Co-Design of Technology with and for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review of Methods and Inclusion Strategies

Paper Title

Co-Design of Technology with and for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review of Methods and Inclusion Strategies

Publication Info

• Topic area: Inclusive co-design methods in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) for people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID).
• Keywords: co-design, intellectual disabilities, participatory design, inclusion strategies, accessibility, human-computer interaction, assistive technology, neurodevelopmental disorders, user-centered design, inclusive research.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: People with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) are underrepresented in the co-design of technology due to cognitive, communication, financial, and attitudinal barriers. Existing research often focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or sensory/motor impairments, leaving a gap in understanding how to include people with ID in co-design processes.
• Significance: Inclusive co-design ensures that technologies are meaningful, usable, and socially inclusive for underserved populations, addressing systemic inequities and enhancing social participation for people with ID.
• Motivation and related work: Prior reviews have examined participatory design for autistic individuals and other neurodevelopmental conditions but have not focused on the specific methodological adaptations required for co-design with people with ID. This review addresses this gap by synthesizing co-design methods and inclusion strategies tailored to ID populations.

Solution

• Proposed approach: A scoping review of 25 studies on co-designing technology with and for people with ID, identifying methods, adaptations, and principles for inclusive participation.
• Novelty:
  1. Synthesis of co-design methods and technologies used with people with ID.
  2. Analysis of how methods were adapted to support inclusive participation.
  3. Development of evidence-based principles for future co-design research centering on ID.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Systematic search across four databases using ID- and co-design-related keywords.
  • Inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed studies involving people with ID, technology focus, and explicit use of co-design methods.
  • Analysis of methods, adaptations, and participant roles to derive principles for inclusive co-design.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Interviews (n=16), prototyping (n=14), workshops (n=11), and focus groups (n=11) were the most common methods.
  • Adaptations included simplified language, visual supports, iterative cycles, and narrative-driven approaches.
  • Most studies involved people with mild to moderate ID, with limited representation of severe or profound ID.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • Identified gaps in existing methods, such as reliance on diagnostic labels and limited use of accessibility standards.
  • Proposed principles for more adaptive and inclusive co-design, including competency-based approaches, iterative engagement, and leveraging accessibility standards.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Studies spanned exploratory, ideation, and evaluative phases, with methods tailored to support diverse abilities.
  • Examples included using low-fidelity prototypes, storytelling, and hybrid methods to enhance participation.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Limited inclusion of people with severe/profound ID.
  • Exclusion of grey literature and non-academic design work.
  • Future work should explore scalable and sustainable methods for diverse ID populations.

Summary

This scoping review synthesizes 25 studies on co-designing technology with people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID), highlighting methods, adaptations, and inclusion strategies. Common methods included interviews, prototyping, and workshops, often adapted through simplified language, visual supports, and narrative-driven approaches. The review identifies principles for inclusive co-design, such as leveraging competencies, iterative engagement, and accessibility standards, to guide future research. These findings provide actionable insights for researchers and practitioners aiming to foster equitable participation of people with ID in technology design.