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J.C.DISI e-Newsletter | 通訊
January 2024
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Main Forum — Tech for Social: Community Integration for All Ages in the Greater Bay Area
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The Main Forum of Social Innovation Regional Forum (SIRF) 2023 was successfully completed on 8 December 2023. The events attracted nearly 250 participants to join in person and over 20,000 viewers online. Ms Winnie Ho Wing-yin, Secretary for Housing of the HKSAR Government, and Mr Sima Xiao, Chairman and Chief Planner of Urban Planning & Design Institute of Shenzhen Company Limited, were invited to share their perspectives on age inclusivity and community well-being in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Esteemed guests also introduced their innovative cases on housing policy, urban facilities, transportation, and community living spaces, showcasing their achievements at the intersection of social innovation and technological innovation.
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Thematic Session 4 — Making Changes: Social Impact Jamming on Stage
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Corporation representatives discussed the increasing significance of "Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance" (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the opportunities for start-ups in light of technological advancement, at SIRF2023 Thematic Session 4 on 8 December 2023.
Alongside the session, a parallel exhibition showcased innovative projects from the Greater Bay Area and J.C.DISI, providing a networking platform for innovators to connect with industry professionals and promote age-inclusive ideas.
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Season 13: "Community Support for Carers” —
Build a Community Support Network for Carers of Wheelchair Users Completed
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This action project mobilised 8 regular volunteers (e.g., retirees and housewives) and 20 PolyU Nursing students to conduct home visits to 9 wheelchair families from the 1st Step Association between January and August 2023. They provided respite care services and regular home support for wheelchair users, while also giving family carers the opportunity to take a breather.
To promote flexibility and engagement from different parties, the service content and schedule were jointly formulated through discussion between volunteers and wheelchair families. This project has highlighted the importance of effectively utilising community resources and matching volunteers. When implementing similar projects in the future, relevant organisations would have to gain a sufficient understanding of the expectations and needs of all parties to maximise effectiveness. Corresponding organisations can also provide volunteers with tailor-made training (e.g., basic nursing care and communication skills) so that they can better understand the living habits of wheelchair families. This will enhance carers’ confidence in volunteers and allow them to enjoy “me-time” with peace of mind.
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Season 16: “Design for the Interior and Service Features of Age-friendly Environment” —
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Training Workshop
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The Action Project on "Design for the Interior and Service Features of Age-friendly Environment" aims to create friendly interior design for the elderly in residential care homes. In September 2023, a co-design workshop was held to provide staff training for the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. The workshop brought together participants from diverse backgrounds in social work, occupational therapy, and healthcare, fostering a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach.
The workshop was to introduce a care philosophy, and design an age-friendly and dementia-friendly interior environment. Through facilitating group discussions and encouraging co-creation of solutions among participants, we aimed to refine design elements that optimise functionality and aesthetics, and cater to the diverse needs of the elderly residents. Significant emphasis was placed on incorporating dementia services into the interior design of the care homes, with the ultimate objective of creating spaces that support dementia care and enhance the overall living environment for elderly residents.
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Season 15: Shaping Dementia Care Culture —Gamification of Public-Education of Dementia-friendly Practices
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J.C.DISI and Yan Oi Tong have collaborated to execute the Season 15’s Action Project on “Gamification of Public-Education of Dementia-friendly Practices”. The objective is to design a series of dementia-friendly educational games that aims to raise public awareness about dementia.
During an e-book launching event hosted by Yan Oi Tong, J.C.DISI unveiled the conceptual diagram of the initial draft for designing dementia-friendly educational games. This game design focuses on two aspects. The first aspect involves experiential games that stimulate the visual, olfactory, and auditory senses to cultivate empathy among community members towards people with dementia (PwD) and enhance their understanding of the challenges faced by PwD. The second aspect focuses on dementia-friendly educational board games, aiming to deepen the community's understanding of the psychological needs of PwD through tabletop games, and to promote positive, friendly attitudes and communication skills, replacing criticism with understanding.
As part of the project, a dementia-friendly community storytelling co-creation workshop was conducted on 5 December 2023, at the Yan Oi Tong Jockey Club Community and Sports Centre in collaboration with professional colleagues from different units of Yan Oi Tong. We utilised a “story brainstorming toolkit” to facilitate participants sharing their experiences working with PwD from diverse perspectives. These shared stories were then transformed into content for the story cards in the games. The aim is to enable community residents to easily immerse themselves in the scenarios presented in the tabletop games, thereby facilitating learning about dementia-friendly approaches.
On 23 December, we collaborated with the Yan Oi Tong to host the first public trial of the games at the “綠活龍逸，關愛有里” Carnival. A prototype of dementia simulation games was provided to the residents of Lung Yat Estate to play and share their feedback. Finally, valuable feedback and suggestions were gathered regarding the game's processes, difficulty levels, rules, message conveyance methods, and prop designs. This feedback will be highly valuable in supporting the future stages of game design and development. Please stay tuned for further updates on the progress of the game design!
