Bar and bat mitzvah-aged students tried their hand at designing a house for people with special needs.

Lifts for those unable to use the stairs, an Alexa to take care of tasks round the house and hoists for bathing were ideas from 25 pupils from JFS, Immanuel College, Haberdashers’ Girls’ and Boys’ School and University College School in a breaking down barriers session run by social action group Project Impact.

Kisharon’s Community Inclusion Coordinator Rachel Ucko running the session at the JW3 in Hampstead, told pupils how it should be done as she described Kisharon’s newly-renovated high tech Clara House in Decoy Avenue Golders Green, now home to five women with learning disabilities.

Pupils played charades with men supported by Kisharon and talked to them about their lives over Zoom. Covid restrictions prevented the face-to-face meeting originally planned.

Rachel said: “The session was all about social inclusion and perceptions of disability. The teenagers were quiet, engaged and asked questions.”