El silencio habitado en el entorno escolar

Abstract

Schools are, par excellence, the space for inclusion and the development of skills and knowledge for the entire student population. In Colombia, regulations such as NSR10, NTC 4595, and NTC 6047 stipulate that all institutions must provide physical spaces to guarantee proper learning in the school environment for children with hearing impairments. The problem lies in the fact that institutions built prior to these regulations do not have physical or sensory spaces adapted to these requirements, which limits the participation and comprehensive development of students with hearing impairments. Considering the above, this research project proposes architectural design guidelines to adapt public and private educational infrastructure. The project employed a qualitative and participatory methodology, based on Korte's YoungDeafDesign method (2017). The project was developed in four stages. The first step involves a review of regulations and case studies of educational institutions designed for students with hearing impairments. The second step involves identifying the spatial needs of students through play-based workshops, sensory walks, and co-design activities. The third step involves assessing the condition of the educational facility to establish guidelines for adapting buildings based on universal accessibility, multisensory design, and child ergonomics. The results revealed deficiencies in all three areas identified: spaces for care, spaces for learning, and spaces for play. Finally, it was demonstrated that the direct participation of students with disabilities strengthens the relevance, autonomy, and sustainability of inclusive architectural adaptations in these areas.