Understanding the needs of users with disabilities when working with designers

Although much attention has been given to the design of inclusive products for those with Specific, Critical, Additional Needs (SCAN), little attention has been given to the inclusivity of design research methods and the appropriateness of standard research techniques for this group. Failure to address the inclusivity of investigative techniques (from the manner of recruitment to the use of specific research instruments) may have negative consequences such
as poor quality of participant experience, skewed samples, use of proxies, tokenism and failure to gain deep insight into a user’s condition – leading to poor design outcomes.This paper provides key findings from a pilot study conducted with SCAN users to develop recommendations and advice for designers. A total of 8 semi-structured interviews were conducted from which a series of 30 recurrent issues were found such as the use of language,
flexibility and level of understanding of the whole person (i.e. not just the disability). The paper discusses the results and outlines some initial plans in relation to the content of guidelines for designers when working with SCAN users.