(En)Abling Architectural Research: Co-Designing With People With Intellectual Disabilities.
Menatalla Kasem, Zarah Kaleem, Sam Clark and 1 others
Twenty-six people with intellectual disabilities in Cardiff co-developed a 15-point framework for running inclusive architectural research.
The measures — a paid co-researcher, Easy-Read materials, flexible timing, informal rapport — guide researchers designing studies, not clinicians treating patients.
Key findings
1The analysis produced a framework of 15 enabling measures in three subgroups (logistical, technical, relational), co-developed with participants and a co-researcher with an intellectual disability, intended to guide future inclusive architectural research.
2Employing a co-researcher with an intellectual disability from the outset was central to making the research environment inclusive; they contributed to recruitment, accessible communication, rapport-building, addressing prejudice, and practical support during workshops.
3Fieldwork spanned approximately 18 months, with walking interviews alone taking 7 months to accommodate participant availability, energy levels, and support needs, reflecting the need for extended timelines in inclusive research.
Still to come
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Single site (Cardiff, Wales) and single context (shopping centres), so the framework is shaped by a specific local and institutional setting. Twenty-six unique participants is a small sample, and the overlap across stages means some people contributed to all four stages while others to only one. The 1,500+ hours of engagement were made possible by the researcher's employment position within the self-advocacy organisation, which the authors note may not be replicable for research teams with different resource constraints. The authors acknowledge the study did not fully meet all criteria of inclusive research and sits on a continuum from consultative to fully co-produced approaches. The framework was developed within the constraints of a doctoral study, which shaped its scope and resources.
Declared interests
Funded by a full scholarship from the Ministry of Higher Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt. No industry conflicts of interest declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the co-design workshop outputs as evidence that specific architectural changes improve participation or well-being for people with intellectual disabilities. The paper produces a research methodology framework — a guide for how to run inclusive studies — not a tested intervention with measured outcomes. The design proposals generated in the workshops were never implemented or evaluated.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →