Everyday Borders

Road Safety

"Roads can be unsafe in Sheffield because they are busy. Even crossing a road is dangerous for a person who cannot speak the language. Road signs are different in other countries."

ATM (cash machines)


"There are very few languages on the cash machine and this is a problem for people speaking Arabic or Farsi.

It is very important to teach migrants how to use them."

Food 

"It's hard to understand some names of food. Sometimes, it is hard to find or ask for ingredients you need to cook. Reading a menu in another language is not simple but images can help."

Isolation

"I want my model to sit like this to describe the loneliness. I have used the dark colour to express this feeling. For me, loneliness makes me feel sad. Not having anyone around you. I feel like this most of the time."

Food Waste

"No one should waste food. There are so many people who need it. If you are ok and not going to finish it, give it someone else. I have seen this in England so many times and I found it very disrespectful." 

Bin

"It is good to have advert that show to people what they have to do. I like people being polite, when they don't shout at you without a reason. Unfortunately, this is not always the case."

Sheffield's Traffic

"The lamp is beautiful. This is the place where I pass through to come to the Happy Group. It is the time where I enjoy my time with friends. Before the Happy Group, I was sitting on my own alone because I had a lot of problems, I was missing my mother and my family. I came here when I was 17 and it was hard on my own. I walked 6 months to come here. Language is difficult but it is getting better."

No Access

"Not everyone can access to every place and service. You can feel excluded and sometime isolated when you are not able to speak the language." 

Architectural Barriers

"With escalators you don't know if they go up or down. Not everyone knows what is an escalator and how to use it.

However, stairs are a barrier also to people on wheelchair."

Empty Table

"This picture represents loneliness. There are so many tables and no one is in there. I like that you cannot see the light, the picture is clear. When I was in my country, there were always so many people around the table. This picture reminds me of being on my own, in my room, which is not always bad but you have too much time to think."

Tunnel

"There are so many of these tunnels in Sheffield. They are quite scary for a person coming from another place because there is no light and you don't know where you are going. Also, if you are alone it can feel dangerous.

There should be more indications and in other languages."

Reading Maps and Taking Public Transports

"Sometimes you can struggle with communication because of language barriers or accents. It is difficult to read maps and knowing bus number and where they take you.

Many of us have also experienced discrimination from bus drivers." 

Language

"The most difficult thing when you arrive in the UK is the language. When you cannot speak the language, you cannot ask for information, you cannot seek help. It is a barrier because you cannot go the the doctor and young people make jokes because of your accent.

This poster is for the church which is a community place where to meet people but it is only in one language. In other countries, we don't use am and pm, so you don't understand even when people are meeting."