Boundary Object

A concept introduced by Star and Griesemer (1989) for artefacts, documents, or concepts that are flexible enough to be used across different communities of practice while retaining a recognisable identity in each. Boundary objects let disabled people, designers, researchers, caregivers, and institutions coordinate without full agreement—examples include a shared accessibility checklist, a design artefact in a co-design session, or a policy document. In accessibility research, boundary objects are often used to bridge lived experience and formal research, helping negotiate meaning across stakeholder groups with different expertise.