Proposal for a Handbook on Inclusive Urban Mobility for Public School Educators

Ana Paula Borba Gonçalves Barros; Maraí Vendramine

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602652

Article derived from a Course Conclusion Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by Instituto Pecege for textual synthesis and organization.

Summary

A proposal for an inclusive urban mobility booklet for public school educators was developed, considering mobility and accessibility aspects for children with disabilities (physical and hidden) in playful-pedagogical activities. The research, conducted in a public Elementary School in São Paulo with the support of a civil society organization (CSO), applied the PDCA technique. The objective was to raise educators’ awareness for conducting practical playful-pedagogical activities focused on inclusive urban mobility outside the classroom and in the school environment surroundings, aiming to stimulate the presence of children with disabilities in society and public spaces. For this purpose, a questionnaire was applied to socio-educators from the CSO and educators from the school. Data analysis used Textual Discourse Analysis. The findings demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding procedures to be adopted with children with disabilities, which ratified the need for a guiding instrument for the application and monitoring of these activities. The creation of a booklet for elementary school educators proved to be a relevant strategy for the inclusion of children with disabilities, although the limitation is acknowledged that the method should be applied in other schools for greater statistical support.

Keywords: Playful-pedagogical activities; Basic Education; Social inclusion; Urban mobility; PDCA.

1. Introduction

The inclusion of people with disabilities in urban spaces constitutes a topic of social and academic relevance, reflecting the need for more democratic and accessible cities. In Brazil, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2022) indicates that 14.4 million individuals, corresponding to about 7.3% of the population, have some disability. This significant portion of the population demands special attention to guarantee their full right to participate in society, as advocated by the Federal Constitution of 88 (Brazil, 1988), which establishes equality and inclusion as pillars.

The study of urban space, from the perspective of authors such as Castells (2013), Hall (1998), Harvey (1996), Lefebvre (2001), and Rolnik (2015), conceives it as a fundamental right for all. This vision implies the pursuit of social justice, especially concerning urban mobility, which directly connects to citizen participation and, consequently, social inclusion. The quality of public spaces is a determining factor for the liveliness and safety of cities, as defended by Jacobs (2001), who associates the presence of more people with urban vitality.

Complementarily, Gehl (2013) argues that the characteristics of the urban environment can both attract and repel its users. For children with disabilities, who represent a group with specific needs, the quality of these spaces must ensure comfort and safety, allowing for full enjoyment of the city. Brazilian legislation corroborates this perspective, with the Statute of Persons with Disabilities (Brazil, 2015) guaranteeing the right to come and go in public urban spaces. Such legal support reinforces the importance of public space activities involving children with disabilities from childhood, promoting their inclusion in society.

In this sense, public policies such as the National Urban Mobility Plan (Brazil, 2012) and the Urban Mobility Plan of the city of São Paulo (City Hall of São Paulo, 2015) establish guidelines for the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of mobility, from sidewalk accessibility to free public transportation. However, adapting contexts and urban structures, often designed for the population without mobility restrictions, to meet the needs of people with disabilities, whether physical and/or motor, or intellectual, still represents a challenge. The introduction of effective strategies (Beukelman and Light, 2020; Hodgdon, 1995) is crucial to prepare children with disabilities for interaction with the urban public space.

In the school context, inclusion goes beyond mere presence. Mantoan (2015) emphasizes that the school’s structure must adapt to the child with a disability, not the other way around, promoting cultural, cognitive, and social inclusion. The author highlights that good intentions are not enough; it is imperative to rethink pedagogical methodologies for inclusion to materialize in practice, not just in theory. Inclusion, therefore, is a political and ethical process that encompasses human rights, social justice, and democracy, rejecting the existence of segregating schools or parallel special classes.

Despite the legal and theoretical recognition of the importance of inclusion, there is a gap in educators’ preparation for applying inclusive pedagogical practices in environments outside the classroom. The lack of knowledge about specific procedures for dealing with children with disabilities (physical and/or hidden) in playful-pedagogical activities outside the school environment limits the effectiveness of inclusion. This problem raises the following research question: are public school educators in the city of São Paulo prepared to include children with disabilities (physical and/or hidden) in playful-pedagogical activities outside the classroom?

