Participatory design

A design methodology originating from Scandinavian workplace practices in the 1970s in which end users, stakeholders, and designers collaborate as equal partners throughout the design process. In accessibility, participatory design is essential for ensuring that products and services meet the actual needs of people with disabilities by involving them directly in ideation, prototyping, and evaluation rather than designing on their behalf. The approach emphasises democratisation of decision-making and recognises that lived experience of disability provides expertise that cannot be substituted by professional knowledge alone.