The European Conference on Aging & Gerontology 2022: Official Conference Proceedings

Abstract

When aiming for built environments and systems that foster resiliency and resources, one of the most crucial aspects of design is to properly address the users' needs. While comprehensive research and an empathetic mindset are important prerequisites of this process, the inclusion of all relevant stakeholders cannot be compensated by any methodology. With regards to co-creation with people with dementia, this can pose additional challenges as participants might have difficulties to articulate their feelings and thoughts or design teams might struggle to come up with interactive formats that fit the current mental and physical abilities of the participants. Therefore, understanding key requirements and principles that are particular for the field of neurodiversity can be of great help in order to successfully engage users in the design process. In this paper we outline a transdisciplinary research process conducted by scholars from UCL in cooperation with other stakeholders from academia and practise. This multi-stage process aimed at creating a framework for developing co-creation workshops and approaches for people living with dementia and other forms of neurodiversity.