Given this scenario, the present research is justified by the need to develop an instrument that can guide educators in the application and monitoring of inclusive playful-pedagogical activities. The study was structured under the aegis of the PDCA cycle (Nguyen et al., 2020; Silva et al., 2017), a problem-solving technique used in project management to improve processes. Thus, the objective of this work is to raise awareness among public school educators about carrying out practical playful-pedagogical activities focused on inclusive urban mobility outside the classroom and in the vicinity of the school environment, in order to stimulate the presence of children with disabilities in society and in public spaces in Brazilian cities.

2. Material and Methods

This research was characterized by a qualitative approach, seeking to deepen the understanding of individuals’ perspectives on the phenomena surrounding them, their experiences, points of view, and meanings, as advocated by Sampieri et al. (2013). Regarding objectives, the study fit into the descriptive and exploratory categories, aiming to analyze aspects and phenomena of a specific group and enhance the understanding of the theme, according to Gil’s (2017) classification.

The work was structured under the aegis of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, a problem-solving and process improvement technique used in project management (Nguyen et al., 2020; Silva et al., 2017). The Planning (P) phase involved identifying the problem of the non-inclusion of people with disabilities in public spaces. The Execution (D) consisted of data collection, while the Verification (C) analyzed educators’ knowledge gaps. Finally, the Action (A) was consolidated in the proposal of a guiding booklet.

The research design followed a field survey, of the Survey type (Gil, 2017), integrating the stages of the PDCA cycle. Planning (P) comprised the specification of the objective, the operationalization of concepts and variables, and the elaboration of the collection instrument. The Execution (D) phase included the pre-test of the instrument, the selection of the sample, and the collection and verification of data. Verification (C) consisted of the analysis and interpretation of the data, and Action (A) in the writing of the paper and the elaboration of the booklet proposal.

The sampling used was non-probabilistic, exploratory in nature, as described by Malhotra (2019). The participants included four social educators from a Civil Society Organization (CSO) and eight educators from a public elementary school, both located in the city of São Paulo. The selection of participants occurred among those who directly engage in playful-pedagogical practices, with participation being voluntary and non-compulsory.

The four female socio-educators were between 30 and 42 years old. Among them, two were architects and urban planners, one was a pedagogy undergraduate, one was an interior designer also pursuing a degree in pedagogy, and one was a tourism specialist. Two had one year of experience in the NGO, and the other two had two years, all holding the position of socio-educators, linked to playful-pedagogical activities with elementary school children in public schools in São Paulo.

The eight educators at the school were seven female and one male, with ages ranging from 33 to 62 years. Five were pedagogues, one mathematician, and one geographer. Two had between one and two years of experience, two between three and four years, and the rest more than five years. All worked as educators at the public school in São Paulo, which was already participating in joint activities with the civil society organization.

For data collection, an original questionnaire composed of seven open-ended questions was used, which sought to extract primary and classification information (Malhotra, 2019). Before application, a pre-test was conducted in both environments (OSC and school) to identify ambiguities and improve the clarity of the questions (Gil, 2021). Complementarily, unstructured online interviews were conducted via Google Meet, using only audio to ensure participant anonymity.

Data collection initially occurred with the submission of the form to the NGO’s management and the school’s coordination for sharing with collaborators. Online interviews with educators were conducted between March 16 and 20, 2026, and with socio-educators, between March 23 and 25, 2026. The playful-pedagogical practices analyzed, based on the manual from the Instituto Corrida Amiga (ICA, 2023), included: Bonde a Pé, Circuito do Pedestre, Como chegou aqui? and Mímica, focused on the theme of urban mobility.

The data analysis technique employed was Discourse Textual Analysis (ATD), a qualitative method used to understand senses and meanings in texts (Moraes and Galiazzi, 2020). The ATD was applied in three stages: unitarization, which consisted of fragmenting the data into units of meaning; categorization, which organized these units by semantic similarity, generating emergent categories; and metatext production, which articulated the data with theory. The categorization criteria included recurrence, convergence/divergence, discursive intensity, theoretical articulation, and explanatory relevance.

Ethical considerations were observed, ensuring participant anonymity through the exclusive use of audio in online interviews. The research culminated in the development of a proposal for a guiding booklet, conceived as a tool to assist educators in the application and monitoring of inclusive playful-pedagogical activities, contributing to teacher training and practice in the context of inclusive urban mobility.

