Designing data to be inclusive: enabling cross-disciplinary and participative processes

Abstract

The data formats of specialist disciplines are often difficult for those from other disciplines to access, not least lay audiences, inhibiting truly participative and inclusive processes. The authors discuss the achievements and value of visualizing biomechanical data on functional demand obtained during daily activities from older adults in the 60+, 70+ and 80+ age groups which has shown the potential to provide physiotherapists, occupational therapists, designers, bioengineers, and human factors specialists much improved access to the data. Older adults have their own valuable insights and these are vital to include in developing a fuller understanding of issues that affect their quality of life. The format of visualization has the potential to be understood by this 'lay' audience. The paper discusses the design of, and pilots towards a full-scale study to try to fully engage stakeholder disciplines and older people as truly collaborative partners, together with conclusions to date. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.