DESIGNING WITH PEOPLE: Developing a multidisciplinary design education environment for more inclusion

Abstract

Attention for inclusion and diversity in the learning and living environment of students in higher education is important. Our aim is to stimulate students to adopt an inclusive attitude, both in their personal and future professional lives. Higher education can play a key role in facilitating and setting a good example themselves on inclusion and diversity in their communication, infrastructure, teaching methodologies, etc. The educational programs of ‘Interior Architecture and Architecture’ and ‘Occupational Therapy’ (OT) of Hasselt Universityboth teach about inclusion and human-centered design approaches, but want to join forces for the purpose of elevating knowledge and expertise on inclusion to a higher level (see Young et al., 2019). In a two-year project (Oct ‘22-Sep ‘24), we explore how to create the best possible setting to teach inclusive design and create an inclusive learning environment. This poster outlines the steps to develop the new, multidisciplinary course called 'Designing with people’. In this course, we will gather and share knowledge on diversity and inclusion throughout the design process, using the paradigm of Universal Design. Through co-creation with user-experts with a disability, we will address issues in real-life cases from actual clients and propose design solutions that are usable, understandable and enjoyable for a diversity of users, irrespective of their needs and abilities. The outcome of this project is threefold: 1) a new interfaculty course linked to structural and sustainable learning networks; 2) more knowledge and awareness towards inclusion and a variety of people, with different (dis)abilities, needs, experiences and backgrounds, not only among students, but also among staff as well as the broader network of practicing clients and user-experts; 3) the development and dissemination of a theoretical framework on inclusive co-creation.