3. Results and Discussion

The analysis of the collected data, both through the forms and individual conversations with the socio-educators from the Civil Society Organization (CSO) and the school educators, revealed consistent indications of the need to develop a guiding booklet. This instrument aims to support education professionals in addressing inclusive mobility for children with disabilities, whether physical or hidden, in playful-pedagogical activities. The initial findings already point to a gap in practical knowledge, which justifies the proposal of a material that can fill this need and promote more effective and conscious inclusion in the school environment and its surroundings.

Regarding the participation of children with disabilities in activities outside the classroom, the research identified a significant consensus. For Question 1 of the form, 75% of the social educators from the CSO, who have been working for at least six months with children in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, stated that children with disabilities (physical or hidden) can fully participate in these activities. This perception is corroborated by 87.5% of the school educators, who also believe in the participation capacity of all children with disabilities, according to the data collected. This positive view aligns with Mantoan’s (2015) perspective, which advocates for inclusion as an act that transcends individual limitations, adapting the structure to welcome the child.

Despite the optimism regarding participation, educators’ responses at the school revealed an underlying insecurity. One educator, for example, expressed the opinion that participation might depend on the type of disability and the need for a guardian to accompany the child. This reservation highlights a lack of knowledge about specific procedures and resources that could support the implementation of these activities, as pointed out by specialists such as Beukelman and Light (2020) and Hodgdon (1995). The absence of clear guidelines generates uncertainty and can limit educators’ proactivity in promoting inclusive experiences outside the traditional classroom environment.

Question 3 of the form deepened this perception, by asking whether children with disabilities are capable of participating in playful-pedagogical activities even with their limitations. The entirety of the school’s socio-educators and educators responded affirmatively, reinforcing the belief in the children’s capabilities. However, this acceptance is accompanied by an emphasis on the need for adequate and necessary support for effective participation. Mantoan (2015) highlights that inclusion is not merely about goodwill, but requires a rethinking of pedagogical methodologies so that practice reflects theory, ensuring that the necessary support is available for each child.

Still on the topic of inclusion, Question 2 of the survey, which addresses whether the participation of a child with a disability in an external activity, even if they do not participate alongside their peers, is an act of inclusion, also generated predominantly positive responses. Seventy-five percent of the socio-educators and 75% of the school educators agreed that it is. This perspective suggests that mere presence and the opportunity to experience public spaces are already considered valuable for the inclusive process. However, the individual online conversations reiterated the need for professionals to feel supported and equipped with knowledge about the appropriate procedures to ensure that this presence translates into a meaningful and safe experience, in line with the recommendations of Beukelman and Light (2020) and Hodgdon (1995).

When analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the presence of children with disabilities in playful-pedagogical activities (Question 5), the socio-educators of the NGO identified several advantages, such as breaking the school routine and strengthening values like empathy, respect, and cooperation. This view is in line with Mantoan (2015), who emphasizes the importance of cultural and social inclusion. Furthermore, the presence of children with disabilities in external activities highlights the urgency of conceiving a more inclusive city, a fundamental right defended by authors such as Castells (2013), Hall (1998), Harvey (1996), Lefebvre (2001), and Rolnik (2015), and supported by the Statute of Persons with Disabilities (Brazil, 2015) and Urban Mobility Plans (Brazil, 2012; São Paulo City Hall, 2015).

However, the socio-educators also pointed out disadvantages, with 75% of them indicating that there might be disadvantages, and 25% stating that there are. The main concern lies in the high number of children with disabilities per class, which can overload the team and compromise the individualized attention necessary for the full benefit of the activity. This perception reveals a significant operational challenge, which demands adequate management strategies and human resources to ensure that inclusion is not just nominal, but effective and of quality for all participants. The concern about service capacity reinforces the need for a practical guide that optimizes the educators’ performance.

Among the school’s educators, the perception of advantages and disadvantages was more divided. Five out of eight educators (62.5%) believe there are advantages, highlighting the coexistence of differences, professional and emotional learning, and the strengthening of empathy and welcoming when perceiving the difficulties faced in the urban space, according to the Statute of the Person with Disabilities (Brazil, 2015). However, two educators (25%) identified disadvantages, such as the difficulties inherent in working with diverse groups and the increased workload when children with disabilities are involved. One educator (12.5%) responded “maybe”, indicating that the perception of disadvantage may depend on how the activity is planned and executed.

