Design for all as a research and education strategy

Abstract

The biggest challenge for the education of designers lies in the fact that graduates will have to work in a context that is still in a process of definition. To meet this challenge, a collaborative and participatory strategy that develops two fundamental competences for the future is proposed: capacity to research and, therefore, to produce knowledge, and to meet needs other than the traditional ones. This strategy gathers three areas: Research developed by professors; Interaction between theory and practice of integral design and universal design; Research and practice focused on the needs of people with disabilities. The specific objectives of this proposal are: to educate designers based on the perspective of research-action; to pay attention to human rights; to confront students with real situations; to encourage co-design between users and designers. Examples of designs developed by students in final projects are described.