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Applied ethics in research is no longer regarded as a concern exclusive to the medical fi eld. Exemplars in ethics from other fi elds such as design are, however, meagre, as are relevant practical and design applied guidelines. The more ethically grounded a given area of research is, the greater the chance it can contribute to long-term, meaningful breakthroughs in knowledge. An improved ethics in design can enable a critical questioning that in turn leads to entirely new research questions.The mere involvement of human subjects and the application of safety provisions in design research do not guarantee it will meet ethical considerations, best practices or standards. The entire complex interaction with users offers intriguing possibilities and risks, or can result in mediocrity in areas such as: preparation and implementation that is worth the research person ' s time; respect for users ' contributions; dignifi ed treatment; feedback in an iterative and interactive process with mutual information and inspiration; and products and processes that are truly infl uenced by the users. This reasoning applies to all, but with special distinction to people who are disabled and elderly. Starting with specifi c needs as Bodil J ö nsson is Professor of Rehabilitation Engineering in

From early childhood, Hanna, born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy II, has adhered to a standing posture for all her independent locomotion. Aim: To investigate why Hanna in childhood chose to stand and the meaning that standing holds for Hanna as an adult. Method: Single case study of a single person, Hanna, based on her contemporary statements as an adult about her lived experience from childhood, introduced in a phenomenological context and analysed using hermeneutics. Result: Standing gives Hanna access to bodily comfort in an active posture, influences how the world presents itself to her, how she presents herself to the world, and improves interacting with others. Conclusion: Although just a single case study, the findings may stimulate further research on the possible benefits of standing combined with independent locomotion from early childhood and the meaning it can hold for people with SMA II.

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