This diversity of opinions among school educators, compared to socio-educators, suggests that those who deal with children daily perceive the difficulties more acutely. This finding reinforces the need to expand guidance and support instruments for these activities, as suggested by Beukelman and Light (2020) and Hodgdon (1995). The lack of specific preparation and practical resources can transform inclusion, which should be an enriching process, into an additional challenge for professionals, impacting the quality of the experience for children with disabilities.

Question 6 asked for a score from 1 to 4 to be assigned to each playful-pedagogical practice (Walking Tour, Pedestrian Circuit, How Did You Get Here?, Charades) regarding its suitability for children with disabilities, with 1 being the most indicated and 4 the least indicated. The results revealed a notable lack of consensus among collaborators. Half of the OSC’s socio-educators considered the Pedestrian Circuit the most indicated practice and Charades the least indicated, with the other practices receiving scattered scores. The school’s educators, on the other hand, indicated the Walking Tour as the most suitable practice, while opinions on the least indicated were divided between How Did You Get Here? and Pedestrian Circuit. This divergence of views, according to Mantoan (2015), points to the need to broaden the understanding of inclusion.

The disparity in the assessment of practices can be attributed to the difference in groups’ familiarity with the activities. The NGO’s social educators, who deal with the theme of inclusive urban mobility weekly, demonstrated greater knowledge and experience. In contrast, the school’s educators, who sporadically participate in these activities with all classes and school years, showed less familiarity, resulting in more generalist and less specific responses. This observation underscores the importance of a guiding instrument that standardizes and deepens knowledge about the application of practices, ensuring that all professionals are equally prepared.

One-on-one conversations with the NGO’s socio-educators provided detailed insights into the suitability of each practice. The “Bonde a Pé” (Walking Bus) was generally considered the most accessible, as it involves walking around the school’s surroundings, although the pace needs to be adjusted in very busy or noisy environments, especially for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The “Circuito do Pedestre” (Pedestrian Circuit) presented difficulties for children in wheelchairs due to a lack of autonomy. The “Como Chegou Aqui?” (How Did You Get Here?) practice proved more challenging for intellectual disabilities that require drawing or writing. “Mímica” (Charades) was considered difficult for intellectual and motor disabilities, but feasible in group activities, where participation can be adapted.

The general observations of the socio-educators reinforced that all activities can be applied with children with disabilities, provided there are adults with active listening and accessible spaces. Ideally, the child should be accompanied by a guardian who knows their needs. The main difficulty identified by the NGO was the high number of children per class and the reduced number of staff, which hinders personalized attention. However, all practices, with pedagogical mediation and adequate support, enable an inclusive experience of the city and active mobility, as defended by Gehl (2013) and Jacobs (2001), who value presence and interaction in public spaces.

In contrast, the school educators’ views on playful pedagogical practices were more generic, without specific observations for each activity. The responses included the need to consider disability when choosing the best activity, the children’s ability to participate in all activities, the importance of professional monitoring and guidance, and the inclusion of children with the necessary adaptations. This generality confirms the educators’ limited familiarity with the specificities of the practices, highlighting the urgency for material that offers concrete and detailed guidance for each type of activity and disability, in order to empower these professionals more effectively.

The last open-ended question on the form, which inquired about procedures adopted for children with specific disabilities (wheelchair users, ASD, ADHD, blind/low vision), revealed a critical gap. Responses from both groups did not present effective procedures, only emphasizing the need for adequate support. This absence of concrete answers ratifies the urgency of developing a manual to guide educators who deal daily with children with disabilities in the classroom and in external activities. The research, therefore, highlights that although the importance of inclusion is recognized, the practical mastery of how to implement it is lacking, according to the literature by Beukelman and Light (2020) and Hodgdon (1995) on preparing children with ASD and intellectual disabilities for activities.

The application of Discourse Textual Analysis (ATD), according to Moraes and Galiazzi (2020), allowed for a robust interpretation of the data, combining percentages and qualitative statements. Unitization fragmented the responses into units of meaning, such as “children with disabilities can participate” and “need for support”. Categorization grouped statements by semantic similarity, revealing emergent categories such as “inclusion as a possibility”, “teacher insecurity”, and “benefits of inclusion”. The production of metatext, in turn, integrated the findings with theory, identifying the recognition of inclusion, but without practical mastery, and the need for training, culminating in the proposal of the guiding booklet. The categorization criteria, such as recurrence and discursive intensity, evidenced the high incidence of statements about inclusion and the strong emphasis on the insecurity and lack of preparation of the participants.

