Developing a participatory approach to accessible design

Abstract

This article describes how accessibility to ICTs is understood as conformity to standards, which usually ends in designs that do not consider the singularities of people. This article delves into a participatory approach to accessible design, as an alternative to design guided simply by standards. It first defines a relevant network of stakeholders for accessible participatory design, based on the expertise that each of them can provide. It then discusses the issue of consensus among stakeholders, necessary to make design decisions when there are conflicting views. Finally, it addresses the question of non-technological outcomes and methodological concerns of Participatory Design that should inspire the accessible design agenda.