Publication “My boundaries, your boundaries”
"My boundaries, your boundaries” – An illustrated guide to non-discriminatory community living for seniors
In 2025, reflect.awareness e.V. developed the brochure “My boundaries, your boundaries – A guide to a non-discriminatory community life.” This publication aims to convey awareness, respect for personal boundaries, and discrimination-sensitive behavior in an accessible, understandable, and practical way—for people with diverse linguistic, cognitive, and social backgrounds.
At the heart of the brochure is an illustrated action guide that presents typical situations from everyday social interactions, leading step by step from problem description to reflection and possible courses of action. It was important to us that the content be accessible, comprehensible, and realistic.
Pedagogical concept and target audience
The brochure uses a continuous narrative structure: the protagonist, Erna, experiences various everyday situations in the Inclusive Neighborhood Center (INZ)—an open social space where people with and without disabilities, as well as seniors, come together. Through these stories, different forms of exclusion, boundary violations, and uncertainties are made visible.
Together with readers, the brochure addresses questions such as:
- What does belonging mean—and how does exclusion feel?
- How can I deal with rejection and disappointment?
- How do I recognize and articulate my own boundaries?
- What does consent mean—and why does “only yes means yes”?
- How can responsibility be taken after boundary violations?
The stories are accompanied by illustrations that visually contextualize the situations and support understanding—especially for people with dyslexia, low literacy, or limited reading skills.
Language, barriers, and participation
The brochure is intentionally designed with multiple language levels. We use standard language, Simple Language, and partly Easy Language, all clearly marked. Translations follow current guidelines and research findings, while in some areas, rules of Easy Language were consciously extended to increase accessibility and counter stigmatization.
Texts in Easy Language were reviewed by visitors of the Inclusive Neighborhood Center. This participatory approach ensured practical relevance, comprehensibility, and respect for the target audience.
Our approach: Awareness, power of definition, and responsibility
The brochure is grounded in our anti-sexist, anti-discriminatory, and power-critical stance. Key awareness principles—power of definition, partiality and responsibility—are conveyed not abstractly, but through concrete situations.
It was particularly important to us to strengthen not only those affected but also people who may have crossed boundaries. We understand awareness as a practice that can be learned and developed, enabling change without shaming anyone.
Our role and collaboration
We were responsible for the conception, editing, pedagogical design, and overall layout of the brochure. Development took place in close collaboration with the Inclusive Neighborhood Center Lindenau and the Mobile Disability Service e.V. Illustration and design are integral to the pedagogical concept and were carried out by Sophia Poulakis (Board Member, reflect.awareness e.V.).