Human Nodes - Relevance for Inclusive Design and Social Innovation at urban slums in India

In the underdeveloped sections of complex societies like India, exclusion can have multiple dimensions. Considering the large number of affected individuals by the lack of access to possibilities of good living this section of society should be included in the target of inclusive design [1] along with people with disabilities and advanced age. In this paper we present a research grounded in the theoretical framework of community informatics [2] and based on an ethnographic study done in Sudarshan Layout, an urban slum in Bangalore, India. The local community of Sudarshan Layout faces exclusion due to economic hardship, stigma of low caste birth, illiteracy and hence little access to digital technology. The life of these people however thrives through local social networks comprising of various social groups. This paper discusses three such social groups i.e. Local Shopkeepers, Volunteers and Community Leaders termed as human nodes of Community Communication at Sudarshan Layout. In this paper we argue that the human nodes should be engaged and considered for any inclusive design approaches for marginalized communities like those in an Indian Urban Slum. We further argue that by including human nodes in Inclusive Design initiatives, Social Innovation can be addressed.