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PolyU Open Day for Families Residing in Sub-divided Units
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On 11 November 2023, the “Furniture For Our Future” project team led 250 children and their families who live in Sub-divided Units (SDU) to explore 5 different PolyU Schools and Departments, including the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Industrial Centre, School of Design, School of Nursing and School of Optometry.
Through interactive learning experiences, participants were exposed to a wide range of academic topics and were able to absorb cross-disciplinary knowledge. For instance, at the School of Nursing, children were offered a quick introduction to the mock clinical laboratory and the chance to perform simple medical procedures alongside their peers. By offering comprehensive and immersive experiences of a day as a PolyU student, we hope to have successfully instilled positive impacts in the hearts of these youngsters, inspiring and empowering them to envision and plan for their future studies and career paths.
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“Furniture For Our Future” Project Receiving Award Recognitions
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The “Furniture For Our Future” Project specialises in providing ergonomically designed learning furniture sets for children living in sub-divided units (SDUs) or other forms of inadequate housing. It has recently accomplished a noteworthy achievement by receiving consecutive recognition from two renowned design awards: The Merit Award in the Service Design category for the DFA Design For Asia Awards 2023 and the Entry Award in the Product Design category for the Children-Friendly Design Award. These awards recognise its practical and adaptive design, as well as the positive effects it has brought to the under-privileged community, and also serve as further evidence of the project’s immense success in fostering collaborations across different sectors and disciplines. The project was showcased at the DFA Awards Exhibition at Central Market and the Shenzhen Child-Friendly Expo, respectively.
With the generous support of Hongkong Land HOME FUND, the project is to improve the health, well-being, study environment and upward social mobility of children residing in SDUs or other forms of inadequate housing. J.C.DISI collaborated with cross-disciplinary specialists from PolyU, leveraging translational research to establish design parameters. Since 2022, over 2,400 children between the ages of 4 and 16 have benefited from tailor-made ergonomic furniture sets provided through this initiative, yielding positive feedback.
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From Ideas to Reality: Social Innovation Design of Recycling Trolley for Waste Pickers
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J.C.DISI hosted a sharing session on the experience of designing a recycling trolley for waste pickers. The session featured Mr Chan Ka Hing, who provided guidance on public engagement in the design process, and Ms Debby Cheng, Project Manager of J.C.DISI, who introduced the process and principles of co-creation to participants from the social welfare, design and academia sectors.
The focus of the sharing session was the role of the social innovation design process as a bridge that connects different disciplines, fostering civic engagement and community cohesion at various levels. It also emphasised the importance of recognising the valuable contribution of waste pickers to maintaining a well-functioning society.
We extend our sincere appreciation to all the participants for their exploration of the potential to build a labor-friendly community with us. We hope that this insightful exchange will serve as a prelude to the realisation of an adaptive re-design of the trolley in the future, benefiting a wider range of individuals in need.
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Trolley Co-creation Promotion
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In order to support the cleaning workers, J.C.DISI will continue the initiatives of designing a recycling trolley for waste pickers and a Socially Inclusive Waste Management Hub under the "PolyU Jockey Club Operation SoInno" project. A three-day co-creation workshop will be conducted to engage participants in understanding the situation of cleaning workers and jointly designing a trolley specifically tailored to their needs, aiming to foster a labor-friendly community.
The event will be facilitated by Mr Chan Ka-hing, who has previously guided the public in the design of recycling trolleys. If you are interested in improving the employment conditions within the sanitation industry and contributing to the re-design of trolley, please sign up now!
Day 1: Field trip
Date: 2024.02.17 (SAT)
Time: 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Venue: Kwun Tong (The meeting point will be notified after registration)
Day 2: Refining the details of the trolley design
Date: 2024.02.18 (SAT)
Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Venue: Room N102, PolyU
Day 3: Assembling a basic prototype
Date: March 2, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Venue: Room N103, PolyU
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"SmartConnect" Digital Inclusion Programme
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J.C.DISI was invited by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council to participate in the effectiveness evaluation research of the "SmartConnect" Digital Inclusion Programme. Ms Debby Cheng, Project Manager of J.C.DISI, introduced the programme’s impacts on promoting intergenerational digital inclusion at the sharing event held on 12 December 2023. The participants had an average age of approximately 74 years old, and data showed that the programme effectively increased the trust and ability of the elderly in digital technology, significantly improving their attitudes and confidence in using information technology. Through the programme, elderly participants collaborated and interacted with young people, effectively breaking down inherent stereotypes and greatly facilitating intergenerational communication and inclusion.
