Case study · General Pico, La Pampa (Argentina)
A whole school, signposted by its students.
The "Conectando Aulas" project at Santa Inés School in General Pico led its students to measure, print and stick NaviLens codes and ARASAAC pictograms at every door of the building. ARASAAC recognised them on its world map.
General Pico · La Pampa
Santa Inés School (Avda. San Martín 717, Argentina)
"Conectando Aulas"
Educational project for inclusion and cognitive accessibility
ARASAAC + NaviLens
ARASAAC pictograms + NaviLens codes at every door
Global recognition
One of 3 Argentinian institutions on the ARASAAC world map
The client
Santa Inés School
Santa Inés School (Avda. San Martín 717, General Pico, La Pampa) launched the "Conectando Aulas" educational project, led by teacher Gisel Crespo with the final-year secondary students and principal Roberto Ares.
The team researched what had been done on inclusion in the city and the school, and drew up an action plan with two winning ideas: signage pictograms and tennis balls under chair legs to reduce classroom noise.
In October 2023, ARASAAC — the Augmentative and Alternative Communication portal of the Government of Aragón — included Santa Inés in its world map of institutions, as one of three references from Argentina.
§ The challenge
A school that teaches itself to be accessible.
- 01
A century-old school with no accessible signage
The classrooms, laboratory, art room, assembly hall, restrooms and legal office at Santa Inés were identified only by the students' memory. No pictogram, no voice and no braille: invisible to anyone without that mental map.
- 02
Inclusion beyond the classroom
The teaching team and Year-12 students wanted accessibility learning to go beyond theory: they had to design, measure, print and install the signage with their own hands, space by space.
- 03
From the school to the city
The final goal was for the same language (NaviLens + ARASAAC) to reach Plaza Eva Perón, the urban transport hub, the City Council and the Civil Registry of General Pico — every place where citizens meet.
§ The solution
NaviLens and ARASAAC, installed by hand.
Every door in the building got the same combination: at the top, a NaviLens code scannable from a distance with the free app; below, the ARASAAC pictogram of the space (Classroom, Assembly Hall, Laboratory, Art Room, Boys' and Girls' Restroom, Legal Office, Stairs…).
The students themselves did the work: measuring the accessible height with a tape, printing the sheets, cutting and sticking them. The installation was documented as part of the learning — it isn't just signage, it's a lived inclusion curriculum.
The phone of a low-vision or blind visitor reads the name of the space aloud in their language; people with autism or easy-reading needs rely on the pictogram. Same support, two audiences served.
Video without dialogue · image only
§ Video
Students installing the codes, October 2023.
Pictograms and NaviLens codes being installed — 2 October 2023.
Video without dialogue · image only
§ Video
"Conectando Aulas" event — 25 October 2023.
§ The rollout
Classroom, lab, restroom, stairs, legal office.
§ Timeline
From the classroom to the ARASAAC world map, and back to the street.
- 2023
"Conectando Aulas" is born at Santa Inés
Teacher Gisel Crespo and the final-year students research what had been done on inclusion in the city and the school, and design an action plan with two pillars: signage pictograms and classroom noise reduction.
- 2 Oct 2023
Pictograms + NaviLens codes installed at the school
Students measure, cut and stick NaviLens codes next to ARASAAC pictograms at every door: Classroom, Assembly Hall, Laboratory, Art Room, Boys' and Girls' Restroom, Legal Office and Stairs.
- 13 Oct 2023
International recognition from ARASAAC
Santa Inés enters the ARASAAC world map as one of three Argentinian educational institutions highlighted for their work on cognitive accessibility.
- 25 Oct 2023
"Conectando Aulas" event with the city's institutions
The school invites the other educational institutions of General Pico to share the model and scale it across the school network.
- Youth Budget 2023
"Incluite, incluí" wins the Youth Participatory Budget
The students' proposal — inclusive signage with NaviLens, ARASAAC and braille in public spaces — is the most voted, and General Pico City Council takes it to Plaza Eva Perón, the Transfer Centre, the City Council, the Civil Registry and MEDANO.
§ What they said
What was said about the project.
“Hicimos una investigación en la ciudad y en el colegio para identificar qué se había hecho en materia de inclusión y un plan de acción para resolver. Nuestro lema es: «mientras es sabio aprender de la experiencia, es más sabio aún el aprendizaje de la experiencia de los demás».”
“«Incluite, incluí», creado por estudiantes de 6° año del Colegio Santa Inés, fue la propuesta más votada del Presupuesto Participativo Juvenil 2023. Consiste en señalética inclusiva para personas con TEA y nomenclatura en braille en espacios públicos y edificios de mucha concurrencia.”
“El Municipio comenzará a colocar señalética inclusiva en espacios públicos junto al Colegio Santa Inés, llevando NaviLens, ARASAAC y braille a la Plaza Eva Perón, la Central de Transferencia, el Concejo Deliberante y el Registro Civil.”
§ Results
The same school, now audible and pictographic.
Every door, audible
The visitor's phone announces "classroom", "assembly hall", "laboratory"… in their language
ARASAAC + NaviLens
Pictogram for visual reading and audio code for people with low vision or blindness
From school to city
The same accessible language is replicated in squares and public buildings of General Pico
§ And your centre?
Every classroom and clinic can be guided by voice.
Tell us about your centre, your journeys and your users. We’ll show you how NaviLens would make wayfinding easier.
