Scaffolding for Inclusive Co-design: Supporting People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities

This paper presents a framework for integrating scaffolding in co-design sessions with people with cognitive and learning disabilities. While scaffolding has been recognized for enhancing participant engagement in co-design, its application lacks standardization. Our study pursues three primary objectives: (1) Present two case studies involving an Augmented Reality application and the ACCESS+ museum application, highlighting specific user needs; (2) Adapt the concept of scaffolding to support the informal learning needed to interact with technology while having an active role in co-design (3) Discuss how to revisit collaborative design to become more accessible and inclusive as to empower people with cognitive and learning disabilities. Through a methodical approach of task subdivision, prompt initiation, assessment of understanding, support through prompting and fading, and repetition if needed, our framework demonstrates how tailored scaffolding can effectively engage participants, emphasizing the importance of integrating diverse perspectives in technology development.