Participatory Design

A design methodology that actively involves end users as partners in the design process rather than passive subjects of user testing. In accessibility contexts, participatory design is particularly important because failing to consider user opinions early in design is a major predictor of assistive technology abandonment. Conducting participatory design with people with disabilities often requires adapting standard methods — for example, replacing visual sketching activities with tangible prototyping materials for blind participants, or using alternative communication methods for participants with speech or language differences.