Disabled persons as lead users in the domestic environment

The paper describes the results of a user study conducted to probe the user experience and preferences of disabled persons in their domestic environments in order to challenge and improve the current state of accessible design. The study indicates that current accessible products and environments fail to take into account the holistic user experience, particularly the emotional and aesthetic aspects. The study introduced innovative users who personalise their accessible products and environments in order to reflect their identity and lifestyle, thereby avoiding stigmatisation, and to integrate them into society, thereby averting alienation. This leads to nearly luxurious solutions, whose value for users rests beyond pure use. Innovative disabled users could act as lead users who inform and inspire designers.