Pro Bono Net teamed up with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP), a nonprofit organization that uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement, and Carmen Lopez, a designer, to make navigating the Individual Assistance application process easier. Using Pro Bono Net’s advocacy expertise, CUP’s unique method of community-engaged design, and Carmen’s design prowess, our team developed Figuring out FEMA, a pocket guide for people applying to FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.
The Center for Urban Pedagogy recently partnered with The Bronx Defenders and designers L + L to create Get It Back!, a pocket-guide for the recently arrested to retrieve their personal items upon release. The book illustrates the process, which is often convoluted and not intuitive, with straightforward instructions and a sleek design.
The guide, a pocket sized know-your-rights manual only 12 pages long, aims to serve as a resource for trans and gender non-conforming youth who may find themselves being detained, searched, or thrown into custody by the police. Breaking down personal rights and NYPD patrol guide rules into an easily digestible format, SERVE! hopes to keep trans youth safe by keeping them informed.
Lillian Gonzalez, a female day laborer, has been in New York for eight years since she moved here from Ecuador. She said she used to work below minimum wage and spent three years cleaning on her knees, because she didn’t have any cleaning supplies. “Now, with this, I can say it or point it out and say I have pain in my knees and back,” she said.
The guide provides advice in a simple, entertaining format using language that is easy to understand. It also gives tips for staying healthy and safe in the workplace, and valuable information on city regulations established by the New York State Department of Labor.
“Este cuadernillo contiene importante información sobre nuestros derechos como jornaleros y trabajadores en la construcción. Nos va a ayudar a salir de las sombras y reclamar nuestros derechos cuando nos explotan,” dijo Jesús Morelo, miembro de NICE y colaborador en la ejecución del folleto.
Through Public Access Design, CUP has more than doubled the number of community partners it collaborates with in a year, and significantly increased its connections with designers.