1. Design and Disability:
The Future of Education and Innovation
David Morgan
President/CEO
New Hampshire Association for the Blind
www.SightCenter.org
@DavidMorganCEO

2. Trends in…
. Many versus Few
. Design (thinking)
. Creativity & Motivation
. Education (no child left behind)
. TVIs (teachers of the visually impaired)

3. The Many versus the Few
0 | 1
Few…….v.……Many
Student Centered…..v…....No Child Left Behind
Customer, Makers……..v…….Universal Design

4. Empathy
(observe,
inquire)
Define
Ideate
(imagine)
Prototype
(make)
Test
Design (Thinking)

5. Creativity, Motivation & the failure of
Education
“For artists, scientists, inventors, school children, and the
rest of us, intrinsic motivation – the drive to do something
because it is interesting, challenging and absorbing- is
essential for high levels of creativity”
- Daniel Pink, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”

6. Creativity
Rex Jung, Neuropsychologist. MRI
Research on Creativity
• Many ideas trumps the few.
• Intense focus combined with “letting
go” (reflection, play, rest) promotes
whole brain thinking
• There is no left v right brain - falicy

7. Leading Voices…
— Ken Robinson, “Creative Schools”
— No Child Left Behind and the failure of standardize
curriculum and testing has undermine learning and
achievement
— Carol Dweck, “Mindset”
— Growth v. Fixed Mindset. Passion for learning.
Resilience. Willingness to take on challenges.
— Teresa Amabile, “Progress Principle”
— Small incremental iterative achievement builds self-
confidence & satisfaction.

8. 100,000
Children K-12
with vision
impairment
40M Americans
with Disabilities.
12.6% U.S. Population

10. Celebrating…
X

12. TVIs, Educating the whole child…
Taken from Perkins.com,
expanded core curriculum
wheel

14. Takeaways
— Student-centered, project focused is the future of education.
— Empathy and observation are informing education and
innovation more than ever.
— TVIs are applying natural design principles, a student centered,
empathetic approach and building resilient, growth mindset.
Adaptation and experimentation rule.
— Solving small discrete problems / challenges of the few with
many ideas and iterations and proto-type serve everyone is is
likely the future of how we innovate.

15. “The best thing parents can do is to
teach their children to love challenges,
be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy efforts,
and keep on learning.”
– Carol Dweck