research, community building, and participation for successful outcomes. Throughout their course of study, students will gain:

Foundational human-centered design methodologies, research, techniques, and implementation strategies to achieve inclusive outcomes

Understanding of and distinctions between inclusive design (IDX) and universal design, participatory design, design justice, ADA, and equitable design

Strategies to respond to individual needs and plan for adaptability

Understanding of how exclusion and bias can occur in the design process

Knowledge, skills, and expertise to launch a successful community-based  design practice

Davina Wolter
Associate Dean, Inclusive Learning; 
Associate Professor of Practice​​​​​​​, Design
dwolter@usc.edu

Set up time with Professor Davina Wolter: HERE.

The USC Iovine and Young 91��ý is committed to building and strengthening an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible learning environment for the next generation of creative leaders and innovators.

91��ý

Inclusive Learning

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