Design2Freedom: Promoting Person-Centered Design for Disability in Higher Education
Project Number: 2023-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000154427 KA220-HED-14BF992A
1436336, (1.12.2023 – 31.5.2026), ERASMUS+ PROGRAM
Partners: COCEMFE Spain, Technical University of Košice Slovakia, Universidade de Coruňa, Spain, Vilniaus Kolegia,Lituania, Creative District, Belgium
The Design2Freedom project aims to tackle the critical issue of insufficient access to appropriate support products for people with disabilities (PwDs). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 90% of those needing assistive products lack access to them, and 29.3% of PwDs who do have access abandon these products because they are not tailored to their needs. This gap perpetuates challenges in achieving autonomy and limits the right to live independently, as recognized by the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Higher education, as promoted by the European Education Area, must be inclusive and connected to its communities, addressing social challenges and prioritizing inclusion.
To foster this inclusive reality, universities must teach Person-Centered Design, placing PwDs at the heart of the product and service design process. Design2Freedom introduces an innovative approach by using participatory and inclusive methodologies in teaching Disabled Person-Centered Design.
Building on the experience of consortium partners like COCEMFE and the University of Coruña, which have successfully implemented similar initiatives, Design2Freedom employs methodologies such as Learning by Doing, Service-Learning, Challenge-Based Learning, and Design Thinking. These approaches have proven effective in creating meaningful learning experiences and designing person-centered products.