The research proposed the following recommendations to enhance the information technology capabilities of the elderly:
- Adopting specific teaching methods to address the learning needs of elderly
- Enhancing explanations of the overall operational logic of mobile devices beyond technical applications
- Strengthening structural support services, with a focus on the long-term well-being and benefits of the elderly in online social relationships, as well as their concerns and anxieties
- Implementing a "train-the-trainer" approach
- Enhancing elements of intergenerational inclusion
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Transitional Social Housing “A Square” Officially Launched
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Prof. Ling Kar-kan, Director and Dr Calvin Luk, Project Manager of J.C.DISI, attended the opening ceremony of "A Square" on 17 December 2023, to share the joy of the Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Limited (AKA) for the successful implementation of this transitional social housing project.
It goes back to 2018, when J.C.DISI adopted "Transitional Social Housing" as the theme for the inaugural season of the “One from Hundred Thousand” Social Innovation Symposium under the “PolyU Jockey Club Operation SoInno” Project. The symposium explored how our society can make better use of idle land resources to effectively provide transitional housing to tackle the housing shortage issue for the benefit of grass-roots families. After the symposium, J.C.DISI triggered the design of three transitional housing action projects. The former SKH Stanley Village Primary School, which had been left vacant for more than 10 years, was one of these three action projects.
J.C.DISI is excited to witness the brilliant efforts by AKA in transforming this once vacant school building into a transitional housing project. “A Square” offers 40 units along with public recreational facilities, farms, multi-purpose sports field, and playground equipment, providing residents with a comfortable, safe and affordable living environment.
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Community Education and Planning Programme with the Hong Kong Association for Transport Education
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J.C.DISI is excited to announce our community education and planning programme in collaboration with the Hong Kong Association for Transport Education (HKATE) in the first half of 2024.
Building upon our successful delivery of the programme to over 30 secondary school students last year, we anticipate that the 2024 collaboration will further enhance the dissemination of knowledge on empathy mapping and user-centric community planning to help participants develop empathy and communication skills while fostering a sense of community. Through the programme, participants will gain a deeper understanding of spatial and community planning, along with the opportunity to engage with the community in shaping a thriving and sustainable neighbourhood.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting initiative!
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Webinar on MiC: Deconstruction and Relocation of First Modular Social Housing Project (Nam Cheong 220)
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The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has engaged J.C.DISI to conduct a study to investigate and document the technical details of the Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) disassembly, relocation and reuse of Nam Cheong 220. Dr Calvin Luk, our Project Manager, shared the research findings during the webinar held on 19 December 2023, providing valuable insights and recommendations for future MiC transitional housing buildings.
Nam Cheong 220 has showcased its remarkable advantages, particularly in terms of sustainability. The MiC modules utilised in Nam Cheong 220 can achieve an overall reuse rate of over 95%. The flexibility of the MiC method greatly facilitated the process of dismantling and reinstalling for another MiC transitional housing project, Lok Sin Village in Tai Po. These modules embark on a new lifecycle, achieving the goal of sustainable development
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Dr Calvin Luk Serving As Co-PI of PolyU Research Centre for Assistive Technology
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PolyU has inaugurated the Research Centre for Assistive Technology (RCATech) on 20 November 2023 to support people with disabilities and older persons in the field of assistive device design and technology, as well as rehabilitation research and development, with the aim of creating an inclusive and accessible society. Dr Calvin Luk, Project Manager of J.C.DISI serves as one of the co-principal investigators at RCATech with the professional background of an Access Consultant. With a focus on multi-disciplinary collaborative efforts and knowledge exchange, J.C.DISI aims to contribute to the fulfillment of RCATech's social mission and enhance the well-being of the community at large.
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Visit by Hong Kong Christian Service
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J.C.DISI has consistently pursued collaborations with NGOs, undertaking diverse cooperation and action projects to improve the well-being of the community. On 6 November 2023, a group of approximately 30 staff members from the Hong Kong Christian Service visited J.C.DISI. During their visit, our team presented various social innovation initiatives, including the "Furniture For Our Future" Project, Design Education and Co-creation of Trolley Design, etc. Meaningful exchanges took place, allowing both parties to share insights and experiences related to their respective work. It is hoped to cultivate further collaborative spaces in the future.
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Multi-disciplinary Collaboration
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30th Annual Congress of Gerontology
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Organised by the Hong Kong Association of Gerontology and co-organised by the Research Institute for Smart Ageing and J.C.DISI, the 30th Annual Congress of Gerontology was held on 18 November 2023 at PolyU. The theme of the event was "Smart Living, Smart Ageing”. During the congress, Dr Calvin Luk, Project Manager of J.C.DISI shared a project on “Designing a Mixed Reality and Cultural-based Intervention in Sensory Urban Green Care Farm for Older Persons with Cognitive Impairment”, a community-based action research in collaboration with School of Design, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Department of Computing, and School of Nursing. He also moderated a paper presentation session on the topics of “Healthy Ageing” from universities and care sector.
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