A Journey to Self-Care: Using Design to Help Intellectually Challenged People Look After Themselves in their Daily Activities

Abstract

The welfare of the disabled has recently become an important issue in China. However, compared with those with physical disabilities, people who experience intellectual disabilities receive much less social attention. As a result, the social services currently available cannot meet the demands of the intellectually disabled, meaning that the service utilization and the degree of satisfaction are relatively low compared to the service demands. Currently, most studies and policies related to intellectual disabilities are society- or institution-orientated, whereas the support for individuals’ daily activities is much less established. In China, it is common for people with intellectual challenges to live with their families, which may be a burden. So, it is necessary to explore services that would cater to fundamental daily activities and needs, such as dressing, food preparation, accommodation, and travel. The primary aim of this study is to explore the usage and application of design to help people with intellectual disabilities achieve a certain level of self-care. The questions we will be exploring are: how can design be used to benefit intellectually disabled people in their daily lives, and what kind of design would this entail?