When you hear the phrase “Inclusive Smart Society,” what kind of society do you imagine?
I have a younger sister who has both developmental and physical disabilities due to an illness in her childhood. Watching her navigate environments that were not designed with her in mind has often led me to reflect on what a truly inclusive society should look like.
In this course, we explored a wide range of social and technological challenges, and students shared perspectives based on their own academic backgrounds and personal experiences through the discussion board. As I usually have opportunities to discuss topics with people from the same field, engaging with students from diverse backgrounds was particularly meaningful. It encouraged me to think about social issues from multiple angles and became a strong source of inspiration.
Through these experiences, I learned that no system can perfectly include everyone. Precisely for this reason, it is essential to continuously reflect on our assumptions and reconsider for whom our systems are designed. I also came to see an inclusive society not as something that is completed once and for all, but as a dynamic process—one that gradually evolves in response to changing needs and circumstances. This perspective helped me realise that an Inclusive Smart Society is supported not only by technologies that “help” people, but by technologies that are shaped with people, guided by responsibility and empathy.
The attitude of viewing society and technology from diverse perspectives that I gained in this course is something I would like to carry forward. I hope to continue engaging in interdisciplinary learning opportunities like this, and to apply a multifaceted perspective to my own research as I move forward.