Making a difference: using a participatory design process to give a voice to people with disabilities

This article will provide both experiential and quantitative evidence that applying a participatory, inclusive approach to user requirement elicitation and assistive technology-based new product development has benefits beyond effectively and cost-effectively producing a product or service that people with disabilities need and want. These benefits include individuals articulating their needs and aspirations in a structured way both within and external to close family; engaging with stakeholders beyond their family circle; and, gaining confidence to engage with wider society.