The comparative analysis between the groups of socio-educators and educators revealed distinct levels of experience and familiarity with practices, which explains the divergences in perceptions. The consideration of incomplete or generic responses highlighted the absence of concrete procedures. The theoretical interpretation, in constant dialogue with Mantoan’s (2015) framework and alternative communication, validated and deepened the findings, showing the gap between inclusive discourse and pedagogical practice. The generation of implications translated the results into practical action: the proposal of a guiding booklet, which is configured as an essential tool to improve teaching performance and promote inclusive urban mobility.

Based on the findings, the development of the guiding booklet should consider specific points for different disabilities. For children in wheelchairs and with low vision, the practices “Bonde a Pé” (Walking Tour) and “Como Chegou Aqui?” (How Did You Get Here?) are the least complex. In “Bonde a Pé”, they can follow the group, and accessibility difficulties can serve as a practical example for colleagues about the importance of urban issues. In “Como Chegou Aqui?”, participation is feasible by explaining their movements. The other practices, such as “Mímica” (Charades) and “Circuito do Pedestre” (Pedestrian Circuit), may be more challenging, but they can also become opportunities for colleagues to seek joint solutions, promoting empathy and collaboration.

For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or speech impairments, the use of “visual cues” is fundamental. Mechanisms such as figures, images, visual routines, and symbols, instead of oral communication, are efficient resources for preparing and carrying out activities, according to Beukelman and Light (2020) and Hodgdon (1995). There are electronic pages, such as the ARASAAC Symbol and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Resource Library, and free applications like Asterics AAC and TD SNAP, which provide valuable support materials. Oral explanation, often ineffective for children with ASD, is replaced by visual strategies that yield more positive results and promote understanding and participation.

Other important strategies to assist children with disabilities include the use of earmuffs, especially for children sensitive to noise, who may have intense crises in noisy environments, harming their nervous systems. Furthermore, the use of identification badges, such as the sunflower lanyard, is essential. This resource highlights the child’s diagnosis, fostering greater empathy from others, especially in traffic, where children often need to cross at pedestrian crossings. Such measures contribute to a safer and more welcoming environment, facilitating the inclusion and full participation of these children in public spaces.

In summary, the research results confirmed the importance of including children with disabilities in playful-pedagogical activities outside the classroom, aligning with the objective of raising educators’ awareness for the promotion of inclusive urban mobility. However, the investigation revealed a significant gap in educators’ practical knowledge regarding specific procedures for dealing with diverse disabilities. This insecurity and the need for practical support, evidenced by the responses and discussions, ratify the relevance of proposing a guiding booklet. Such an instrument could provide the necessary guidelines and strategies for educators to feel more prepared and secure, ensuring that inclusion is effective and enriching for all children in the city’s public spaces.

4. Conclusion

This study aimed to raise awareness among public school educators about conducting playful-pedagogical activities focused on inclusive urban mobility, outside the classroom and in the school’s surroundings, to stimulate the presence of children with disabilities in society and public spaces. A consensus was found among socio-educators and basic education public school educators regarding the capacity of children with disabilities, whether physical or hidden, to fully participate in these activities. However, a significant gap was identified in educators’ practical knowledge concerning the specific procedures to be adopted for each type of disability, which generated insecurity in conducting the activities. This lack of practical guidelines and resources reinforced the need for a guiding instrument. Thus, the main contribution of this work lies in proposing an inclusive urban mobility booklet, designed to provide educators with the necessary strategies and practical support, optimizing their performance and promoting effective and safe inclusion.

The proposed booklet represents a valuable tool for enhancing pedagogical practice, offering detailed guidance on adapting activities such as Walking Bus, Pedestrian Circuit, How Did You Get Here?, and Charades, in addition to suggesting the use of visual cues, earmuffs, and badges for children with disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or low vision. It is recognized, however, that the present research has limitations, as the application of the method was restricted to a single public school in São Paulo. To provide greater statistical robustness and generalization of the results, it is suggested that future studies expand the investigation to other public and private schools in different cities in Brazil, allowing for a comparative analysis of educators’ knowledge about inclusive urban mobility.

Bibliographic References

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Article originating from the Final Course Project of the Specialization in Project Management of the MBA USP/Esalq

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