Aim
Design is a basic human activity; everyone who advances actions to change an existing situation into a desired one engages in design. The act of designing thus posits a discussion about the active involvement of “users” in the design process and responds to and integrates user-initiated design. User-initiated design is a phenomenon that many disabled people enact while negotiating their less-than-accessible environments every day but this experience has been neglected from research in the field of design. Given this lack of attention the study explores designs people with disabilities, particularly people who have had a stroke, generate in their home environment and factors supporting them in taking an active role in designing this key living environment.
Methods
The study used a comparative case study design to explore user-initiated design in a group of people with disabilities as they strategize to adapt their home environments following a stroke. In addition a participatory approach was used to involve participants in the research process and in generating implications for changing how designers and rehabilitation professionals look at design of everyday living environments and how they could engage disabled people more actively in this process.
Results
User-initiated design seems to play an important role in the process of adaptation and ongoing interaction with the environment after the stroke. Their engagement as active agents in the innovation of accessible living environments can increase their sense of competence and enable social participation.
Conclusions
Innovative users with stroke actively shape and personalize their environment through user initiated design processes. Their experience and inputs in this process is silent but innovative.